In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

American viewers’ eyes lit up.

“Cute...!”

A group of teenage boys with appealing looks appeared dressed like a boy band.

Female viewers gasped and widened their eyes, while male viewers feigned indifference.

“What’s with those outfits.”

They gave off a delicate vibe that would only excite middle and high school students.

Although they grumbled that the boys didn’t look manly, their gazes remained fixed on the unfamiliar pretty faces.

In any case, beauty is a universal language.

“Welcome to America!”

“Thank you.”

Each time the NewBlack members spoke, the audience’s cheers erupted.

Finally, they calmly exchanged questions and answers with Alan Dale, and what had seemed striking because of their faces now inspired awe for something else.

“They speak so well.”

They’d said they were from Korea, but the pale-faced member and the handsome member spoke English flawlessly.

Because of that, their words went right in.

Perhaps thanks to the smooth communication, even though the segment lasted about six minutes, it felt densely packed.

“You must be treated like gods back in Korea.”

“It’s not like that.”

“They sell barbecue named after you, and the highways clog up on Thanksgiving...”

At first, they’d wondered why a talk show in America treated these rookies so respectfully.

But after seeing the footage on The Alan Dale Show, it made sense.

“Wow...”

“Did you see them buying snacks like crazy to get character stickers?”

“Korea is on another level.”

It was clear they were treated like royalty in Korea.

The highways freezing up as fans bought bread and barbecue branded with their names was unthinkable in America.

In their minds, they pictured Koreans worshipping them, NewBlack wearing crowns and cackling triumphantly.

“They really are global stars I didn’t know about.”

As American viewers marveled at how a star in Asia could draw thousands of fans in the U.S., the topic shifted to the Blue Moon music video.

Hailey Blue and NewBlack had stopped in unison at “Stop,” and Alan Dale shared behind-the-scene details.

“All that was CGI?”

While admiring the advanced video editing, they also revealed how Blue Moon came to be.

“You won’t believe it, but we composed that on the spot.”

“On the spot?”

Like Alan Dale on screen, the viewers wore intrigued expressions.

Blue Moon was currently topping every streaming chart.

A so-called “newtro” song that updated the retro feel of ’80s and ’90s music in a trendy way.

It was praised online for anticipating the current music market trend.

It was hard to believe such a hit was born without planning.

But...

“Hailey Blue said it, so it must be true.”

She was the type to say, “My initial draft sucked, but after pouring insane money into it, it got good.”

If a celebrity said so, it had to be real.

“That was really improvised?”

“Sounds exaggerated...”

Then Hailey Blue, who had told viewers to check her MyTube videos, praised the composing skills of the member she nicknames Sunny.

“He’s a genius. I guarantee it.”

“He’s exaggerating.”

She waved her hand modestly, laughing, but the other members grinned like eager puppies beside their top dog.

They looked harmlessly cute.

As female viewers smiled like they’d just watched a MyTube full of puppies and kittens, Alan Dale asked the leader of NewBlack to show an impromptu composition.

He scratched his cheek shyly and agreed, so a staff member handed him an acoustic guitar.

Like the live audience on screen, viewers watched curiously.

“Oh...”

They barely had time to marvel at him strumming a melody mimicking Alan Dale’s voice before...

“Alan Dale~ Alan Dale~”

“Oooo~”

With a gentle melody, they all burst into laughter at the Alan Dale song.

The host pounded the desk, clutching his stomach in laughter, while the five-piece sang Alan Dale sweetly.

Soon Hailey Blue joined in, and their harmony-filled Alan Dale song continued.

“This actually works?”

It was a picture-perfect performance.

The singer-songwriter plucked the guitar while exchanging glances, each time introducing slight variations and nailing the harmonies instantly.

Even with only one instrument, they were having fun.

The dancer with the gentle look swayed his shoulders to the rhythm, and the rapper tapped his knee rhythmically.

Hailey Blue and the other two added clear vocals.

“Waaaaa-!”

The live audience cheered for the great impromptu show.

At the same time, viewers’ impressions shifted.

At first they seemed marketed as a pretty boy band, but now the vibe was entirely different.

They looked like a real music group.

Those who’d judged them by their faces assumed singing and dancing would be mediocre, so this unexpected reversal felt refreshing.

“They’re good.”

Sometimes recorded artists disappoint on award show stages.

This was the exact opposite.

Under blue lights, the members danced with Hailey Blue with astonishing skill.

“So this is why they’re popular.”

Each individual could easily be popular solo artists, yet here they were in one group.

With a ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ blue moon backdrop, Hailey Blue and NewBlack smiled broadly, waved, and exited coolly.

Finally, Jiho turned his head subtly and gave a wink before the screen cut away.

“That was a fantastic stage.”

As the show moved into a comedy skit with comedian Glen and Alan Dale, many viewers on The Alan Dale Show were typing “The New Black” into their phones.

