113 - Upki Girl

< No Time for Boredom > Among the contestants of "Girl Crush," Yona likely has one of the highest levels of recognition. She undeniably received a boost from her existing fame. However, if this doesn't translate into talent, it can result in even greater disappointment, coming back like a boomerang. Compared to professional rappers, her tone and flow may seem somewhat ordinary. Yet Yona possesses a distinctive weapon: her superior 'dance' and 'performance' skills. On stage, Yona showcased girl hip-hop skills that rivaled the four backup dancers, capturing the production team's desires as well as the audience's attention. The boomerang did not return. Even while performing intense choreography, Yona rapped steadily without losing her breath, leaving a strong impression on the spectators. The costume and hair-makeup team deserve commendation. Today, Yona wore a fishnet high-leg one-piece swimsuit with a sports bra and military leggings overlay. Despite having no exposure of her chest or legs, the subtle hint of her hip bones and waistline highlighted her slender sexiness to the fullest. Yona's 'Yo' conjures up imagery like a captivating siren, alluring yet mischievous. Her expressive and dynamic facial expressions that changed with the lyrics heightened the immersive experience. During the chorus, Yona's passive skill, 'Siren Beam,' finally activated. <Siren Beam: Increases the chance of charming the audience by 70% through eye contact.> I doll, yes, I'm your doll, a well-behaved doll. It seems like you have a wish, tell me honestly, I'll make it come true, quickly. I doll, I believe you, I believe in the gaze we exchange. I love the way you look at me, it drives me crazy, another sleepless night for me. The audience packed tightly at the semicircular front of the stage and along the tiered balcony surrounding the stage. If it were a regular event or concert, many would be recording videos, but since it was a competitive recording determining a winner, filming by ordinary spectators, except by agency staff, was strictly prohibited. As a result, the attendees' focus was sharper than at any other event. From where I stood backstage, I could clearly see the spectators, and beneath the stage, two women jumped energetically without rest, raising their hands. It was Eunbit and Aliya. They sang along to the chorus, setting the mood around them. When Yona finally spotted Eunbit and Aliya, she almost burst into laughter but managed to keep her composure. Su-won, being shy, seemed to have distanced herself, as expected, I found her in the farthest aisle, hooded and arms crossed, nodding to the beat. I thought she was a judge. An Eminem lookalike. Since the chorus rap was catchy and the lyrics appeared on the screen, collective singing began with the second chorus. “I doll, I believe you!” “I believe in the gaze we exchange!” “I love the way you look at me, it drives me crazy!” “Another sleepless night for me!” Yona nodded in satisfaction, slightly curling her lips into a smile. Her face showed she'd fully immersed herself in the stage. The audience would sense she was relishing her unique stage, transcending the battle itself. The song transitioned from the second chorus to the final verse. It began with the lyric, "I sing to earn the professor's approval," which the audience might interpret as a music-related professor but was actually a message to her father, a university professor. As a team, their ultimate goals were dominating all streaming platforms and music broadcasts and holding an overseas tour concert. Personally, Yona aspired to be acknowledged by her father, who opposed her entertainer dreams. This performance might bring her one step closer if broadcasted—to that dream. Yona is always at her best on stage, but today she was exceptionally ('Yonna') best. Of course, fans of Up Key Girls—Ububa—might jokingly say, “Yona just did a bit more of her Yona thing; is there any problem?” “Those expectant eyes totally drive me crazy, another sleepless night, yeah!” ―Boom! A clean finish, unmistakably signaling "it’s over." The audience erupted into applause for Yona's stage that left no room for boredom once the song began. “Please give another big round of applause to Yona for her fantastic performance!” At the MC's request, Yona offered thanks, bowing 90 degrees and circling the stage to express her gratitude. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” “Yonna unnie, let’s go forever!” “Let’s go!” Eunbit and Aliya's excited cries sent waves of laughter through the audience. Those rascals will surely get a camera close-up. “Great job, great job! Well done. It was amazing.” I welcomed Yona and the dance team as they came down from the stage. The lingering excitement from the performance made her gesture for a high-five, unusually enthusiastic. “Wow, manager, it’s so fun! Amazing, amazing!” “Yeah, you looked really thrilled.” “Yes! Rapping is so fun! The crowd’s energy was incredible, wow, I want to do it again!” It’s like a daughter showing off to her dad after her first field trip. The VJ covering Yona’s backstage moments was beaming a contented smile like a harvest moon. A new fan has been won. "Before this energy cools down, let's move to the next performance. Midoriiii!" Midorii, Yona's competitor, took the stage next. Her song title was “Get Out.” During the cypher battle, she was caught off guard by Yona’s counter, but she had prepared well this time and showed much more consistency and energy density compared to