Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 180: Audio Explosion, Apop's Number One

While all the fans were frantically tagging Huace and hurling insults, Huace did not respond at all.

Aside from releasing Gu Jingyi's "Butter" audio on the official Weibo account at midnight, it was quickly taken offline.

This led some casual observers who were interested in the trending topics to click on "Butter".

You don’t know if you don’t hear it, but you will be shocked when you hear it.

As the second Billboard number one single by the original Time-Traveling BTS, the quality of "Butter" goes without saying.

Melon surpassed 100 million listens in the first hour, debuting at number one on the real-time charts.

This makes him the first male artist to achieve this feat since Melon's redesign, something even G-Dragon couldn't do.

Many people may mistakenly believe that "South Korea's No. 1 male solo" is G-Dragon or Baekhyun, but these are actually just domestic terms.

In South Korea, there is only one person who is the "Number One Male Soloist in South Korea".

That's Justin Bieber singing "Baby," whether during his low points or when he made a comeback as a pop star in the West.

Justin Bieber's status in the hearts of the South Korean people has never changed; he is the "one true god"!
Whenever Justin Bieber releases a song, it's no surprise that G-Dragon and Byun Baekhyun will do the same.

Even girl groups or solo artists who are generally considered to have a stronger voice in music charts can't beat Justin Bieber.

IU is incredibly popular, isn't she? She's the second most popular celebrity in South Korea after Yoo Jae-suk.

However, when IU's songs clash with Justin Bieber's, they can't beat Bieber's.

Gu Jingyi is Bieber's Chinese version this time, and his song "Butter" was released at midnight.

Generally speaking, brokerage firms do not choose this time period.

As is well known, K-pop songs are usually released at 18 PM.

The reason for this is that this time period is close to the end of the workday and the end of the schoolday. Office workers can boost their data on their way home by subway, and students can boost their data after school.

Gu Jingyi's song release time is synchronized with South Korea, but there is a one-hour time difference due to the time difference.

In the dead of night, there aren't many people listening to songs.

South Korea's nightlife truly begins in the early hours of the morning.

The clubs in Gangnam District are brightly lit, and the gyms built in the CBD buildings are even more so.

No casual listener would choose to work hard to boost the charts for a song; only fans would be willing to put in the best effort to give their idol the best possible support.

But thanks to Gu Jingyi's song "Butter," which has a light and refreshing melody.

This song is really suitable for the lively atmosphere in the gym.

“smooth like a Butter…”

When the drumbeats of "Butter" begin, it is accompanied by samples from Nudisc Dynamite-BlacOctopus.

This song also incorporates retro elements in its dance/rhythm (disco), as hinted in the lyrics: Do the boogie (n. swing dance, boogie) like.

However, Gu Jingyi did not act as a "musical tailor" like K-pop music producers, euphemistically calling the consistency of melodies "sampling."

In the second verse of Butter, Gu Jingyi sliced ​​and looped the samples and re-synthesized the rhythm, avoiding plagiarism. The arrangement structure uses the vocal anti-drop technique popular in K-POP in recent years to build a bridge, while the overall framework still follows the traditional design of repeating the verse - building a bridge - chorus/climax.

However, because Butter's instrumental music uses synthesizers and effects, the small timbres used for embellishment are designed to be refreshing and lively.

This immediately brought a fresh and vibrant feel to the song "Butter".

Gu Jingyi also uniquely added Autotune to the mixed voice processing, making the transitions between some high notes and transitions very smooth.

This makes "Butter" not only catchy but also very enjoyable to listen to.

When "Butter" was released in the gym, the "double-door refrigerators" who were initially doing strength training weren't interested.

But when the fans finished playing "Butter" and then left, they changed the song and left.

Some people started to get restless. "Excuse me, what song were you just playing?"

The same conversation was heard in gyms across South Korea.

South Korean actresses who played "Kyungbi" all used this method and achieved wonderful results.

Don't underestimate the power of these ideas; the fans' "brilliant idea" opened up the "casual market," which is the most difficult market for male celebrities to penetrate, for Gu Jingyi.

It's still a "passerby market" dominated by same-sex fans, and male fans may not be as active in voting or spending money as female fans.

But male fans are the most tolerant.

A male celebrity's relationship is revealed, or he's been confirmed as a scumbag.