When images and info popped up and they took a look...

“...I have no regrets now.”

“Me neither.”

North American fans watching along shed tears of emotion.

“They were praised without a hint of silliness...!”

Fans cried at seeing their favorites succeed on American network TV with nothing but coolness.

Back at home base, the superfans were screaming in delight.

“Americans ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Why are they treating them so well”

“Don’t want them to get burned out..?”

“It’s our first time on a U.S. talk show—do they always treat guests like this? It’s not normal, right?”

“Yeah they hyped them up a lot”

“I don’t know who Alan Dale is but thank you”

“I was worried they’d make them do weird stuff or bully them but thankfully they didn’t”

They’d been anxious over the singers like precious children.

But being treated so well in America, where they had no prior fame, put their minds at ease.

“Those Americans really did a good job.”

The lightstick performance in New York must’ve had a huge impact.

And the talk show clearly wanted to boost them too.

The MeTube content uploaded after the broadcast proved it.

Full Interview : Hailey Blue & The New Black

NewBlack Talks About the Blue Moon Music Video

NewBlack’s Perspective on Their Music

Unlike the compressed 5–6 minute broadcast, full versions and various clips were up.

“When did they even add Korean subtitles?”

Someone had quickly added them, and videos already had Korean subs.

As view counts soared, fans’ comments popped up.

Not only in America but also in Spanish, showing superfans worldwide had gathered.

“How’s the reaction?”

Back in Korea they didn’t know what the general public thought.

All they had were SNS translations by English-fluent superfans.

“Hailey Blue and those Korean singers were pretty good”

“I don’t know who they are but they dance well”

“What’s the name of the member who sings so well? He’s so cute when he’s shy. Koreans have been missing out all this time”

“I can’t forget the Alan Dale song yet”

“Overall they gave a professional impression. They seemed serious about their music”

As long as they avoided weird behavior, their favorites looked cool anywhere.

“Phew...”

Just as they hoped people would only recognize their cool side, a few reactions caught superfans’ eyes.

“Why are these guys...?”

American forum members were chanting NewBlack.

Thread posts were full of NewBlack memes.

ET-style shots with Wooju wrapped in a floral blanket in a basket, Junhyun riding a bicycle, Biju smiling contentedly, Ri Hyuk pretending to give a thumbs up then dropping it in mockery, and so on.

“We’ve been using those memes without knowing it was NewBlack! Yay”

“NewBlack! NewBlack!”

“NewBlack is legendary as of today”

“I always saved memes without knowing the name, but I know it now”

Superfans blinked at seeing nerdy foreign forum members cheering for them.

“Guess we should be happy...”

Unsure whether to rejoice or cheer, superfans hesitated.

While home-country superfans happily devoured the new fodder, real reactions were happening in America too.

The most popular clip from The Alan Dale Show was the “Alan Dale Song.”

[Hey]

[Did you see this? :D]

[http://metube.com/Tqw..]

Like sharing a funny or unique link via messenger or email, the Alan Dale Song was spreading.

The video of Hailey Blue and the unfamiliar five-piece plucking guitars and singing “Alan Dale~.”

“So funny. Who are they?”

“They’re Hailey Blue and a group called NewBlack.”

A sweet melody paired with absurd lyrics went viral like a contagion.

As viewers contemplated “What video introduced you to NewBlack?” this clip fit the bill.

“Huh...?”

An email arrived to NewBlack’s TF team at Lemon Entertainment that left them somewhat bewildered.

December 2.

It was finally the day of the KMA Awards.

“Phew...”

Having adjusted their condition yesterday and slept well, they felt surprisingly good.

In their padding jackets, they leaned on each other in the vehicle.

“Ughhhh...”

“Feels like it’s getting colder by the day. Look, you can see my breath. Whooo...”

“I don’t see any.”

“Maybe because it’s warm inside.”

The heater was blasting, so breath wasn’t visible.

Soon they grew hot, shed their paddings, and sat in sweaters as the sea beyond Yeongjong Bridge came into view.

“What are you looking at?”

Ri Hyuk, staring at a tablet PC, answered.

“American reactions.”

“How are they? Good?”

“They seem great. The talk show reaction was pretty good, and the Alan Dale song is spreading.”

Junhyun asked in wonder.

“Americans must find that amazing.”

“We thought it was amazing at first too. Wooju hyung really looks alien, we joked among ourselves.”

“True.”

Nodding at Biju’s words, Junhyun understood.

Anyway Americans must have found it very novel or hilarious.

“Alan Dale Song Challenge...?”

On MeTube, videos titled Allen Dale Song Challenge caught their eyes.

People singing the Alan Dale song over just the guitar backing, covers with their own lyrics, and reaction videos going OMG.

“Americans really know how to have fun.”

“Maybe because they party a lot.”

In any case, the reaction was better than expected.

They felt they’d made their name well known among foreign general audiences.