rehearsals. The lyrics asserted, "This stage is mine, get out," yet she maintained a line that kept it from being cheesy. Alternating between managing Hongyi and Yona's solo schedules, I felt the distinct edge professional rappers possess. Midori's distinctive tone and unique pronunciation were also impressive, and Mentor Sojak's producing did not fall short against the blade. Despite the saying that one is biased towards their own, I found myself watching, entranced as just another member of the audience, forgetting that she was Yona's opponent. The Listener Evaluation Panel's response was as enthusiastic as it had been for Yona's stage. Even Yona, who watched the performance with me, showed admiration and respect towards Midori. She clapped and nodded her head. "Wow, that was amazing." Who will win this battle? Honestly, it’s hard to say… "Yona is number 1, Midori is number 2. Please press the number of the contestant whose performance impressed you the most!" With Yona and Midori facing each other on stage, the voting through remote controllers concluded. The final score is determined by combining 50% expert votes and 50% on-site audience votes. In addition to four mentors, three active rappers joined in, making it a total of five judges excluding the two mentors of the contestants. Each judge’s vote is worth 100 points, with a perfect score being 500 points. The audience evaluation gives 2.5 points per person, and with 200 members in total, it can also reach up to 500 points, equating to the experts' total score. Unfortunately for Yona, the expert vote ended in a 2 to 3 loss. Yona received 200 points, while Midori garnered 300 points. Dante, Hong’s mentor, was the first to give his evaluation. "I voted for Midori. But honestly, the performance that truly moved me was Yona’s. If Midori had made even a small mistake, I would have chosen Yona." The other mentors nodded in agreement. "This much is clear. If an idol rapper appears in the next season of Girl Crush, no one will disparage them as just an idol. Today, Yona wasn’t an idol; she was a rapper. I acknowledge that." Jugal, who voted for Yona, advised Midori to stay cautious. "I'm not curious at all about Midori's next stage. I can already predict what she'll do; it’s been the same since the preliminaries. In contrast, the Yona I saw today was completely different from the one in the preliminaries. She changes; she evolves every time." "Yeah, and she keeps getting better." "I don't know how the audience score will turn out, but personally, I want to see Yona's next stage." In summary, Midori had the undeniable technical skill advantage, yet Yona was favored for her charm and potential for growth. Midori did technically win, yet the atmosphere strangely felt like Yona had triumphed. Both Midori and Yona appeared tense as they awaited the audience vote results. The score was 200 to 300. Calculating, Yona needed to secure at least 121 votes out of 200 to overturn the deficit. 120 votes would lead to a tie. "Now, let’s add up the expert scores and audience votes to reveal the final results: who will emerge as the winner of the third battle? Please reveal the scores!" *** Even though the official recording was done, Hong-yi was practicing in the car up until the last minute, claiming she couldn't memorize the lyrics she wrote herself. Unaware of Yona’s outcome, she asked about the results immediately upon entering the waiting room. "Y-Yona, how did it go?" "She lost." "Really? No way. You’re joking, right?" "She lost by 10 points. She won the audience vote 116 to 84, but the judge's 100-point weight was too heavy." "Oh... wh-where is Yona...?" "She went out with the others to get some air and coffee." "Is she very upset...?" "Would Yona ever show she's upset? But she must be disappointed. She was thrilled at the idea of reaching the top eight, eager to perform again. She truly enjoyed the hip-hop stage." "Must’ve been that Midori unnie did well." "She did perform well. After coming off stage, she took photos with Yona and ended things on a good note." "Okay..." As I was about to suggest that maybe Hong-yi could get revenge in the semifinals, the waiting room door burst open as Units 1, 2, 3, and 5 chattered animatedly as they entered. "Oh? Hong Hong unnie’s here!" "Unnie, macchiato! Macchiato! Aliya begged Munno to specially get you one." "I’ll drink it after my performance." "Oh my God! Hong Hong unnie refusing a macchiato! Are you really nervous?" "Hey, Yona already lost, so you can’t lose too! You heard about Yona losing, right?" "Y-yeah, I heard." "We might as well kick her out of the dorm." At Seowon's teasing, Yona made a playful face. "Come on, give me a break just this once. I did try, you know." "Trying, huh? Who was it that said trying is a given if you’re a pro, and what matters is doing it well?" "I-I said that...? Hahaha..." "Yona, are you okay?" Hong-yi cautiously inquired, to which Yona replied with a playful wrinkle of her nose. "It bothers me a bit, but I lost because Midori did well, not because I didn't. I have to acknowledge that. But unnie, the stage was so fun. I might just switch to being a rapper. The stage ambiance is completely different! No wonder everyone does hip-hop." "Ah, I can't memorize the second verse, and it's driving me crazy." "But the lyrics will appear on the prompter anyway." "I can't do it while looking at that. If I look once, I'll end up relying on it, and that might trip up the later parts." They all empathized over parts that were oddly hard