In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Korea Standard Time, 12:59 p.m.

Souffle were trembling.

“Crap, I’m shaking.”

Fans’ lips went bone-dry as they hit refresh.

“Fifty-nine minutes fifty-nine seconds... it’s one o’clock!”

METRO, set to drop at midnight U.S. Eastern time, finally appeared on Korea’s music sites and on MyTube.

[tremble tremble tremble]

Fingers shook.

“First, spin the streams......”

They kicked off the streaming exactly as pre-set, then jumped straight onto MyTube to watch their favorites’ stage.

[NewBlack — ‘METRO’ Official MV]

The instant Ri Hyuk’s face popped up on the thumbnail, their hearts went thud-thud.

Like the sequel to a long-awaited movie finally coming out, like walking into the theater clutching a tub of popcorn!

For two weeks they’d only seen Metro through concept photos and MV teasers, and now at last...!

“Haak......”

Without realizing it, they clenched their fists and hit play.

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The video ran for half a second, then the red circle started spinning round and round.

“Ah, fuck, MyTube.”

No, please don’t.

Souffle lifted their hands to their mouths. On the holy day NewBlack released a track, it was right to hold the swearing.

“Use nice words. Don’t jinx it.”

Maybe because fans worldwide were logging on at once, MyTube stuttered for ages.

While the wait for the loading to finish felt like eternity—

“It’s coming!”

In 1080p, their favorites began to flow across the screen.

[step. step.]

A pair of shoes came up in close-up.

Right after, Jiho—hair neatly brushed in light brown—appeared in a suit, strolling at an easy pace.

An empty subway station.

As Jiho rode down the escalator, the BGM rose under it.

A sound like it was drifting from the station speakers themselves.

[♩♪♬ ♪♪♩]

Masquerade on strings.

A song familiar to fans laid in softly, then flowed naturally into the melody of Falling Blossoms.

“Huuuuuh!”

This time Wooju, in a pinstripe suit, was riding down the escalator.

That kicked off each member’s entrance to their own background music.

Biju in a bright suit with a ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) bow tie.

Junhyun in a tie-less, cleanly masculine suit.

And—

“Oh my.”

Ri Hyuk, in a sharp black suit, revealed an elegant silhouette.

“Winter Sleep,” known as Ri Hyuk’s theme, flowed gently—then the music slowly lost strength and cut.

[bzzzt......]

As the song from the speakers broke off, the station lights began to flicker.

Ri Hyuk glanced up at the fixtures.

The escalator stopped, and a deep hush spread across the dim, shadowy concourse.

Running a hand smoothly down the railing, Ri Hyuk started forward.

Every landing he stepped onto sent a metallic note ringing out, ratcheting up the tension.

As the flicker cast bands of shadow across his face—

A pair of red lips, oddly uncanny, curved in a soft arc. Then he whistled.

“Is that the new chorus?!”

Step. Step.

While Souffle stared wide-eyed in total focus, whistling Ri Hyuk stopped before what looked like a normal Line 2 train.

Something about it looked ominous.

And then—

[bzzzt... pop!]

The few lights still on went out, leaving only vague shapes in the gloom.

Flicker. Flicker.

The subway’s lamps wavered as if they might come back on, then slowly brightened.

“Oh!”

The lighting turned rosy, wafting a dreamy retro-nostalgic scent.

A futuristic vibe.

A train in a completely different color scheme came into view, and above it a string of bulbs seemed to spark as letters appeared:

[M E T R O]

As the MV truly began, the inside of the train and the main set cross-cut while the music rose.

“Wow.”

Souffle’s hearts thudded.

From the first seconds of the intro, a zing—gooseflesh raced up their arms.

They didn’t know exactly how to label this music. They’re not as versed as the singers.

But they knew one thing for sure: it was good.

“Insanely sleek.”

The futuristic sound tucked in so exquisitely it felt like looking at a clean, single-panel SF illustration.

