Little Pink Starfish

The highest performing track from Sedalbaekil’s first full album in terms of streaming numbers was Summer Cream.

Of course, that was only based on digital chart performance—when you looked at all the detailed metrics, there were several songs that actually outperformed Summer Cream.

Like Colorful Struggle, which was boosted by the Color Show, and its remix K-pop Struggle.

Or RESUME, which was pre-released through their self-produced content and gained traction thanks to NOP and Drop Out’s buzz.

Then there was State of Mind, their first music video release, and Pin Point, the title track.

If you accounted for every possible metric, these songs all had stronger numbers than Summer Cream.

But that, in turn, only emphasized just how remarkable Summer Cream really was.

Because it was able to be compared to tracks that had serious promotional backing, while it was merely a lower-ranked B-side with no real marketing.

That’s why many of the TTs were disappointed that Summer Cream never got a proper promo cycle.

Sure, they performed it live during university festivals and public events, but it never had a music show appearance.

So for a lot of fans, it was satisfying to see Winter Cream, a song with a similar vibe, being pre-released with a music video and actively promoted.

Especially since they already knew Winter Cream had become a 1st place nominee.

But again, this was a very TT-centered perspective—it didn’t reflect what the general public thought.

Particularly those tuning into this music show because of the Sedalbaekil vs. Mix Way rivalry.

-Wait, what? Winter Cream is a 1st place candidate?

-Yeah, the streaming numbers are insane. I saw a blog post breaking it down—it’s supposed to have the best metrics of any idol song ever?

-Well, that’s probably just ‘cause the K-pop market gets bigger every year?

-Yeah, probably. But still, it’s wild.

-That’s kind of confusing lol. I thought the title track would be on today.

-I think they will perform it too. People are saying the pre-recorded track was STAGE.

-This whole rollout’s confusing lol

-Sedalbaekil’s promo schedule is just weird. They do whatever they want. I mean, they own their company anyway.

-Which is why I kinda like them tbh lol

-But is it really that weird to change your push track based on public response?

-It’s not weird, but usually that happens after watching the numbers for a few weeks—not like this lol. If they were gonna do this, they should’ve made Winter Cream a higher-tier track from the start.

-It’s probably because they wanted the album to feel cohesive. Moving Winter Cream up would’ve messed up the flow of the full album.

-Yep, it feels intentional. They treat their album like a piece of art.

-And honestly, it is art. This is contemporary art now lol. I mean, combining the three unit albums equals a full-length record.

-Contemporary art is more like what Mix Way’s Prince likes.

-Prince?? You mean emperor.

-Oh right.

Still, it wasn’t as if people disliked the situation.

While these kinds of reactions circulated beneath the surface, Sedalbaekil was finally teased on the broadcast.

But the group as a whole didn’t appear just yet.

[NEXT: Masked Robbers]

It was the unit of Koo Taehwan and Lee Ieon—Masked Robbers.

-??????????

-Huh??

-They’re doing the units too??

-lol I mean, look at the numbers. The streaming figures are insane lol

-Wait don’t tell me On & On and Choi Jaesung are showing up too.

-Right now the most intense one is Choi Jaesung lol. DROP is blowing up overseas.

-Yeah he’s about to enter the “Do You Know” club at this rate.

Onstage, Masked Robbers performed just like they had during their busking days.

Two men in masks singing—a harmony of sweetness and aggression.

The vocals were smooth and mellow, but their gestures were pure gangster rap.

At one point they even whipped out a money gun and started blasting it.

In between, there were some two-person choreo sequences that hadn’t been seen in their busking sets.

-lol Koo Taehwan and Lee Ieon can actually dance?

-Once Han Siheon’s gaslighting wears off, the Sedalbaekil members just go feral lol

-Yeah seeing this, it really does feel like Sedalbaekil rightfully crushed Take Scene and won.

-Each member is insanely solid.

-Is Han Siheon gaslighting them?

-No no, people mean that next to Han Siheon they seem ordinary. Like the moon next to the sun.

-Hence the Fourdalbaekil 😨

Then came a girl group making a long-awaited comeback, followed by On & On.

This was the unit of Han Siheon and On Saemiro—and they stayed true to their “real sound” concept.

Han Siheon played guitar, while On Saemiro played the djembe.

The djembe isn’t the easiest instrument to master, but among hand-played percussion, it’s one of the more accessible.

Especially if you’re just learning one or two songs.

Looking back, the unit album STAGE SIDE C had been released at a less-than-ideal time.

Side A and Side B had gained buzz thanks to the Self-Made broadcast, and Side C dropped right at the end of that series.

But as soon as Side C dropped, TV ads started running for the full-length compilation album STAGE.

Which meant that Side C, On & On’s unit album, didn’t get the benefit of the show’s spotlight or dominate the buzz cycle.

The full album was already looming.

Some said this showed the dignity of a true leader (taking the worst release window), while others said On Saemiro got the short end of the stick.

Still, Side C sold steadily and consistently.

