It had been a whirlwind of a month.
-“Teacher~ we need the choreography drafts confirmed.”
-“Sorry, but if the lyrics are changed like this, a lot of them won’t match the rhythm anymore…”
-“They say the concept photoshoot outfits are ready.”
As the countdown to the comeback began, there was an endless list of things that needed fixing. By the end, everyone on the team seemed to be working like they were completely out of their minds.
Of course, the peak chaos revolved around the music video.
No matter what we did, it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to finish the editing on time.
‘That was terrifying.’
So, we ended up adjusting the schedule: the audio track was released on Tuesday, the official comeback day, but the music video wouldn’t be released until Thursday at midnight.
At the time, it felt like a loss, and we weren’t happy with it… but unexpectedly, this method produced some very positive results.
‘By releasing the song first, it actually managed to chart without any bias.’
Steampunk Joseon is a fun element in the music video, but it’s not exactly something people would find instantly relatable.
If the unique concept influenced the impression of the song too much, it could have negatively affected its mainstream appeal.
However, by building curiosity with the teaser and releasing the song separately, the mass appeal of the track was able to come through smoothly.
Thanks to that, the song was currently fluctuating between 4th and 5th place on the biggest music charts.
[4th place Spring Out / TeSTAR] ▲1
Honestly, I was expecting to be in the top 10, but things were going smoother than I anticipated.
‘After we make a few appearances on stage and variety shows, the numbers should go up even more.’
So, we’ve decided to schedule appearances on major domestic variety shows as a team this time, to capitalize on the buzz generated by the reality show.
‘It’s worth looking forward to.’
Of course, for the sake of continued success in the company… the most important thing will be the global response.
Just to be clear, we weren’t expecting to hit the main Billboard chart.
‘We’re not that well-known internationally yet.’
To target the Billboard chart, we would have needed to release the song simultaneously in the U.S. on a Friday so that the first week’s results could be fully reflected on the chart.
There was no way we could set up that kind of infrastructure in just three weeks… everyone would understand that.
‘Damn it.’
Even then, aiming for the album chart would have given us a better chance. For the song charts, we would need a fanbase as strong as VTIC’s overseas fandom.
In short, we couldn’t measure Testa’s global growth purely by the Billboard chart this time, especially since we were only promoting one song.
‘We need to focus on proving Testa’s growing international recognition.’
We’ll need to track Testa’s search volume on global search engines, views from different countries on various platforms, and the increase in our tour scale.
And this music video reaction we’re filming will be good YouTube content to support that.
“Oh, it’s starting.”
“My heart’s racing~”
Despite being exhausted, the members were still cheerfully chatting away, which was pretty admirable.
‘Maybe it’s thanks to the pay.’
A few days ago, the settlement for the first quarter came in, and it was higher than the first paycheck we’d received more than six months after debut.
Bae Sejin even said he’d finally paid off his mortgage and was completely shocked.
In any case, I clapped my hands together, trying to be as enthusiastic as possible as I watched the monitor.
The music video started where the teaser had ended—with the overturned train.
-“I…”
*fancy messy sneaky collapsing*
*Bang!*
As the deep-voiced rap narration ended, the train exploded.
And from the explosion, Cha Yujin leaped out, catching the newspaper flying through the air with a grin.
It was the same old newspaper Park Moondae had been reading in the teaser.
“Oh~”
“That’s so cool!”
“Right?!”
While the Cha Yujin sitting next to me was excitedly boasting about how cool he looked, the Cha Yujin in the video was sprinting through the city, moving the storyline forward.
Then came the rhythmic, slow intro melody.
-“Leisurely, I let go and enjoy”
Comfortable Driving Mode
I’ve had plenty of Fame, Pain
An exploration of a strange city that combined elements of SF (science fiction), the modern era, and Joseon unfolded. It was, in essence, reminiscent of an old American western adventure.
But we made sure not to focus too much on the storyline.
‘It’s still a music video, after all.’
We made sure to include plenty of cool choreography shots, set against the backdrop of fantastical buildings and glowing wilderness.
I had also explicitly requested that the screen time for each member be distributed fairly.
Although Cha Yujin had the first part, each member would appear in turn as they sang their lines, passing the baton smoothly.
“Why… why is Sejin wearing a monocle?”
“Oh, it’s because I was a *gumiho* (fox spirit) before, remember? They wanted to show that I can hypnotize people with my eyes.”
“That’s so cool.”
“Hey, Moondae, can you sound a bit more sincere?”
“Wow, that’s really amazing.”
We sprinkled in some scripted lines here and there, as just shouting “wow” all the time would be too boring.
But of course, we had our fair share of “wow” moments.
“Wow, Bae Sejin-hyung!”
“You’re always so good at acting…!”
“Hmm, not really.”
That was during the scene where Bae Sejin pressed an analog gauge, making the train’s gears spin and start to repair itself.
“It looked like there was nothing there, but it felt so real!”
“Right. When Sejin was acting, it was just a bunch of green screens, everyone.”
He acted in front of a green screen, focusing on a random stick for the camera.
It might seem like we were subtly bragging about the CGI work, but honestly, that wasn’t it.
We just didn’t have time to build all the sets, so we threw money at it and went with CGI instead…
‘That company probably went through hell, too.’
Since Bae Sejin wasn’t fazed by the situation, we gave him the most CGI-heavy scene. He really pulled it off.
“I’m just glad it came out well, and I’ll continue to work hard.”
“Wow!”
Bae Sejin, face flushed red, bowed to the camera.
It seemed like he was more at ease now that the public was being more favorable toward him lately.
The music video reaction continued in this way.
“Look at that! Kim Raebin can’t move!”
“That’s not true! I was playing a *dokkaebi* (goblin), and the director asked me to keep my movements subtle for the sake of mystique!”
