Peninsula Cicada Song Diary

Chapter 95 Traffic Lights (4K)

[It seems KBS isn't going to go bankrupt yet.] Pei Xiyan replied.

After all, three weeks had passed since he went to Music Bank, so it would be strange if it wasn't fixed.

After replying to the message, he turned on the TV and tuned to KBS2.

EXO and TWICE were absent from this week's Music Bank. They finished their promotional activities last week, and the question of who to support at the Halloween party now seems to have only one answer left.

[You didn't buy that trendy item, did you?]

Before Red Velvet even took the stage, Pei Xiyan saw Park Chanyeol's message on her phone and her lips twitched.

He knew which trend he was referring to; it was nothing more than "Cicada, come back!"

Who would buy such a stupid trend for themselves? Pei Xiyan muttered to herself.

[My brother can really think of anything.]

[Really not?]

[If you admit you're gay, then I'll admit I bought the trending topic myself.]

[Hey! You little rascal!]

The two sides began a heated exchange, while under the same night sky, many others were waiting to watch Red Velvet's comeback performance.

Li Shanliang has switched to the Music Bank's live stream page.

Although the song is not very good, is it possible that it would become more pleasing to the ear if combined with the stage performance?

This kind of thing has happened before. For example, Girls' Generation's "I Got a Boy," released in 13, had a very bold patchwork style at the time, but many people said it sounded awkward, messy, and unpleasant. The reviews are almost identical to those for "RBB" today.

However, the subsequent music show performances made many people immediately experience a "true fragrance" moment.

On the TV screen, the entire venue was filled with waving coral pink light sticks, and the stage backdrop unfolded from the center. Because the background image featured Kang Seulgi standing in the middle, she was comically split in two.

Red Velvet, having struck their entrance poses behind the backdrop, walked to the center of the stage, where Pei Xiyan also saw their comeback looks.

Bae Joo-hyun is still beautiful. Her retro wavy long hair paired with a silver sequined long-sleeved top, black skinny jeans, and red high-heeled boots creates an outfit that would look terrible on most people, but on her, it makes her look like a pure magazine girl from the 1980s or 90s.

Park Soo-young's outfit was also great; the red polka-dot long-sleeved top and black tight leather pants perfectly showcased her figure.

Son Seung-wan and Kim Ye-rin's outfits can both be considered normal retro styles.

Only Kang Seulgi...

"Is this fluorescent green top and leopard print pants a serious combination?" Pei Xiyan felt a wave of dizziness.

He only ever saw this kind of look at some bizarre fashion shows.

But Pei Xiyan had no time to care whether Jiang Seulgi had offended the stylist, because as the intro began, the stage performance officially started.

Son Seungwan's incredibly clear "hey!" completely opened the curtain on her comeback to the stage.

This also made some people realize something.

"Was it all live?" Li Shanliang asked, somewhat surprised.

Such a challenging title track, and the comeback performance was sung entirely live?

Aren't you afraid of making a mistake?

Knowing Red Velvet's strength, Pei Xiyan had no such concerns.

He calmly watched the television, wanting to see how the song would be performed on stage.

The choreography of "RBB" is just as complex as its music. The dance moves are numerous and intricate, but the performance of the song is flawless from the start, despite the live vocals and complex dance.

Before the chorus, Son Seungwan's powerful "oh my girl" and subsequent high notes perfectly showcased her strength as a main vocalist. A song meant to show off technical skills can only rely on solid talent to make the audience feel its charm.

Li Shanliang sensed it.

The entire comeback performance was high-energy, and he didn't comment on the arrangement because he had already done so before.

He now wants to evaluate the choreography, or rather, Bae Joo-hyun.

Because in the footage, as she walked across the stage from the right, she blew a kiss to the camera and the audience with her left hand.

Li Shanliang didn't know what others thought, but his heart was definitely struck by that flying kiss.

He had a feeling that this move would become another iconic moment for Bae Joo-hyun.

"Irene is a god!" His roar echoed through the dorm room, startling his roommate who was playing games with his headphones on. His roommate took off his headphones, looking at Li Shanliang, who was as excited as if he'd won the lottery, his face filled with question marks.

Following "RBB" was "Butterflies," and many fans online said that this song was more suitable as the title track than "RBB."