Only female fans would go online and hurl insults; male fans don't care about these minor flaws that are unrelated to the artist's work.

They might even just think that Gu Jingyi truly deserves to be called Emperor Jing, and envy how well he eats.

When selecting spokespeople for luxury car endorsements, the popularity of the artist among male fans is also taken into consideration.

After all, these are high-end cars, such as Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, etc.

The target audience for these products is almost entirely men.

Gu Jingyi currently doesn't have any car endorsements; most of the invitations he receives are for ordinary car brands like Hyundai, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

To be honest, Gu Jingyi really didn't think much of it...

By the end of this year, Gu Jingyi will be the "spokesperson for seven luxury items".

This favor from the fashion industry, and its own high-class image, are something that the Chinese entertainment industry simply cannot match.

Every endorsement Gu Jingyi accepts is converted into his commercial value.

He wouldn't accept endorsement deals from ordinary car brands just for the sake of the endorsement fee.

If Gu Jingyi could actually access luxury cars, then his lifestyle would be at the pinnacle of luxury.

The aforementioned luxury cars faced considerable difficulties, and before the advent of face masks, they rarely sought celebrity endorsements to maintain their prestige.

Gu Jingyi is currently in contact with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

BMW was quite willing to make an exception for Gu Jingyi and grant her the title of global brand ambassador.

After all, "blue sky and white clouds" is more of a girl's choice.

Among the "BBA" brands, men tend to choose Mercedes-Benz and Audi more often.

Gu Jingyi was somewhat tempted, but still held firm.

His official first album and "Ashes of Love" will be released early next year, and there's also "Go Go Squid!" waiting for him in the middle of the year, adding even more "buffs" to his role as Gu Jingyi.

Next year, Gu Jingyi's net worth will soar once again.

Will they still lack luxury car endorsements by then?
Like Mercedes-Benz's high-end model series, the Mercedes series.

HuaCe had been in contact with them, but after Gu Jingyi's movie broke 1 billion yuan at the box office, the other party became less tight-lipped and even somewhat ambiguous.

If you can't afford a top-of-the-line luxury car, using a Mercedes as a stepping stone is perfectly acceptable.

Car endorsements like these are usually short-term, lasting only one year. Taking on the Mercedes series endorsement would also give Gu Jingyi more leverage to get in touch with even more top-tier luxury cars.

Gu Jingyi already had a good impression on the South Korean people, and his appearance was not the mainstream "pretty boy" style on the peninsula.

Rather, it's the kind of handsome that's noble yet aloof, with features that look incredibly aggressive.

Generally speaking, celebrities with less striking features tend to have better bone structure and overall demeanor.

Celebrities with striking features are simply more handsome.

Gu Jingyi's combination of two traits made him even more eye-catching.

This is all thanks to family background and upbringing from a young age; others can only dream of having it.

Thanks to the efforts of fans, Gu Jingyi's "Butter" achieved its first-day sales results.

On Melon, Butter went from "dropping in at number three" to climbing to number one.

It sounds easy, but if you look at the artists who were performing the same song as Gu Jingyi, you'll know that things aren't that simple.

Previously, the number one spot was held by IU.

The song "BIBI" was written by her for Black Haters.

It's clearly a satirical song, yet it carries a girlish playfulness.

This song is especially appealing to South Koreans who prefer light and refreshing aesthetics; it's practically a perfect fit for their tastes.

The music chart performance was naturally outstanding, debuting at number one on Melon. It achieved an "All Kill" on all eight major music charts and dominated the Melon chart for three consecutive weeks.

However, Gu Jingyi's performance was better than IU's, with a score of 1029408 on Melon in the first hour after the article was published in "Butter".

Gu Jingyi is the first male artist to surpass one million views on the Melon music chart after its revamp, achieving an "All Kill" on the first day of release on music charts such as Genie and Bugs.

He is also the first Chinese singer to break the charts on South Korean music charts, setting a new record.

He won the APOP title in 76 countries/regions on iTunes, setting a new record.

It also cracked the "inner ring" of Spotify's global daily chart, garnering 890 million streams on its first day. This sets a new record for the highest first-day streaming volume for a Chinese-language singer, adding another one to the existing record.

As for the music video views, "Butter" garnered 6800 million views on YouTube on its first day.

