Little Pink Starfish

I might not care much about Sound Fact anymore, but back in the early days of my return—when I had just started working in the U.S.—this podcast was practically my textbook.

You can’t learn the history of American pop music or understand their emotional sensibilities in just a day or two.

The disconnect between hardcore fans and the general public.

The commonalities among songs that satisfy both.

Sound Fact was the only communication channel where you could learn about all that—assuming you trusted it.

That’s why I used to be pretty invested in how Bonnie and Ronnie would react to my music.

I’d bet no one in the world has listened to more episodes of Sound Fact than I have.

I probably listened steadily through five or six full lifetimes after I began my career in the U.S.

Even after that, I’d still tune in now and then.

And yet, despite all the times I’ve listened to Sound Fact or watched their videos on YouTube…

“……”

“……”

I’ve never seen Bonnie and Ronnie at such a loss for words.

These two are the type to have too much to say—it’s hard for them to hold back.

It’s amusing, but I’ve got to stick to the character.

Right now, my image is that of a confident, slightly arrogant genius.

Or maybe… it’s not just an act?

“What’s wrong? Speechless because you liked it so much?”

“…Yeah.”

“Hmm…”

It was Ronnie who finally broke the silence.

“You made this track?”

“That’s right.”

“So, there was an English version. The original had mixed languages.”

“You’ve heard the original?”

Ronnie nodded.

“Of course.”

DROP blew up in the U.S.

That’s why they were pushing to release the global version of the Stage Side B album—the popularity of DROP exceeded expectations.

Even more so than in Korea.

In Korea, it stirred buzz for a few weeks, then quieted down once we dropped our second full album, STAGE.

Because of that, a number of U.S. agencies reached out to me—the sole composer of DROP—and even sent official remix requests.

There were even a few DJs who tried to pass off plagiarized versions in their sets, and I’m currently taking action on those.

Of course, this popularity didn’t translate to fame for Choi Jaesung or Sedalbaekil.

Just because a song gets big doesn’t mean the singer becomes famous.

Plenty of people know songs but not the artists behind them.

In DROP’s case, only a portion of the explosive chorus gets used in short-form content, and many people only know it through DJ remixes.

But Bonnie and Ronnie are professionals. So they looked up the original.

“I got it from the label since the artist recorded an English version. The mix was a little rushed, which is a bit of a shame.”

“The original was in Japanese and English, right?”

“It was Korean.”

“Oh. Right.”

From the look in their eyes at the end of that exchange, they’re probably starting to guess I might be Korean.

But I just shrugged.

“C’mon now, let’s stick to the sound. Isn’t that the rule of Sound Fact? Since when did you two become fanboys interested in the artist?”

Technically true, but no way they aren’t dying of curiosity by now.

Still, I’m not going to tell them.

Not yet.

“……”

After wrestling with themselves for a while, Bonnie and Ronnie finally spoke up.

“Alright. Let’s talk sound. How did this song come about?”

“I was inspired by the person who would sing it.”

“The person? The artist?”

“Yeah.”

“What kind of inspiration?”

What kind of inspiration did I get from Choi Jaesung?

I never told him this, but originally, I planned STAGE SIDE B as a mid-tempo rock album.

The whole thing was already mapped out.

Splitting the full STAGE album into three parts. Giving Choi Jaesung a solo unit album.

After he proved himself in Stage Number Zero, people began to show interest in a solo project.

Online reactions helped too.

Even after proving himself, people still treated him like a background member out of habit. It was annoying.

So I started crafting a mid-tempo rock album that would suit him.

But then something interesting happened.

Just hearing the drum and bass, Choi Jaesung got excited and started dancing.

He said the rhythm was his vibe, and I saw his footwork—and that’s when it clicked.

Keep the tempo, drums, and bass—but layer something slicker over it.

That became DROP.

A funky sound layered over an upbeat New Jack Swing rhythm.

Add in synths styled like the current U.S. trend of future bass—

Wait, no. Not like—my synth work is a few notches above that.

“I was making a mid-tempo rock track, but the artist danced when he heard the drum and bass.”

“He danced?”

“Yeah, something like this.”

I stood up and mimicked the step.

It’s a podcast, so they can’t see it—but the YouTube viewers will.

“You’ve got moves.”

“Madrid is a city of festivals. I learned how to have fun there.”

“You were raised in Madrid?”

“Not exactly. But I’ve performed there a lot.”

“You’ve been that many times?”

Sure. I’ve done so many world tours.

I’ve probably performed in Madrid at least fifty times.

Bonnie gave me a weird look, sighed deeply, and gestured for me to continue.