The drum under the melody pounded their hearts faster.

What to call this rhythm?

It felt like it held bright, hopeful feelings about the future ahead.

As you listened, a smile drew itself on your lips, like someone whispering you’re going to do even better.

The low vocal layered over it carried the same mood.

“It’s okay. We’re in this together.”

Watching the pre-chorus climb, Souffle felt their own mood bouncing higher with it.

Because of the suits, they’d thought it would be a weighty track like Empire, but the vibe was nothing like they expected.

Not light, but bright.

Chic, and it makes you want to move.

As the chorus hit, it felt like everyone should jump high together on three-two-one.

With Biju’s explosive vocal drop, the members in suits flowed into razor-sharp choreo; they stared, spellbound—then found themselves nodding along.

“......?”

They were so immersed that every time the camera zoomed in or out, they unconsciously moved their heads with it.

“Crazy.”

From verse one into verse two and on through the bridge, there wasn’t a single beat that bored or wore thin.

It was like a compilation of nothing but killing parts.

And at the same time, it all clicked.

“So that’s why the other songs got pushed back.”

Watching Sun Wooju’s Rest Log, they’d felt curiosity—and worry.

Just how good did a track have to be for composers to hear it once and go, Forget title, let’s just make b-sides?

Now it finally made sense.

“Wow......”

With every refresh, MyTube views spiked up a steep slope.

By contrast, few comments.

Souffle understood why—anyone who watched this MV wouldn’t have time to comment; they’d just hit replay.

“Gotta watch again.”

While Souffle rewatched the music video—

2:00 p.m.

NewBlack’s new single “METRO” planted its flag at number one on every Korean music site.

While METRO blanketed Korea’s music platforms—

No matter the country, NewBlack’s new song sat high on the MyTube trending charts.

Starting with Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, then the U.S., Canada, Western and Northern Europe.

Wherever you went, NewBlack’s METRO was on MyTube.

“Hm?”

North America—the market NewBlack had set as this comeback’s target.

People there logged onto MyTube as usual and, spotting an unfamiliar thumbnail, lit up with curiosity.

“NewBlack.”

They’d heard the buzz lately.

A high school had picked a NewBlack song for a cheer routine, fans had held a flash mob in Times Square—this boy band’s name was everywhere.

And every time the fans moved, the commotion they kicked up—

It wasn’t the mid-20th century when singers dragged vast crowds; in modern America, where most people were used to treating celebs coolly, the sight was unusual.

“To see NewBlack, we pitched a tent three days early! Souffle forever!”

“Hey, broadcast suits! Mind your manners!”

“Who was it? Who just made that racist noise? I’ll smash the skull that holds your mar-gu-ni!”

The very peak of extreme!

A fundamentalist somewhere once declared “those Far Eastern Buddhists are corrupting our children’s ears,” sparking debate over whether that was speech or idiot noise.

“Song’s out—they’ll be rowdy again.”

With that thought, people tapped the MyTube thumbnail.

Then blinked.

“Huh?”

They didn’t know much about NewBlack’s songs, but one thing they knew for sure:

“Weren’t they a K-pop band?”

Namely, NewBlack’s musical genre was K-pop.

Of course, the song they were hearing now definitely seemed like K-pop. That unique feel was there.

But to ordinary listeners, one thing felt odd.

“Why do I understand the lyrics?”

Like if a pop star hot in Korea dropped a new track on MyTube and the charts, you clicked it—

And suddenly they were singing in Korean.

Lyrics sliding straight into the ear out of nowhere!

“It’s in English?”

Metro.

Lyrics like a transit system that takes you anywhere safely and comfortably—like it wants to reach your heart.

Americans, famously the world’s most subtitle-averse, fixed their eyes on the video.

Hearing the words clearly, freed from having to lock their gaze on captions, they finally started to really see NewBlack.

It was the first time they truly saw a group called NewBlack.

