Peninsula's Life Begins in 2016

Chapter 105? The Final Test Before Signing the Contract

Jiang Yan's gaze lingered on each of the four photos, finally settling on the foreign face of Lalisa Manobal.

Thai.

BLACKPINK's lineup is more international than he imagined, with two Korean members, one Australian of Korean descent, and one Thai member.

This multinational approach clearly shows that YG has set its sights on the global market from the very beginning.

He closed the folder and looked up to find Teddy looking at him.

"How is it? How does it feel?"

"A very unique setup." Jiang Yan placed the folder on the coffee table, carefully choosing his words. "The four members' roles don't overlap: visual, ace, lead vocalist, and main dancer. Each has their own responsibilities, yet they complement each other, and moreover—"

He paused for a moment, then said, "They have a common quality that is different from the uniform sweetness of traditional girl groups. It feels like the more they are in the same frame, the stronger the impact they create."

A hint of surprise flashed in Teddy's eyes beneath the brim of his hat.

"You have a sharp eye."

He took off his baseball cap and threw it on the mixing console, then rubbed his flattened hair. "That's right, this is exactly the feeling I want. The girl group market is already saturated with the innocent style. Gfriend and TWICE have blocked this path completely, and YG can't go down the same old road again."

"The girl group I want to create isn't about being innocent, sexy, or GirlCrush, or rather, it's more than just GirlCrush."

"sh, what I want is a strong, independent, and assertive musical personality, but at the same time, the ability to switch to a sweet and playful state at any time, like BLACK and PINK, two extremes that can be switched at any moment."

"So for my debut album, I plan to use two title tracks."

Jiang Yan's brows twitched slightly.

coming.

Teddy picked up the remote control from the coffee table, pressed it on the large screen on the wall, and a tree diagram of the project file popped up on the screen, with densely packed tracks marked with various symbols that only he could understand.

"For the first single, my idea is to open with a high-energy EDM hip-hop song to immediately nail BLACKPINK's musical identity into the minds of the listeners. This song has to be ruthless and explosive, so that everyone knows from the very first second that this is no ordinary girl group."

Jiang Yan nodded without interrupting.

"The second single." Teddy flipped down a page of the project file. "The style needs to be contrasting. It should be hip-hop with a lyrical melody, showcasing their potential in vocals. We can't let people think they can only belt out songs; we need to let them know that these four girls can sing anything."

He turned off the screen, turned to look at Jiang Yan, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "What do you think?"

"WHISTLE" and "BOOMBAYAH."

Lin Xiaolu explained both of these songs to him.

The former was BLACKPINK's first number one song after their debut, and it was the cornerstone for them to gain a foothold in the music festival.

The latter is the birthplace of their iconic slogan and the first bomb they fired to open the door to the K-pop market.

But these two songs are not yet finalized. Teddy only has fragmented motivations and directions. He can't say too much, but he can't say nothing either.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yan raised his head and said, "Brother Teddy, I think the dual-main-player strategy is very good."

"Oh?" Teddy leaned back, intrigued, and crossed his legs. "So, what kind of songs do you think these two should be?"

"If the main focus is on EDM hip-hop, the BPM should be raised to over 120. Start with vocal markers followed by drum beats to maximize the impact. The chorus should use repetitive slogan-like hooks, paired with strong choreography, to create a catchy and explosive sound."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"Also, if you don't mind, I suggest putting the tagline 'BLACKPINK in your area' in one of the two title tracks."

Teddy's eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Put it on the main track?" He sat up straight, his fingers slowly stroking his chin. "Kill This Love"

"I don't disagree with the lead you suggested, but I originally wanted to wait until after our debut to gradually promote this concept."

"Brother, our debut song is the group's first and most crucial appearance."

Jiang Yan's tone was neither humble nor arrogant, "If we put BLACKPINK in your territory at the beginning of their debut song, it's like branding it into everyone's minds: BLACKPINK is here, this is their territory."

Meeting Teddy's scrutinizing gaze, he spoke slowly and deliberately: "This kind of declarative opening is the first of its kind in K-pop girl groups. It's not just an attitude, but also a brand placement. From now on, whenever someone hears these four words, their first reaction will be BLACKPINK."

Teddy didn't speak, his right fingers tapping unconsciously on his knee. After a while, he suddenly chuckled.

"You little brat—"

He stood up, walked to the mixing console, opened a blank project file, and his fingers flew across the MIDI keyboard, typing out a series of drum beats.

"Is this the feeling you're describing?"

Jiang Yan walked over to him, looked at the waveform on the screen, reached out and added a set on the keyboard, then paused at the break point of the third section.

"If we add a split here, the chorus will be even more explosive."

Teddy stared at the modified drumbeat for a few seconds, then suddenly pushed Jiang Yan's hand off the keyboard and added another track himself.

Then he pressed play.

A simple, three-track percussion piece played from a small speaker, but even those few seconds of rhythm were enough for both of them to hear its potential.

"This is the right direction." Teddy saved the project file, then turned to look at Jiang Yan. "Once you sign the contract, you'll be in charge of building the framework for this song. I'll be responsible for the melody and synthesizer parts. We'll finish this before your debut."

He paused, then added, "The credits will list both of our names as co-composers and arrangers, and the producer will be listed as both of us."

Jiang Yan was taken aback for a moment. "Brother, this is your debut song. I just offered some suggestions."

"Don't tell me it's just that." Teddy raised his hand to interrupt him, saying in an unquestionable manner, "The drum choreography just now was your idea, the line 'BLACKPINK in you rarea' was your suggestion, and the rhythmic framework of this song is yours. In my opinion, whoever does it owns it, regardless of seniority."

As he spoke, he patted Jiang Yan on the shoulder, "It's settled then."

Jiang Yan looked down at the project file name on the screen, paused for a moment, and then nodded: "Okay, thank you, brother."

"Alright, let's talk about the second one." Teddy opened another blank project. "Hip-hop fusion with ballads, what are your thoughts?"

This time, Jiang Yan didn't directly talk about the melody. Instead, he asked a question first: "Brother, could you briefly describe the vocal characteristics of the four members?"

"Of course." Teddy listed them off as if they were his own treasures: "Jisoo's voice is clear and deep, suitable for mid-low frequency main melodies; Jennie's voice is distinctive, with no problem with low-pitched rap and high-pitched vocals; Chaeyoung's voice is unique, with strong emotional expression, suitable for high-pitched bursts; Lisa—"

He paused, then chuckled, "Lisa's rapping is very powerful, and since she's a native Thai speaker, her pronunciation is completely different from Korean rappers, allowing her to create a unique style that others can't."