NewBlack TV’s subscriber count was growing faster than ever.

Manager Hong Seoyeong mentioned SNS follower numbers rising in real time.

Biju hesitated and said.

“It’s going to be burdensome if it gets any bigger.”

“Why?”

“You know how it is? We have cute superfans, but if it becomes huge like a monster...”

“Ah.”

It’d be off-balance if they were adorable and a giant Godzilla-like horde screamed “ROAAAR.”

I smiled and said.

“Biju.”

“Yes?”

“If the fans grow, we grow too.”

“Ah...!”

We’d both grow huge together, so we’d still be cute, and everyone laughed warmly.

Meanwhile, Mingi hyung in the passenger seat asked.

“Everyone feeling okay?”

“Yeah!”

Before boarding the flight to Hong Kong, Mingi hyung, who had been asking various questions, turned his gaze to me.

“And Wooju.”

“Yes.”

“What do you think about that American rapper deal?”

“Oh, yes.”

As the Alan Dale song spread online, a famous American rapper contacted them.

He wanted to use that melody in his song.

“What was his name? Big Mike?”

“Big Morgan.”

He was one of America’s top rappers.

He dominated hip-heavy North American streaming charts.

I researched him when he suddenly expressed purchase intent for the Alan Dale song and found he wasn’t suspicious.

“He seems like a good guy.”

Hailey praised him.

“Business-wise he’s fine. He’s upper class but cosplays Harlem, so that’s a bit odd.”

I’d heard he spoke gracefully in private but switched to a “yo, man~” tone on awards shows and TV.

He seemed like a reverse-Tin Spirit.

“Proceed with that deal.”

“Got it.”

Since he was just buying the melody, it couldn’t hurt me.

If he made money by rapping over it, it would benefit me too.

“With this, we’re one step closer to a private jet.”

“Go Big Morgan!”

We laughed at the younger siblings’ words.

I was pleased and proud of the success of the U.S. promotion.

As we chatted like that, Incheon Airport came into view.

But...

“What is this?”

The third-floor departure hall at Incheon Airport.

A massive crowd had gathered.

Normally for events like the KMAs, fans gather to see departing singers or actors.

Ri Hyuk narrowed his eyes and said.

“That’s still a lot, even accounting for that.”

“It sure is.”

At first they thought everyone had come for them because of America, but that wasn’t it.

Wonseok hyung contacted the security company and explained.

“They’re fans here to see Wonder Child.”

“Wonder Child?”

They were a rookie boy group from KM Entertainment who debuted via HBS’s audition show On the Stage.

He’d heard their viewership was almost equal to Joosehan’s for a while.

“Wow...”

It was amazing from their perspective.

“I guess you can have that many fans right at debut.”

“Must’ve been a lot of broadcast viewers.”

The security firm said even more people came because it was their first overseas schedule.

Junhyun smiled wryly and said.

“You’ve got it rough.”

“It’s true.”

With that many fans, there would proportionally be many sasaengs.

Hoping nothing happened to Wonder Child on their first overseas schedule, they got out of the car.

“Waaaaah-!”

Taking a deep breath, as soon as the walk signal turned green they hurried forward.

The walk to departure was so crowded it made them long for the private jet they’d just left.

There was no time to smile leisurely.

Entertainment reporters surged forward shouting, and security staff pushed people away like bullet-deflecting shields.

“...Ugh.”

Once they finally boarded the plane and caught their breath, Ri Hyuk, who’d been chosen as today’s takeoff helper, whispered.

“Ugh, ugh...”

“Don’t breathe in my ear. It’s unsanitary.”

“...S-sorry.”

As Junhyun took deep breaths, he seriously said.

“Let’s definitely buy a private jet.”

“Go away.” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

I waved him off as the worst takeoff helper, and Ri Hyuk grumbled while queuing up songs for me.

With the help of blankets and my takeoff mate Bruce, we were settling in when...

Murmurs.

A tremendous commotion faintly reached us from outside.

“...?”

Junhyun, pricking up his ears, tapped his finger.

Junhyun [Looks like Wonder Child]

Junhyun [Maybe on the same flight as us]

Sometimes when going to awards they’d run into other singers; it seemed like one of those cases.

I prepared to greet them warmly if we met, when...

Pitter-patter.

“Phew...”

People who looked like KM Entertainment managers entered first and secured seats, and then colorful-haired figures appeared.

They’d looked bland to us before, but now their colors were dazzling.

As familiar faces passed down the aisle...

“Hello~”

We, who had been waiting, smiled brightly and waved.

Wonder Child, trailing sasaengs behind them, locked eyes with us.

“Oh...!”

Then they bowed at a 90-degree angle and began backing away.

“Greetings!”

“Hello! We’re Wonder Child!”

They greeted us while retreating, and we blinked at each other.

“No.”

“Why are they doing that.”

We felt inexplicably aggrieved.