“Oh......”

Lines they might’ve read and gone “uh...” while parsing flowed right into their ears, and now the voices themselves landed.

What it was they wanted to say through their music.

What kind of dance they were using as the vehicle.

The story holding each member’s distinct color slipped in smoothly through eye and ear.

“Uh......”

At some point the video had ended.

But everyone who’d heard Metro either replayed the MyTube video or went to find the track on music apps.

Maybe because the language barrier was gone.

Even people who’d usually think “They’re being dramatic again...” watched NewBlack’s MV with a slightly different eye.

“Were they this kind of act?”

They even wondered if they’d been looking at NewBlack through tinted glasses this whole time.

Most reactions were simply light enjoyment.

“Good song.”

“Oh, nice. Might use this at next week’s party. Perfect rhythm to dance to......”

“Adding this to my commute playlist.”

The lyrics slipped right into the ear and were easy to sing along, but more than anything the melody and the rhythm just felt good.

Maybe thanks to K-pop’s distinctive flavor, it felt like hearing a new branch of pop.

As listeners bobbed their heads and gave the new song warm nods—

“Huh? Who is this?”

“First time I’ve heard them.”

From the next day, NewBlack’s song started grazing countless American ears.

From a café speaker someone stopped in on the way to work in Philadelphia.

At a bus stop with earbuds in, from a “We think you’ll like this!” list on a music app.

In the shops along the streets of SoHo in New York.

“Huh?”

It was spreading so fast even American Souffle were startled.

And among all of that, one place where METRO threw the biggest weight around—

Radio.

“Songs by world-famous K-pop artists. They’ve dropped a new one—this is NewBlack’s ‘METRO’!”

“Next up, NewBlack’s Metro. Guess Korea’s got subway like ours too!”

“Heard the new NewBlack track, Greg? Honestly, it’s my first time realizing K-pop can be this compelling.”

Into the ears of office workers crawling through gridlocked downtowns.

Into the ears of a trucker chewing gum on a seemingly endless highway.

Into the ears of a home cook with the radio on in the kitchen.

If you had the radio on, you were hearing NewBlack’s new song—everywhere.

“......My god.”

American Souffle were floored.

What is radio?

The dirtiest, pettiest beasts on earth.

Not a joke—Souffle had done everything short of a million-time blood sacrifice, begging “Please spin the song!” and radio just went “lol no.”

Then suddenly, one English-language single—and radio was blasting it like crazy.

“Well, the effect is obvious.”

In the U.S. environment, radio was a key way to meet music.

A massive land.

People spent long stretches in cars, so a lot of folks loved radio.

Because of that, the number of spins from powerful DJs could sway the Billboard results.

For chart performance, radio performance was essential.

But the attention wasn’t all pleasant.

“Listening to this, I suddenly understood why they’re so globally popular. The color and philosophy of their music just go straight in. It felt fresh.”

Souffle clicked their tongues.

“What are you even saying. They’ve had a musical philosophy from the start.”

“Top of the class in Bullshit Studies. Rotten jerk......”

“Keep your dirty hands off our kids. But keep spinning the song.”

Only the language had changed.

Up till now, NewBlack’s releases were premium works—both artistic and popular, like a painting in sound.

Clueless before, and now one song in English and it’s “Such depth...!”—the whiplash was laughable.

“But......”

American Souffle felt puzzled.

“Why the sudden switch-up?”

They’d been thinking realistically that their faves, given their musical traits, might not break into the major lane.

But now they were getting promo like a top-tier act coming back.

“What’s going on?”

The answer to the question fans were tilting their heads over—

Was “money.”

“Money money money money money.”

“Money’s good. So good.”

Giant capital moving the entertainment world from the shadows, kneading the scene and sucking money up with a slurp.

Radio with its high nose wasn’t spinning this because it wanted to.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Spin this. All day. If you don’t, I’ll spin you.”

“Ha ha ha ha....”