While the data may not sound particularly impressive, it is based on the fact that Gu Jingyi has never operated in or even tested the European and American markets.

It's important to know that Gu Jingyi doesn't have a K-pop background; his songs are primarily in Chinese.

Chinese pronunciation is difficult, and even foreigners who try to pronounce it correctly often struggle to get the gist of it. This limits the spread of Chinese songs, making them less easy to learn than mass-produced K-pop hits.

Furthermore, most K-pop songs borrow or sample melodies from the Western market, so Korean pop lacks its own originality. From the very beginning, it has been learning from the West.

The resulting works naturally conform to the aesthetic standards of Europeans and Americans.

Gu Jingyi has primarily sung Chinese songs since her debut.

Only today did they release a song entirely in English.

However, the Chinese song "Lover" also achieved remarkable streaming results, and it even made it onto the Billboard Hot 100.

It was also the first Chinese song to make it onto the Billboard Hot 100.

Although there are also cases of fans manipulating data, there is no controversy like with Chris.

Simply put, the song "Lover" is indeed excellent to listen to. Furthermore, the arrangement and composition were tailored to Western musical tastes. While Westerners might think the song was simply a pleasant surprise, it was actually a carefully chosen piece by Gu Jingyi.

I thought "The Lover" was Gu Jingyi's upper limit, but I didn't expect "Butter" to be Gu Jingyi's normal level.

Seeing the song's outstanding performance, it has received widespread praise on domestic social media platforms such as Weibo and Douban.

"Even if you don't listen to the songs, watching Gu Jingyi's performance is a visual spa, okay?"

"Records are meant to be broken—and broken by Gu Jingyi himself!"

"Those who say English songs don't count as K-pop, have your idol sing a Billboard 'Hot 100' song before you start arguing."

"Laughs. Guess why they don't dare to say anything? Of course, it's because Gu Jingyi's 'Butter' isn't just a 'Hot 100,' it's a 'Hot 10' without any promotion. It's purely based on the quality of the song, except for Psy's 'Gangnam Style.' Gu Jingyi has already achieved the best in Cpop and the second best in Apop."

"Gu Jingyi is amazing, his fans are tired of saying it. Let me give some background information to the general public: the Billboard Hot 100 is generally only available to artists who have been active in K-pop for several years. They need to rely on K-pop streaming services to attract fans in Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia. Then, with the help of these fans, they can work together to get the single to a good ranking."

"Kpop is a niche genre in Europe and America, but it is listened to by Asian international students. Chinese songs are a niche within a niche in Europe and America."

"Why aren't many people listening to Chinese songs? Of course, it's because Chinese is hard to learn. Jay Chou's lyrics are too complicated, while foreigners can learn K-pop with its simple humming melodies much faster."

Gu Jingyi's achievements excited his fans, who spread the news far and wide.

How could I not let strangers know that my older brother's grades are so outstanding?

How can we show off our sophistication?

Amidst the fans' excitement, when people woke up, the chart performance of "Butter" was like a pop-up ad for a web game that could be seen everywhere.

Whether people want to see it or not, whether they care or not.

As soon as he woke up, everyone knew that Gu Jingyi's new song "Butter" had entered the "Billboard Hot 10" on its first day.

The news shocked the K-pop community.

Outsiders may not know just how outstanding Gu Jingyi's achievements are; only those who have been immersed in the K-pop scene for years would have such an understanding.

Only Psy and BTS have achieved this level of success in K-pop.

2017年9月18号，防弹少年团发行的《DNA》是首支进入Hot 100的BTS歌曲，打破K-pop团体52年无缘该榜的历史。

Psy doesn't count; he's a solo artist, not a member of a boy band.

In the same year, BTS released "MIC Drop (Remix)" (feat. Steve Aoki) on November 24th, which ended in December.

It achieved a ranking of number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the chart for 10 weeks, setting a record for the longest-charting K-pop song.

On May 18, 2018, BTS's "Fake Love" achieved a best ranking of tenth on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was also the first K-pop song to debut in the Top 10, a particularly impressive achievement.

三个月功劳，2018年8月24号让麻辣鸡做Feat的《IDOL》在B榜“Hot 100”最高排名是11。

This shows that a solo single making it into the "Hot 10" is the greatest recognition of a singer's talent in the Western music scene.