Soon, the intense scene where Park Moondae and Kim Raebin have a cryptic meeting at the coal mine passed by, as the music and the visuals began to escalate.
The mellow reggae transformed into an intense, deep moombahton.
-“In truth, I know I lack something”
What I need is a sense
Of thirst, burning dry
As the song progressed, the music video hinted at a clearer purpose in the storyline.
The train derailment teased in the video was part of a plot targeting *yokai* who had come to the city to receive their “citizenship certificates.”
Thus, the members, for various reasons, set out to capture the terrorist responsible for this attack in order to secure their own citizenship.
And, as anyone who watched the teaser probably guessed, the terrorist was Ryu Cheongwoo.
-*no oh, no-oh no~oh*
The hours of longing, burning thirst
The video showed the members facing off against a cold-eyed Ryu Cheongwoo at night.
“Oooh!”
The CGI-heavy scene was impressive without being over-the-top.
Had we gone any further, it could have looked like a low-budget B movie. Luckily, the money we spent was worth it.
What was fascinating was how people interpreted the scene in different ways.
The leading theory was this:
-“It’s a metaphor for discrimination!”
Here’s the reasoning:
-“In ‘The Parade,’ the members were portrayed as powerful, mysterious beings. But here, they must work to be accepted as members of human society.”
-“The setting, a time when human rights discussions were still in their infancy, naturally evokes discourse on discrimination.”
-“The storyline layout, similar to ‘The Parade,’ further emphasizes the theme.”
-“And Ryu Cheongwoo, who in ‘The Parade’ ultimately realized that he was a *yokai*, now becomes a terrorist, rejecting the idea of *yokai* citizenship.”
-“This is a reflection of discrimination stemming from self-hatred.”
-“In short, Testa’s new music video carries a critical message about discrimination.”
We didn’t originally intend for it to be *that* deep… but still, it was impressive that people caught on to what we had in mind.
In the end, it seemed like that’s how it was being interpreted anyway.
[‘Using *yokai* as a metaphor? Testa’s shocking music video leaves international fans in awe!’]
[‘A response to the anti-Asian racism they faced in America? Reviewing Testa’s new song.’]
Because we were
filming this video so late, we had already gone through all the public reactions and analyses… so these thoughts naturally came to mind.
Anyway, as the song reached its climax, the choreography intensified as the members fought against Ryu Cheongwoo.
Ah, it’s my part now.
-“Soak in today’s sensations”
Enjoy the moment, the gaze, the anticipation
Now, without warning
Spring out
The camera cut to Ryu Cheongwoo spinning his black rifle and firing a shot, perfectly timed to the beat.
“Wooooah!”
“Hyung~ You look amazing!!”
“You really look like a Boss! What a badass!”
“Hmm, do I? Haha.”
Ryu Cheongwoo laughed awkwardly. He seemed quite fond of that scene himself during filming and had looked into picking up shooting as a hobby… but I decided not to mention that for now.
“Wow~ but it’s a little weird that it’s 6 against 1, don’t you think?”
“No! Winning is all that matters! We just need to win!”
“…”
Let’s ask for that part to be edited.
The music video continued with dramatic choreography, ending with the *yokai* defeating Ryu Cheongwoo.
However, in a brief sequence not in the original song, Cha Yujin approached Ryu Cheongwoo and handed him the “citizenship application form.”
-[….]
With a mischievous grin, Cha Yujin placed the form in Ryu Cheongwoo’s hand.
-“Bite, tear, enjoy”
Now, Spring out
Swallow it all
As the music came back in, the ending scene wrapped up like that.
The members added some light-hearted comments, acting as if they were seeing it for the first time.
“Oh~”
“I-it came out great…!”
“The director did a fantastic job bringing the concept to life!”
“Thank you, director~ and thanks to everyone watching the music video, we love you, *Loviewers*~”
“Hope it becomes a hit.”
We all knew the music video had already broken Testa’s own record for view counts, but it wouldn’t hurt to throw in some polite remarks.
[Wow!]
[Lol!]
With the short, playful post-credits scene showing the *yokai* celebrating their new citizenships, it seemed like we had gotten enough footage for the video.
“Alright, everyone. We’re going to work hard and perform awesomely, so please continue to show us your love and support.”
“See you soon~”
With that, the camera was turned off.
As soon as the staff started packing up the equipment, every member immediately reverted to their exhausted, tired selves.
“Whew…”
“Do you think we’ll even be able to stay awake tomorrow?”
It was now 1:30 in the morning.
Considering that we had to leave the shop by 4 a.m. tomorrow, we should be going to bed now… but with final choreography practice still left, it was certain we’d be pulling an all-nighter.
“Let’s hang in there.”
“Yep.”
There was no other choice but to keep going… I just wished we could cut down on the travel time at least.
‘Isn’t it about time we moved to a new place?’
I really wanted to move our dorm to a more central location in Seoul.
Judging by the recent payment amounts, I thought we could probably swing that kind of investment.
‘Maybe I’ll try negotiating after seeing how well this comeback does.’
After deciding to time my approach carefully to get the best possible terms, I pushed the thought aside. We were far too busy for that right now.
However, the very next day…
This topic suddenly came up again.
“Testa, how would you all feel about moving to a better dorm?”
“Huh?”
Of course, it wasn’t out of some charitable gesture from the company, worried about its tired idols, that they were offering to cover the costs.
The chief manager looked at us with a deliberately pained expression and explained.
“Well… the thing is, we’ve been getting too many complaints from the apartment building.”
Ah.
“You know, those crazed fans who keep trying to break into the complex. The management office says they can’t handle it anymore…”
Right. I was wondering when this problem would finally come up.