peninsula asteroid.

Chapter 1311 is the chapter I need.

Chapter 1311 Going back

"Uchiage Hanabi?"

Upon hearing An Chengyuan mention a collaboration stage, Chi Jingyuan was quite surprised: "Why would this song need a collaboration stage?"

Isn't this song a solo performance by him?

"Jingyuan, your song is incredibly popular in Japan this year. It's arguably one of the most popular songs at all the music festivals in Japan all year. So you'll definitely get invited to perform at many events this year. This is the first time MAMA has been held in Tokyo, and the organizers immediately sent a performance invitation to the company."

An Chengyuan explained with a smile: "However, the organizers also wanted to create some hype this time... You should know that many people in Japan have covered 'Uchiage Hanabi,' and many people online think that female voices are more suitable for the chorus, and that a male-female duet would be better. So the organizers are going to create a collaboration stage."

Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan nodded slightly, not surprised at all. He had paid attention to online forums when he was active in Japan, and indeed many people felt that some parts of "Uchiage Hanabi" would be more suitable for female vocals.

It must be said that the audience has very keen ears... This song was originally intended to be a duet.

"With whom?"

After An Chengyuan said that, Chi Jingyuan became genuinely curious. He even had a strange feeling that the organizers might have accidentally chosen Minami Minami...

"It's Sana from Twice."

"Who?"

Chi Jingyuan's voice suddenly rose, as if he had misheard.

Who?

“Twice’s Sana xi.”

Sensing the surprise in Chi Jingyuan's tone, An Chengyuan also seemed a little puzzled: "You should be quite familiar with him, right? I heard..."

"We're quite familiar... I just didn't expect it."

Chi Jingyuan lowered his voice, trying to shed his surprise at hearing that Minatozaki Sana was his collaborator. After a pause, he asked curiously, "Why did you think of her?"

He and Sana Minatozaki had absolutely no connection whatsoever...

"You haven't been paying much attention to Japan lately, have you? Sana xi has a video clip of her covering 'Uchiage Hanabi,' which I think was filmed by a fan during a signing event. This video is very popular right now. There have been many female artists covering this song and uploading videos in the past few months, but hers is one of the most popular."

Many people think she sang well and was quite suitable... I watched it, and she did sing very well.

Upon hearing this, the manager smiled happily: "The most important thing is that Twice's momentum in Japan this year is very strong. You could say they are only slightly behind us. In fact, if we don't count Kyungwon and 'Uchiage Hanabi,' Twice's development in Japan is actually a bit better than XO's. Their style is really suitable for the Japanese market."

"You and Twice are both attending the MAMA Tokyo event this year, and you're the two most popular K-pop idols. The organizers immediately thought of collaborating with you, and since Sana's cover video was very popular, they decided to approach her... The company and I both thought it was a good fit."

"Um……"

After hearing An Chengyuan's explanation, Chi Jingyuan quickly understood. After he said that, it seemed that Minatozaki Sana was indeed fine.

I've seen her autograph session video of her cover of "Uchiage Hanabi" before. As for her singing, it was alright... but I haven't paid much attention to it since then, and I didn't know it was becoming more and more popular.

"What did JYP say?" he asked after thinking for a moment.

"The organizers extended the invitation to us first. They will communicate with JYP after we confirm... The company has already agreed, so JYP will definitely have no problem. It's just a collaboration stage, which is very common." Ahn Seung-won appeared very casual.

"……Fine."

After thinking for a moment, Chi Jingyuan slowly nodded and agreed.

To be honest, Ji Kyung-won felt a little awkward when he heard that it was a collaboration stage with Sana Minatozaki.

The song "Uchiage Hanabi" was originally planned to be sung by him and Mina, but it didn't happen due to some issues... And now that Mina's teammate and best friend, Sana Minatozaki, has suddenly collaborated with him, I wonder what both of them will think.

Moreover, things were fine before; he and Minatozaki Sana were quite close. But since his breakup with Mina and the argument he had with Minatozaki Sana at the gym, they haven't been in contact for a long time.

Even because of some of the things he said that time, Ji Jingyuan still felt some dissatisfaction with her. Last time, when several Twice members were playing games and texting him, he deliberately ignored Minatozaki Sana.

However, work is work after all. It's normal for An Chengyuan to act casually. It's just a collaborative stage, and this kind of thing happens all the time. There's no need to take it too seriously.