Before BTS made their debut on the "Hot 10", big names in Europe and America would never have featured with them.

They view K-pop, this imported phenomenon, much like they view "internet celebrity singers."

Gu Jingyi, through an unintentional attempt, achieved the same result as BTS, who had worked hard for two years.

It's worth noting that K-pop has been embroiled in a fierce battle for the title of "number one boy group" since 2016, a claim that was ultimately settled in 2017 when BTS completely surpassed them.

Even so, EXO's huge number of domestic fans are not convinced.

How come a group of ugly girls can become so popular just by creating their own variety show with the backing of a streaming media company?
When Gu Jingyi's results were reported back to China, EXO fans were overjoyed.

Because BTS's "Waste it on me," released on October 25th, only reached a peak ranking of 89.

On the day the results were released, EXO fans and BTS fans got into a fight.

"What's so great about the collaboration track on Hot 11? It's not even as good as half a stick of Gu Jingyi's solo single, which is the undisputed top idol in China on Hot 10."

"Thank you, Jingdi, for avenging EXO! The debt we owed back then for mocking EXO for 'picking their toes in America' has now been repaid with the huge difference between #89 and #10!"

"As expected of Gu Jingyi, who is hailed as the strongest ACE in K-pop, he wrote, composed, and arranged all of 'Butter' by himself. I don't know if Ahn Joon-young is heartbroken, but are ARMYs heartbroken?"

"The song 'Waste It On Me,' which is being hyped up by fans, is #89 on the Top 100 Hot Songs, while Gu Jingyi's solo debut is #10. ARMYs, I suggest you face reality: three years of idolizing Western celebrities by ARMY equals Gu Jingyi's one-off achievement!"

Image: Left: Cover of BTS #89 single (with the caption "Foot Washer")
Right: Gu Jingyi #10 "Butter" cover (labeled "solo = unparalleled father")
"Gu Jingyi wrote, composed, and arranged all the music for 'Butter' → a true all-rounder! He also wrote 'poop and pee' jokes in a self-produced variety show → a true variety show star!"

Was Ahn Joon-young rigging the votes to drive Gu Jingyi away because he was afraid Gu would destroy the K-pop scene?

Image accompanying: Gu Jingyi's "Butter" – lyrics, composition, and arrangement all by Gu Jingyi (highlighted as "100% creative contribution").
Screenshot from BTS's "Run BTS!" variety show (with caption "Jin's fart sounds like a rocket")
"Gu Jingyi's performance in a suit garnered over 100 million views → He stormed into the Top 100 Hottest Songs list just because of his looks! All members of a certain group wore the same outfit as a barber shop owner from a rural-urban fringe area → They only managed to reach the bottom of the charts by flooding the streaming market! We suggest switching fandoms and idols: Chasing after ugly people is bad for your health, but admiring divine looks is a lifesaver!"

Image: Left: Gu Jingyi's stunning stage photo with wet hair and gold-rimmed glasses (tagged #MiracleOfHumanAesthetics#)

Right: Unedited red carpet photo of BTS (arrows indicate "wrinkles/acne scars/50/50 body proportions")
"Question to the powder:"

1. Can your brother's solo performance suddenly land him on the Hot 100? → No!

2. Can your brother carry a billion-dollar box office? → Flop!
3. Can your brother get Yoona? → He's not even worthy of licking her feet!

It can only be said that the rivals really understand each other too well. The reason why BTS was able to succeed in the US market is not only because they have always used Western music producers for their songs.

This is also related to their self-produced variety shows, which showcased their approachability and humor, bringing them closer to audiences in Europe and America.

When EXO-L took a screenshot of Jin's embarrassing moment on a self-made variety show and compared it with Gu Jingyi's cool and aloof handsome face.

They also harshly criticized BTS, from their creative abilities and academic achievements to their looks.

The Chinese fans were furious when someone used this as an excuse to upload the content to the Korean forum PANN.

The online discussion in South Korea also exploded.

"Ugh, what are these lunatics talking about? BTS is just really popular, Gu Jingyi is just lucky, lucky."

"There's some truth to that. Wow, Gu Jingyi is so handsome he's practically on another level. He completely outshines BTS in these comparison photos."

"Agreed, Gu Jingyi's lemon yellow hoodie and torn lid look are simply world-class in terms of beauty."