“So after I saw that dance, I knew. A synth layered on top of New Jack Swing would suit that move perfectly.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously.”

“You weren’t deliberately aiming for Billboard?”

“This song?”

“Well, think about it. It uses trending future bass-style synths, layered over the foundation of dancehall—New Jack Swing.”

“And the main melody is compact, easy for DJs to remix, and then boom—huge chorus.”

…That’s true?

I hadn’t really thought about it like that. I just made it for Choi Jaesung. But what they’re saying isn’t wrong.

Though… not everything is correct.

“It’s not the current trending synth work. I’m a few steps ahead.”

“Not wrong. But I wasn’t feeling how the main melody develops.”

“Why?”

“Now that I’ve heard the backstory, it makes sense. But the melody feels like it’s just layered over a rock-based drum and bass. It feels a bit lacking.”

“Ah, like there was a better melody out there?”

“Kinda. Like this one’s a 90, but there’s a 100-point version somewhere.”

I get what he means.

And he’s not wrong.

“Something like this?”

So I picked up the guitar and played it.

After just a few notes, their eyes went wide.

“Yes! That’s a hundred!”

“Wanna hear a two-hundred?”

“What?”

“It’s more of a niche taste, but you two will love it.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s meant to be played on electric, but just imagine it.”

I played a blues-inspired melody with emo hip-hop undertones.

As I’ve said many times—emo hip-hop isn’t descended from hip-hop.

It’s a descendant of post-rock.

Its bluesy tones pair so well with hazy hip-hop that people just borrow from it constantly.

Now lay that over synth pop? It’s perfection.

I kept playing as I explained.

“You’ve gotta mix it so that the electric guitar completely fills a space less than a square meter. Not by slapping reverb on it like a hack, though.”

When I finished, Bonnie and Ronnie were hyped.

“This is a thousand points!”

“Why didn’t you use this melody? Did inspiration come after the song was released?”

“Nope. Came to me while I was making it.”

“Then why?”

Well, for one—this wouldn’t suit Choi Jaesung.

And more importantly, it would ruin the whole concept of the unit albums.

They’re supposed to combine into one full album: STAGE.

“If you listen to all three songs together, they sound like one single track.”

“…What?”

“Side A, B, and C—they combine into a seamless full album.”

“W-Who does that? Is that even possible?”

“It is.”

“Wait—so DROP is a side album track?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what’s the full album? What are the other side albums?”

“Not telling.”

“Why?!”

“I’m not here to promote anything.”

That’s a lie.

With all I’ve said so far, Sound Fact’s millions of listeners will figure it out themselves.

Some of them are Korean students studying abroad. Others probably already know who I am.

No point saying anything else. The more I keep quiet, the more this becomes viral content.

There are probably people at Colors Media right now screaming for joy.

Because I just did all the promo for the three unit albums and our second full album, STAGE.

Meanwhile, HR Corporation might be screaming out of regret.

Regretting they ever let me go.

As I was thinking that, Bonnie and Ronnie finally snapped.

“Damn it! Just tell us who you are!”

“Sound Fact is…”

“This stupid show’s rules have changed. I need to know who you are.”

“Bonnie. Ronnie. Didn’t Hayley come on your show recently?”

Hayley is an R&B singer.

Personally, I don’t like her.

She acts way too arrogant.

Acts like she’s world-class, even though her albums barely sell.

“She did.”

“When Hayley tried to tell her life story, didn’t you say this?”

“……”

“‘Tell your story to your fanboys.’”

“FUCK. I am your fanboy now. Just tell me your nationality. Are you American? Spanish?”

“I’m dying to know how old you are.”

I smiled brightly at their questions.

“I’ll tell you after the next song.”

The English version of Selfish.

The French version of Resume.

Under the Streetlight.

DROP.

I’ve played four songs so far. Just one left.

Originally, I was going to end with the title track of our second album, STAGE.

But after sitting in the waiting room listening to Part 1 of the show, I changed my mind.

There’s only one song that should be played here.

It’ll blow up the podcast’s impact—and that, in turn, will bring a ripple effect to STAGE as well.

“Wait, don’t use the USB. I’ll play this from my phone.”

“Why?”

“I changed my mind. I want to play something else.”

I handed over my phone, and the song began.

Three seconds into the intro, Bonnie and Ronnie whipped their heads around like they’d seen a ghost.

That’s right.

The song I just started playing was Players—the very same track they’d covered in Part 1.

[There are only two things wrong with this song.]
[First, the mix is bad.]
[It should’ve enhanced the flavor of the original.]

The original version—not the one reprocessed by HR Corporation.