Chapter 2.1
No matter how glorious their peak, idols eventually face generational turnover. As Reverbâs popularity waned, we were relegated to being washed-up has-beens. Twelve years was a good run, though.
[Echos]
[Do you still like me now?]
[Haha, itâs just.]
[Just wanted to drop by because I suddenly missed you guys.]
[Has it been so long since we last came here?]
[I visit often.]Â
For the first time in three months, I logged into Bogle, our fan communication channel, and sent these messages. Perhaps they were too fitting for a washed-up has-been, as the reaction from my subscribers wasnât great.
The timing wasnât ideal. With the rise of next-generation boy groups, Reverb was steadily fading from the publicâs memory.
There was a chance our hit songs might be resurrected as ânostalgic classicsâ on some YouTube [1]Â variety show. It wouldnât be the first time an old track made a surprising comeback on the charts.
But Reverb wasnât destined for such YouTube shows. As the world kept evolving with platforms like TokTok and Bogle, just adapting to these changes was exhausting. On top of that, as our years in the industry piled up, the other members began stirring up trouble.
While Cheon Tae Rim, the oldest member, and I were stuck in the military, the rest of the group completely destroyed Reverbâs image.
I could understand their decision to make a unit comeback during our military hiatusâthat made sense. It would even make my eventual solo comeback easier. At our stage in the industry, branching into solo or acting careers wasnât just normal; it was expected.
But getting caught doing drugs during unit promotions? That, I couldnât excuse.
Spending over ten years building an image as a fan-loving idol, only to suddenly announce a surprise wedding with a secret girlfriend youâve been with for a few years? That was just insane.
I had always been the one in the group notorious for lacking morals and good character, but when I returned after my discharge, the other members had already burned the group to the ground.Â
Saying the group had “failed” was an understatement. Reverb was in ruins.
But as they say, even a ruined rich manâs fortune lasts three generations. Though many top-seed fans and overseas supporters had left, our so-called âseong-deoksâ[2] remained steadfast. These devoted angels clung to us, even embracing the members who had caused trouble.Our pride and joy, Reverbâs fan club, Echo. Truly, the angels of the fandom world.
To be honest, I donât really care about the fan club anymore. I plan to completely wrap up my idol career in three months anyway.
[Will you still like me if I go solo?]
[Not that itâs confirmed yet, haha.]
[Itâs just… Iâve been thinking about a lot of things lately.]
[Group activities were great, butâŠ]
[Maybe itâs time to try making music of my own.]
From now on, Iâll live not as a member of Reverb but as the solo artist Sun Ye Jin.
* * *
Twelve years ago, Reverbâa nine-member group launched by R&M, the nationâs largest agencyâskyrocketed to success with their perfectly tailored debut concept.
The choreography was easy to follow, and the chorus was addictive. Even people who werenât particularly fond of idols found the youthful concept approachable. It wouldnât be an exaggeration to say Reverb dominated talent shows at middle and high schools across the country during that time.
We broke the stereotype that boy group title tracks were only for hardcore fans, proving that a boy group could appeal to the mainstream market.
Up to that point, everything was great. R&M had never produced a failed idol group. Sure, their early three-member ballad group flopped, but every boy group they released afterward managed at least moderate success.
In an industry oversaturated with idols, the backing of a major agency often determined a groupâs success. Miracles from smaller agencies did happen occasionally, but with the industryâs rapid development, such cases had become increasingly rare.
If you wanted to succeed, you had to go to a major agency. In a market where dozens of idol groups debuted every year, there was no point considering alternatives. Signing with an agency doomed to fail along with its groups wouldâve been sheer madness.
Thatâs why, when I received the casting offer, I decided on my career path without hesitation. A place others would audition for thousands of times handed me a business card and asked me to join. There was no reason to refuse.
Translatorâs Notes: Note/s:
[1] â©
[2] â©