“Okay, I’ll talk to the company right away and we can arrange a time to practice after you guys get back… But it looks like she’s already back, and XO and Twice are both busy at the end of the year, so I guess we won’t be able to practice for more than two days.”

After settling that matter, An Chengyuan continued, "By the way, the company has also received a lot of stage invitations from you, Jingyuan. You may not have much free time at the end of this year. Not to mention the Japanese awards, you will have at least three stages for each of the major award ceremonies in the peninsula, such as MAMA and MMA."

"Huh? Besides XO and my solo stage, what else is there?"

"And there's also the OST 'Stay With Me' from 'Goblin,' you forgot? It's a huge hit, the hottest OST of the year, and it'll definitely be performed on many stages at the end of the year."

An Chengyuan chuckled and said, "This year is a bumper year for you, Jingyuan. Don't be fooled by the fact that your activities are all in the first few months of the year; the impact is still significant. Plus, XO didn't have a comeback this year. I've heard many people say that this year is your Yuan year."

"Ha ha……"

He shook his head, feeling both happy and bitter upon hearing this.

This year has indeed been very successful for Ji Kyung-won personally, with the hugely popular drama "Goblin" and his hit solo performance. In addition, he has expanded into the Japanese and American markets with his group, making this year a peak in his career.

But when he heard his agent talk about the vast number of stages, and thought about the exhausting schedule at the end of the year, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

If I remember correctly, EXO's comeback project is also scheduled for the end of the year, and he also has a movie to film at that time.

"As for the end of the year, you guys can arrange my schedule as you see fit, but make sure you make sure to free up time for filming..." Chi Jingyuan shook his head and gave a word of advice.

When your career is thriving, you'll naturally be busy at the end of the year. Chi Jingyuan is used to it, and he just complains a little.

"Don't worry, you're not a newcomer anymore. You don't need to be on every stage. The company will arrange it accordingly," An Chengyuan immediately agreed.

"That's fine..."

Nodding slightly, Chi Jingyuan's tone relaxed as he casually asked, "But why is MAMA suddenly being held in three different locations this year? And isn't EXO coming to the Tokyo event? Why are they participating separately?"

"They say it's innovation, and they want to expand K-pop's influence in Japan and Southeast Asia."

Ahn Seung-won's voice was ambiguous: "We're attending separately because this year's awards are presented separately. Some awards are only given out at one event. The Song of the Year award will be presented at the Tokyo event. XO didn't have a comeback this year, so they definitely won't win and won't go."

"For example, the Best Male Group Award will be presented in Vietnam."

"So this award wasn't made specifically for Wanna One?" Ji Jingyuan's voice became somewhat mocking upon hearing this.

EXO definitely won't be attending the Vietnam show, so who else can get this award?

He couldn't help but chuckle. The MAMA organizers were really creative. He remembered that they had created an award for IU on the spot before, and now they had come up with this separate award ceremony.

"It's normal that it's a CJ program, and it doesn't necessarily have to be Wanna One. I heard that Seventeen will also be going to the Vietnam show."

"I bet the best boy group is Wanna One."

Ji Jingyuan didn't believe it at all. He could fool fans outside the industry with this trick, but how could he not see that other boy groups were all Wanna One's stepping stones?

"Ha ha ha ha."

Ahn Seung-won couldn't help but laugh out loud, but he also offered a few words of explanation: "You can't say that, Wanna One is indeed very popular."

"Is it really popular?"

“No, Kyungwon, you can’t feel it if you’re not in Seoul. This group is really a phenomenal hit. Honestly, I even feel that their current popularity is no less than that of XO during the ‘Growl’ era.”

Speaking of this, his tone became somewhat serious: "XO has had so many problems this year, and hasn't made a comeback for so long... To be honest, their popularity in their home country is not necessarily higher than Wanna One's."

"Phew..." Chi Jingyuan was silent for a few seconds after hearing this, then exhaled: "Tsk, finally an opponent."

"However, I believe that once you return and resume your activities, they will definitely be no match for you..."

Although he also thought Wanna One was quite impressive, Ahn Seung-won had more confidence in EXO.

After saying that, he thought of something: "By the way, the company has already discussed it with New Vision Records. Jingyuan, your return to China after finishing your trip in the United States is confirmed to be on October 31st. There is a 'Pyeongchang Winter Olympics G-100 Countdown Concert' on November 1st. We XO are the promotional ambassadors for the Winter Olympics, and we will be the headlining performers. Because of our trip in the United States, we don't need to go to the rehearsals a few days before the performance, but we must be present for the performance and the rehearsal on the day itself."