“Funny?”

“I’ll spin it.”

Radio stations might brag they were the kingmakers of the music world—but in entertainment, forces scarier than them existed.

Giant capital.

If a bulk so huge you couldn’t see the end came up and threw an arm around your shoulder and smiled “Spin it,” anyone would spin it.

Watching METRO ring out across the U.S. and Canada over radio and beyond, the big money smiled, satisfied.

“Good song, good effect.”

“We’ll pull 100x our principal. We’ll rake the fans’ money like a comb.”

“Here comes the cash. More cash! Overwhelming cash!”

Once they invest, capital finds a way to squeeze it dry.

And—

NewBlack’s terrific new song began to generate massive synergy and spread across America.

“......Yo. What is happening.”

“Tell me about it.”

First, in Korea, METRO performed beyond expectations.

“NewBlack ‘METRO’ — number one on all domestic music sites... ‘Not Metro, but Lit-tro’”

“NewBlack, Metro... huge hit at home too; ‘Koreans are earnest about NewBlack’”

“Number one on music sites ‘Metro,’ MV views chart-topping too”

Contrary to worries, people here seemed to like Metro plenty.

Ri Hyuk wore a cool smile.

“Heh, how could they not like it? A song camp track certified by the nation’s top composers.”

“Spaceship doesn’t lose.”

“Strong. So strong.”

Twenty-four hours ago they’d been howling, shredding paper, and hiding in blanket forts—now they were smirking lofty.

I shook my head and checked domestic reaction.

Lately, as our popularity climbed, pop critics who’d been stingy with stars gave us good marks for once.

Kim Suji [★★★★]

— The lyrics happen to be in English. It’s clearly music that will be a new current in K-pop.

This Guy [★]

— The apotheosis of musical emptiness. Their message to the Korean public who made them national idols: we’re off to America.

Gong Seokju [★★★★]

— The prodigal returns. NewBlack, who’d wandered musically, are back. Still, the focus on accessibility leaves musical substance lacking.

Weird bits here and there.

Technically nice words, but......

“Some people can say the same thing and still make you feel bad. Makes you want to give them a rice cake and then slap them with it.”

“People like Ri Hyuk.”

“Exactly.”

“KyAAAH!”

Confirming that the home crowd was into it, we turned our eyes outward.

“Billboard, Rolling Stone......”

“Huoooh.”

Major mags we usually only heard by name ran pieces like “This one’s good,” and we grinned.

Unlike Korea, where spicy takes slipped in, most of it was praise.

And the chart news was good.

We were still far from indicators like Billboard Hot 100, but headlines said we were holding near the top of global music charts left and right.

“Wow......”

Probably thanks to our label’s sales muscle.

“Did you see this? Our song’s in the promo for a famous college football game in the States.”

“They used it in a promo for a U.S. drama.”

“There’s nowhere it isn’t.”

The very definition of aggressive promotion.

Showing up in big-game trailers. Slotted into teasers for hit series under the same corporate umbrella.

Watching it, even we started to worry, “Are we going to trigger backlash at this rate?”

“These people are good at their jobs......”

The anger from back when they wanted to send Goblin out as “Goblin” (in English) melted away.

Admiring, I looked over at the TF team staff and smiled.

“Impressive, right?”

“Super impressive~”

“They really know what they’re doing.”

“......”

The TF team staff, who’d been smiling easy, suddenly started pretending to sort documents or stared holes into reports.

Hey, I was complimenting them for doing good work...

No idea why they looked threatened.

“......”

I shrugged, finished monitoring the song’s reception, and glanced at the calendar.

The most important moment of the METRO promo, which had been running smoothly, was approaching.

The red letters on the whiteboard schedule stood out clearly.

VMA. (Mon, 2017-08-28)

A major American music awards show—and the stage where we’d unveil our new song.

Time to dot the final stroke on this METRO promotion like the finishing touch of a dragon’s eye.