to memorize or that would get jumbled, regardless of practice intensity. Even Seowon refrained from teasing this time and offered sincere advice. “If you’re conscious of that, you’ll get tangled up. Just let your mouth take over. If you start to mess up, just glance at the prompter. It’s better than making a mess.” “Yeah... I guess I'll have to.” The performance order had Lalagot up first. Hong-yi deliberately avoided watching Lalagot’s rehearsal, but the rest of us did. With guidance from Dante, the performance had improved compared to the cypher battle, but still, it wasn't on par with Hongyi. Unless Hongyi made a critical mistake, she was poised to dominate… “Yunhong, please get ready!” It's time. "Let’s go, Hong-ah." “Yes.” “We’ll be watching from the second floor, unnie.” “You can do it! Aliya will give you a hug for good luck.” “Phew…” “Don’t worry. Even if you make a mistake, act like you didn’t.” “That’s right. The key is to move on smoothly even if you slip up.” “Got it.” Hongyi and I watched Lalagot’s performance from backstage. The title was "Mirror," and the theme was predictably pro-female and anti-male. It seemed she was here just to push a radical feminist agenda, regardless of the competition. The production team requested she tone down her rhetoric, and it showed in her choice of words and expressions compared to the last cypher. But no sane audience member would support such extreme views. As expected, audience engagement was minimal. “Now it’s time for the second performance of the seventh battle: Yunhong’s stage. Mentor, any thoughts? Isn’t it tough to face off against team members?” Dante's interview was underway when— Eek! Right in front of the writer and stylist, Hongyi suddenly hugged me tightly, wrapping herself in my arms. “Oh my gosh, manager, I’m so nervous!” The stylist’s voice sped up to match Hongyi's rap-like panic. “No, no, no, Hong-ah, don’t smudge your face on me! Your makeup!” I patted her back gently, trying to appear as calm as possible. “Yeah, yeah, it’s okay.” “Tell me it’s okay even if I lose.” “No way, you can’t lose. You’ve got this. Crush it out there. Climb up and get revenge for Yona too. Let’s get it, Hong.” “Ahhh…” “Yunhong, it’s time to go!” “Ahhh!” “With Yona’s unfortunate elimination, can Yunhong defeat Lalagot to move to the quarterfinals?” “Yunhong, the stage is yours now!” “Yes, yes! I’m going. Love you!” One would think she was heading into battle. "We Do not Need a Feminist (Prod. by Dante)" Lyrics: Yunhong Composition: Dante The song details flashed on the screen. The pin spotlight illuminated Hongyi standing at the stand microphone. “At work, they tell me to. Rap nicely.” “Wow!” She had barely spoken two lines, like a narrative over a gentle piano accompaniment, and the audience was already captivated. Her delivery was solid, her pronunciation sharp and precise, striking the audience's ears like darts. ―Boom, bass, thump, thump! "Even Dante says. Manage your image. But how can I. Rap nicely. When innocent bystanders are getting hit. If that’s feminism, then I’m anti-feminism. Not a woman-man issue, but a common-sense frame." The feared lyrical mishap didn’t occur. Far from it, the judges gave Hongyi a standing ovation once she finished rapping. “That’s unbelievable!” “Wow, let me swear just this once. Damn, that was badass!” “Do we even need to see the results?” The final score was 920 to 80, a landslide victory for Hongyi. The widest margin in today’s performances and an unparalleled record unlikely to be broken during this season. Of course, the real battles were just beginning. *** ―Three major domestic feminist sites initiate a campaign to expel Up Key Girls from the entertainment industry. ―Han-Nam Phobia admin Lalagot protests, stating, "Up Key Girls and Hum Hum Sound should stop misogyny" outside the agency’s office. ―‘Girl Crush’ denies any collusion with Hum Hum Sound as claimed by Lalagot, intends legal action. ―Lalagot accuses ‘Girl Crush’ male staff of sexual assault. The show refutes this as 'groundless.' ―Up Key Girls’ agency and ‘Girl Crush’ team file additional lawsuits against 16 malicious commenters, promising no leniency. ―Six music industry groups, including the Korean Recording Industry Association, label Lalagot’s ‘Mirror’ a harmful youth medium; debates on 19+ classification or removal from music sites spark backlash from feminist factions. ―Despite controversy and a call to boycott, ‘We Do not Need a Feminist’ ranks high on three major music charts, with potential for a number one spot this week... ―‘Anti-feminism movement’ gains momentum, sparking more self-regulatory voices even among women. *** “Director, ‘We Not Fee’ is predicted to take the top spot next! ‘Hug Me’ climbed up to 59th!” “Really?” ―Bang! “Ah, you scared me!” “What’s going on?” “Did something fall?” “Up Key Girls and Hum Hum Sound, stop misogyny!” “Trash groups that got carried, should just die!” “Ugh, thought today was finally going to be quiet. Let’s just report them immediately.” “The door needs fixing ASAP, or they’ll break in.” “Hey, who did this? Who messed with my plant! A fan gave me that!” “Outcasted Hanseowon, when will you commit suicide?” “Bullies be gone!” “I’m telling you, I’m not a bully!” “What’s happening, did they get inside?” “Oh man, check it out now.” “These crazy people, come here. Let’s settle this today!” “Whoa, Seowon unnie, stop! Boss! Director Yeom! Unnie’s fighting!” No room for boredom, not one little bit. At this rate, I might just grow fond of this chaos.