"Wow, Gu Jingyi is so handsome! I'm going to faint from his good looks. lol, someone's using his looks to bully us."

"Don't even mention it. It's heartbreaking to think that Gu Jingyi's national treasure-level good looks were used to frame that brat Ahn Joon-young. He's the culprit who's caused the average appearance of South Korea to drop. We should petition the Blue House to send Ahn Joon-young in."

"Damn it, don't mention Lim Yoona, okay? The great Emperor Jing is a lifelong single!!!"

"Ah, I like Yoon-ah Xi quite a bit. But I'd like her even more if her name wasn't mentioned together with Gu Jingyi Xi less often."

"Gu Jingyi is not your tool. You can fight between your team and the local team, but don't drag irrelevant handsome guys into it."

"Jinjia? (Really?) Gu Jingyi, that bastard, sang 'Nuna' in front of everyone at Girls' Generation's concert! What do you mean by singing a love song to a South Korean who understands Chinese in front of everyone? And it's 'Nuna'!"

When Lin Ze vividly recounted all of this to Gu Jingyi, Gu Jingyi was speechless.

"Brother Ze, you can read it, but could you please not use such a matching tone? I really..."

The crew of "Better Days" – Gu Jingyi – just finished the opening ceremony.

Seeing his childhood sweetheart on set was already enough to give Gu Jingyi trouble, but Lin Ze, that jerk, was still bothering him.

"Jingyi, don't say that. You're legendary even when you're not on the battlefield. You truly deserve to be called Emperor Jing, always leading the way."

"..." Gu Jingyi was so annoyed by him that he simply stopped replying.

"Alright, alright, don't be angry anymore. I have some good news to tell you today. Do you remember your new album was nominated for the MAMA Awards?"

"You mean Album of the Year or Single of the Year?"

Gu Jingyi raised an eyebrow, unmoved.

"Of course it's Single of the Year! How could Green Card possibly be the Album of the Year?"

Lin Ze chuckled. He wasn't a three-year-old anymore; of course he knew about South Korea's three major music festivals.

Of the three major awards, the "Single of the Year" award is relatively less prestigious.

There might be hope for a green card if Gu Jingyi is willing to let the company operate.

"Your single 'Butter' stayed in the 'Hot 10' for a week before dropping to 13-17. This is the consequence of not signing with a foreign music company; resources can't keep up with the quality."

"That's normal. After all, I'm Asian. I'm the kind of person that white men in Europe and America look down on the most. I didn't promote this single."

Gu Jingyi understood that his success was entirely due to the excellent quality of his songs, coupled with the increased publicity and brand recognition brought about by his endorsements with Chopin and Dior.

It's not that he himself is particularly outstanding in Europe and America; Gu Jingyi is at most well-known among Chinese students studying abroad.

"Butter" is BTS's second number-one single after all, and even a weakened version of Gu Jingyi could still deliver a passable performance.

"Ze-ge, are you implying that Mnet wants to invite me to promote their song? And what did you agree to? If I go, will 'Butter' win Best Single at MAMA?"

Gu Jingyi glanced at Lin Ze and guessed what had happened.

"It's boring. There's no sense of accomplishment in being around smart people."

Lin Ze pursed his lips, pretending to be heartbroken.

“I guess Mnet promised us that if they choose Mnet for the first stage of ‘Butter’s’ promotion, my chances of winning Best Single at this year’s MAMA are practically guaranteed.”

Gu Jingyi smiled and looked at Lin Ze gently.

"Yes, you could become Sherlock Holmes."

"I'm still far from that point."

Gu Jingyi chuckled, “Butter’s music charts are stable right now. After all, Mnet doesn’t have the same depth as Music Bank and Inkigayo. It’s normal that they chose me to support them.”

"But even if I don't go, I should still get this Best Single award. MAMA is known for 'giving away the spoils,' given how much they fawn over the West. Of course, they'll like whatever Americans like."

Gu Jingyi said meaningfully.

"Actually, it's not because of that that I have to go."

Lin Ze laughed, “Butter is of very high quality, so it doesn’t matter whether it wins international awards or not. However, this is an invitation from TikTok.”

TikTok?

"Yes, you might not know this, but your song is incredibly popular on Douyin."

"Ugh?"

(End of this chapter)