But putting aside the song, just looking at the styling, it is indeed much more normal than "RBB".

Pei Xiyan just never expected that Son Seungwan would sing so sweetly; her singing style throughout the song sounded like she'd taken a sip of alcohol before going on stage.

It's as sweet as honey.

I bet he'll get a lot of teasing from the other members behind my back.

Both songs were performed live, and without a doubt, it was a perfect comeback show. Online comments also saw a slight reversal after the performances aired.

[Ryderbabe's skill is undeniable! How can someone have their mic on full mic and their cooldown be the same?]

[Eileen looks absolutely stunning today (drooling), I loved that flying kiss~]

[The song actually sounded surprisingly good after being combined with the stage performance; it didn't sound so bad anymore.]

[Wendy's performance was absolutely perfect, singing four notes in one! That final vibrato was so satisfying!]

Is that really Wendy, the lead singer of Power Band, in "Butterflies"? She's unbelievably sweet!

[Joy's figure (drooling).]

[Yeri's figure (drooling).]

[Our maknae is still a kid, don't look down too much from upstairs!]

[However, what's with Seulgi's outfit? Did she offend her stylist?]

[Just asking, Red Velvet are probably the best girl groups right now, right?]

[While MAMAM00 might be a rival in singing, only our Ryder Baby is truly well-rounded in all aspects!]

Talent is an idol's greatest weapon. The comments section has changed from its previous tone, with almost all of them praising them. However, wherever there are people, there will be dissenting voices.

What's the use of having great talent if the song is still bad?

[Yeah, TWICE's skills are average, but their songs are great, so they're still the top girl group right now.]

[This is Ryderbabe's comment section. What are Rabbit fans showing off here for? (vomits)]

[Rabbit fans, you should probably focus on improving your idol's skills first, otherwise I'm afraid I'll forget the key of the original song after listening to a performance with the vocals muted.]

The comments below gradually veered off course and started to get heated.

Besides, not everyone watches music show performances.

On December 1st, RBB dropped from third to fifth on the daily charts.

Under the trending hashtag "Cicada, come back!", ReVeluv continues to add comments, as if the more comments he makes, the better "RBB" will immediately sound.

At noon that day, SM's official SNS posted a picture.

It's not a photo of a boy or girl group, nor is it a live photo from Red Velvet's comeback yesterday; in fact, none of the idols from the company appear in it.

It's just a simple landscape painting.

The crossroads under blue sky and white clouds, judging from the weather, must be summer. The road is lined with lush green trees, and you can almost hear the cicadas chirping through the picture.

A traffic light stands in the middle of the intersection, glowing red, and three cars are waiting on the road in front of the light.

From front to back, there is a school bus with a very girly feel, a silver sports car, and a red sedan.

The comments section below began to offer a variety of opinions regarding this seemingly random picture.

[What does this mean? Can someone explain it?]

[Does this mean our company is in serious trouble?]

Is SM Entertainment going to collapse?

[Has the operations team gone mad?]

[Perhaps the three cars below represent a combination?]

[Possibly! Silver represents EXO, red represents Red Velvet, and who owns that school bus? NCT Dream?]

[I think so, because all the members of NCT Dream are of school age.]

[So what does this picture mean? Does it mean these three groups will collaborate?]

[Qinjia? I've been waiting for this for ages!]

[SM Entertainment! Give us songs like this, just go bankrupt already!]

SM Entertainment has never explained the meaning of this image, leaving the comments below to speculate.

Pei Xiyan also saw the picture, and he naturally knew what it meant.

Although he said he didn't want publicity, it's impossible for Lee Soo-man not to promote it.

It's like a countdown; once the traffic light in the picture turns green, his song will be released.

Two more days to go, but Pei Xiyan remained calm.

He simply releases a song, without showing his face or promoting it, so he has nothing to worry about.

After working on "The Four Seasons" at home for a while, he went out after finishing his takeout.

The weather outside today is similar to that in the picture, with cotton candy-like clouds floating in the azure sky.

The first day of December started with good weather, but he knew that good weather like today would become increasingly rare.

Upon entering JYP's recording studio, Pei Xiyan saw that the people who were to record today were already inside.