"The Winter Olympics are already counting down? That's pretty fast... Got it, bro."

Chi Kyung-won clicked his tongue. Upon hearing that he was about to return to Seoul, he suddenly felt a faint sense of urgency and anticipation welling up inside him.

I've been in the US for over a month now, since September, and I've flown to Japan a few times for work, but I haven't been back to the Korean Peninsula even once.

Ji Kyung-won also hasn't seen several close friends, such as Tzuyu, Joo-hyun, and Suzy, for a long time.

Although they keep in touch frequently, like Chou Tzu-yu, that black girl who didn't even graduate from high school has become completely proficient in calculating the time difference between Seoul and the United States, and she often contacts him at the right time every month.

But whether it's a phone call, a text message, or even a video call, it's completely different from meeting in person.

The saying "familiarity breeds contempt" certainly holds true. After not seeing each other for so long, I must say, some people's faces do occasionally pop into my mind.

"Speaking of which, Jingyuan, your XO has successfully entered the US market this time. The results have really surprised and excited the company. You have no idea how excited the work atmosphere here has become because of your success. I can feel the 'burning fire' feeling in this building lately."

"Oh my god, I've looked at some recent revenue figures and activity quotes, and the revenue from the US market is much higher than that from the peninsula. No wonder the company's executives are so excited."

"My treatment has changed as a result, hehehe, several representatives and directors have talked to me about it several times recently."

As he spoke, An Chengyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud, clearly in a very good mood and genuinely feeling a bit emotional.

You should know that he was very nervous when he took over EXO, afraid that he would be replaced if he didn't do a good job. He never expected that in such a short time, the Japanese and American markets would be opened up.

Although EXO's popularity on the Korean Peninsula has declined significantly, overall they have taken another big step forward in their careers.

"Brother, you're our manager, so of course your status is different," Chi Jingyuan chuckled, adding a compliment.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later. The other members will be notified in a meeting. I won't be going to the US anymore. We'll talk again when you guys come back."

He encouraged them with great anticipation: "Let's see if we can take it a step further when you come back. Fighting!"

"There are still two weeks left until the end of the month..."

Ji Jingyuan glanced at the date, then looked out the window at the streets, so different from those in Seoul, and murmured softly:

"Two more weeks, keep it up!"

…………

The popularity and buzz surrounding EXO over the past two weeks has, to some extent, shocked the music scene, the general public, and many industry professionals in America.

It wasn't EXO's achievements or music that surprised me, but rather their fanbase, their unwavering dedication to promoting their favorite group, and their fervent passion.

It can be said that although there are countless big names in the American music scene, there are very few fans who are as enthusiastic and devoted as EXO. The whole process of EXO's entry into the American market has once again shown them and shocked them.

As a result, many artists and companies have become extremely interested in EXO... wanting to know how they did it.

No matter how enthusiastic or crazy the fans are, the source is still EXO, which can attract fans and make young boys and girls like them.

Thanks to this textbook example of fan-driven, military-style support and promotion, EXO reversed their initial predicament despite being rejected by the mainstream market, and finally successfully broke into the world's largest music market.

Their current chart performance and musician reviews are not particularly high; in the US, they are at best second or third-tier artists, or even lower.

However, their popularity, buzz, and media attention far exceed their actual status and achievements, even surpassing many top-tier celebrities, making it completely disproportionate.

However, this situation won't last forever. After all, the attention from the general public and the enthusiasm of fans can't be maintained for long. It still depends on novelty and new songs to attract attention.

Riding on this momentum and popularity, EXO continued their relentless activities. Meanwhile, New Vision Records and SM Entertainment had already prepared various plans for the future, including releasing a remix version of EXO's most popular song "Boy with Luv" with Selena Gomez as a feature artist. They also began contacting many well-known musicians to invite songs for EXO's next album, facilitating collaborations with other artists, engaging in social media interactions, and having Ji Kyung-won make a cameo appearance in a drama.

Of course, the publicity that had previously brought them success was also carried out without interruption, including various small fan meetings, radio interviews, television appearances, street flash mobs, and so on, which were almost non-stop.

But what attracted the most attention was the huge online war of words between EXO fans and Justin Bieber fans.

Time flies, and it's already the end of October.