While Choi Jaesung’s DROP had the most explosive impact, in terms of unit album sales alone, it was Side C that dominated.

The reason was simple.

Han Siheon’s steadily improving vocal tone, and the raw quality of real instruments.

“If the sound I left for you
Still remains
And if that sound reaches you
How happy I would be”

The song they performed on the music show, When the Curtain Falls, was the most beloved track from the album.

After On & On’s stage ended, two major reactions took over.

-Such a shame; if they were gonna do unit performances, they could’ve done a few more… They just did one and dipped.

-Honestly I liked Side C more than the full-length album. I wish On & On would release more stuffㅠㅠ

-Now that I think about it, they never promoted their unit stuff on music shows, right?

-Nope, just a few live stages on their official site’s streams.

-Oh really? Are those on YouTube?

-Yep, if you look it up you’ll find them.

That was the positive side.

But of course, there was also this:

-M-Show and Sedalbaekil’s connection is seriously gross.

-How much airtime are they giving one single group??

-It’s ridiculous. Pretending to be all anti-capitalist art geniuses, but in the end they’re paying for M-Show airtime just like everyone else.

-They really are an “art-begging” group lol

But even with that negativity, M-Show didn’t have much to be ashamed of.

If you checked any music site’s monthly charts, you’d understand.

All the unit songs that had just aired were in the monthly top 10.

And none of them had ever been performed on a music show before—so what was so strange about showcasing them now?

The weird part was that Sedalbaekil was flooding the industry with these kinds of tracks in the first place.

Not only that, but that’s why Sedalbaekil’s full-group comeback stage was only getting two songs.

So M-Show had its justification too.

Of course, those attacking Sedalbaekil weren’t really criticizing a corrupt alliance between M-Show and SBI Ent.

They just couldn’t stand that Sedalbaekil was the undisputed main character.

But even those people couldn’t deny that this next track deserved a spot on music shows.

[NEXT: Choi Jaesung]

It was DROP.

And once again, anti-Sedalbaekil viewers started losing their minds on screen.

DROP is an EDM DANCE genre track.

But it’s not a basic club tune with endless looped beats built only for dancing.

Han Siheon doesn’t write those kinds of songs.

Instead, it leaned more toward flashy synth-pop, spiced up with new jack swing to boost its energy.

Most casual listeners thought of DROP as a hyped-up dance banger because of the chorus, but the verses were actually packed with lyrics.

So while the chorus sparked a trend of Choi Jaesung’s solo choreography, the verses required more staging elements.

One of those elements was backup dancers…

…and those dancers were other Sedalbaekil members.

-????

-Is this the majesty of the youngest being #1 in rank?

-He’s got the hyungs backing him up as dancers lol

-“Hey, Han. As the backup dancer, you’ve gotta snap that joint a little harder, okay?”

-LOL

-These guys are really close, huh? There’s no way the company forced this.

-Why not? Maybe they did.

-What are you talking about? They own the company.

And it didn’t end with just backup dancing.

Sedalbaekil always performed live with minimal AR tracks, and when a track needed doubling or backup vocals, the other members took turns doing them.

-Is this backup dancing or backup vocals?

-LOL

-This is so good lol I hope they do more stuff like this.

-Right?? It’d be so fun if other groups did this when members had solo promos.

-But most groups are way too busy for this lol only Sedalbaekil can pull it off.

-Yep. They don’t appear on TV often lol. I think they do a lot of radio, but they’re never on variety shows.

-How do they make money?

-They sold over a million just from the 3 unit albums lol. The full album went over a million too lol

-Well then. Makes sense.

But this wasn’t just about entertaining fans.

There was a clear weakness in Choi Jaesung’s DROP.

Everyone had this strong, dopamine-charged image of the chorus—but the verses?

They felt a little dry.

Less rhythmic than expected. More wordy.

It might’ve led to people undervaluing the song—or Choi Jaesung’s live performance.

Calling it “just a chorus song,” or doubting his vocals.

But that was only because the chorus had gone viral via short-form content—it wasn’t an actual imbalance in the song.

That’s why Han Siheon had the other Sedalbaekil members act as backup dancers and bring something fresh to the verses.

As a result—

-I’ve honestly heard the chorus a hundred times, but this is the first time hearing the full verse.

-Right?? The verse is way more packed than I thought. Doesn’t feel like a typical club track.

-Yep, but it’s good too.

The reactions were positive, and when the chorus finally hit…

-WHOAAA

-Insane!!

-So hype lol

People were able to just enjoy it.

Especially during the chorus, when Choi Jaesung danced facing forward…

[DROP—!]

…the other members danced in reverse.

The satisfaction of perfectly interlocking stage mechanics was unreal.

-This fancam’s gonna go viral.

-Backup dancer fancam lolol

-I didn’t know where to look so I’m just watching this thread for now.

-LOL I’m dead

After Sedalbaekil’s unit stages wrapped up and two veteran artists filled the slot,

the final teaser appeared.

[NEXT: Sedalbaekil]

The full group was finally taking the stage.