"You're here so early?" he greeted the person on the sofa while closing the door behind him.

"Yes, producer." Hwang Ye-ji, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up and greeted him respectfully.

Before we knew it, it was time to record songs for Huang Lizhi's show again.

"What song is it this time?" Pei Xiyan sat on the swivel chair and turned halfway to face her.

"The new rules," Huang Lizhi said, providing the answer.

"The one by dualipa?" Pei Xiyan blinked.

"Yes." Huang Lizhi nodded.

"That's really bold," Pei Xiyan couldn't help but exclaim.

This song was a hit released in 2017, and a hit song means a wide audience. If the performance is not good, it is easy for people to find loopholes and attack it.

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​performing this song?" he asked.

"Because I think I can perform this song well." Huang Lizhi's face was serious, and her tone sounded like she was trying to prove something to someone.

"You have to maintain that confidence." Pei Xiyan gave a thumbs up, then worked on the computer for a while before gesturing to her, "Go in and record the song."

"Inside."

The recording went very smoothly. Huang Lizhi performed better each time she recorded than the last. She was like a sponge, tirelessly absorbing every experience.

"Oh, right." Pei Xiyan took the hard drive and handed it to Huang Lizhi, then remembered something else.

"I think today is the day the show airs."

Huang Lizhi was stunned for a moment, then her face began to blush slightly. "Yes."

Pei Xiyan didn't know why she was suddenly so shy until she watched the latest issue of "The Fan" that evening and then it dawned on her.

Last time at the event, he left without watching the mentors' evaluation segment, and it turned out that he had thought it before he left. Because of his vocal problems, Huang Lizhi was almost scolded to tears by Boa on stage.

In Pei Xiyan's opinion, Huang Lizhi's performance was already above average, but unfortunately, he encountered Boa as his mentor, whose strictness was well-known in SM Entertainment, and many trainees had been made to cry by her.

The way she choked up and begged the audience to vote for her afterwards really looked like a kitten begging for food on the street.

It's no wonder she chose "New Rules" this time. It's probably because of the little girl's competitive nature. Boa's words inspired her to think, "Next time, I must perform a stage that changes her mind."

You'll make her look at you in a new light. Pei Xiyan thought to herself.

On December 2nd, at noon again, just like yesterday, SM Entertainment posted a photo of a traffic light on their official SNS.

The only difference is that the color in the picture has been changed from red to yellow.

This also made many people realize that the color change meant a countdown.

[Does that mean tomorrow will be green?]

[So what exactly are you trying to say? Damn it! Can't you just say it directly?!]

[It seems we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.]

[SM's promotional campaign this time was surprisingly simple and mysterious.]

[Hopefully it's some exciting news, not something so mysterious that it turns out to be a huge surprise.]

Pei Xiyan had nothing to do today and was still busy at home working on the song "Four Seasons". He had already finished writing "Darari" and was waiting to give it to Minatozaki Sana as a birthday present.

Today is also the day that the episode of "Running Man" featuring Twice aired. When Sana Minatozaki participated in the show last time, she left him with a riddle.

After watching the show, Pei Xiyan finally knew who the two unlucky guys that Minatozaki Sana was talking about were.

[It turns out it was Tzuyu and Jeongyeon.]

[Did Xiyan watch the show?]

[Oh, so Sana's actually a wrestling expert.]

In the pig wrestling segment of the show, Sana Minatozaki could be described as "invincible".

[kkkkk, now you know I'm not someone to mess with!]

[It's not just Osaka Rocket's punch, it's Osaka Rocket's flying kick too!]

[kkkkk, you really know how to apply what you've learned!]

When will the Osaka Rocket Header be available?

[Wait for the day we meet! (fiercely)]

On December 3rd, just as many commenters expected, SM Entertainment released a picture at noon.

The changes in the image are significant. Not only has the traffic light changed from yellow to green, indicating "go ahead," but the three cars that were originally waiting have also crossed the light, and a blue car has caught up with them from behind.

The car had a cicada symbol painted on its body.

Below the image, SM Entertainment also placed a mysterious link.

When someone clicks on the link, they are automatically redirected to a song's page.

The song is called "Traffic Light".

And the singer's name is actually...

Cicada?!