"Welcome back, trainees!" Minho exclaimed as the trainees returned to the training center.
Most of them reeked of sweat and grass, but the production crew didn't want to waste any time.
"Did you all have fun?" Bone asked.
There were indecipherable murmurs in the room. The trainees were tired at this point, but they had to speed up since they had less than two weeks to complete their songs and stages.
"Since the team who would first choose their genre had been determined, let us now introduce the genres you can choose from! These genres were handpicked by our producers, taking into mind the latest trends in the K-pop industry," Bone announced.
Minho hovered his hand over the first sticker-covered sign and quickly ripped it off.
"First—Electro-Techno," Bone exclaimed. "It is a sub-genre of electronic dance music that combines elements of both electronic music and techno. It emerged in the 1980s and has since evolved, incorporating various substyles and influences. Electro-Techno is characterized by its driving beats, synthesized sounds, and a futuristic, often dystopian, atmosphere. Some examples under this genre are 'Naughty Boy by G-DINOSAUR and TAEOLD,' 'Lalalie by SunMeme,' and 'Play it Hot by EX MONSTA ft. STEVEN ENOKI.'"
"Second," Minho exclaimed, capturing the trainees' attention once more. "Grunge Pop-Rock. It is a fusion of grunge and pop music elements. It combines the raw, guitar-driven sound of grunge with the catchy melodies of pop music. Grunge Pop represents a softer and more melodic side of the grunge movement, offering a balance between the edginess of alternative rock and the mainstream appeal of pop. Songs that have this style are 'Just a Loser by TNT,' 'Crossed-Eyed by DREAMRELEASER,' and 'Bird Poop on My Sweater by TREEZ.'"
"And we're down to three," Bone said. "The next genre is Trap K-Pop. This genre prominently features the use of trap beats, characterized by their heavy use of hi-hats, snare rolls, and 808 basslines. Despite the trap influence, this genre places a strong emphasis on melodic and catchy hooks, often delivered by the vocalists. This style can be heard in songs like 'Sane by 1MINUTE,' 'Cold by LOONEY,' and '1st Sense by NTC YOU.'"
June frowned as the third genre has been mentioned. As of the moment, these genres had one thing in common—they were all darker concepts. In simpler terms, these were genres that June had more or less incorporated into his past performances.
"The second to the last genre is Moombahton!" Minho smiled. "Personally, I really love listening to songs in this genre. Moombahton is yet another sub-genre of electronic dance music. Arising from the 2010s, it combines the rhythmic and percussive elements of reggaeton with the energetic beats of house music. Examples are 'Icon by BST featuring Micki Mijam,' 'NonoGege by MAMAMO,' and 'Talala by G-ACTIVE.'"
By this time, the other trainees were already discussing what genre they'd like to take.
"I think we can pull off Trap K-Pop really well," Jaxon suggested to Zeth. "It's been the trend these days."
"Hmm," Zeth agreed. "Ren might take liking to the genre, too, so we need to think of a second choice. Thankfully, most of these concepts are right up our alley."
"I actually like most of the concepts this time," C-Jay said.
"Yeah, you like them. But can we even make them?" Leo asked.
"Settle down, trainees," Bone said. "We still have one genre left, and that is—Bubblegum Pop."
The mere mention of the genre sent the other trainees into laughter.
"Bubblegum Pop? Oh, hell no! I had enough of that Brown Sugar Milktea shit. I was called cringy for days after the performance aired," a trainee quietly complained.
"Yeah, that's definitely something we want to avoid."
"Bubblegum Pop is known for its cheerful, lightweight, and often sugary sound. It is characterized by cute and joyful melodies with light undertones. Bubblegum Pop is designed to be fun, easy to sing along to, and widely accessible, making it a staple of pop music culture. Fun fact! Bubblegum Pop music is statistically proven to do better on music charts than any other genre!" Bone exclaimed. "Some examples include 'Geez by GIRLS' EVOLUTION,' 'Pop It by THRICE'S NAYOWN,' and 'Shoes by ITZME.'"
"Now that we have introduced all the genres, we will be giving you 10 minutes to discuss what you want to pick with your team. And the timer starts now!" Minho exclaimed, a timer appearing on the large LED screen.
June's team faced each other, and they all had varying opinions.
"Moombahton is the best choice," Casper tried to convince his team.
"Don't you think Grunge Pop-Rock is the best?" Daeho countered. "We can cater to people who like rock, too."
"Trap K-Pop is arguably the most popular genre right now. Groups have come out with songs under this genre for the past year," Ren calmly suggested.
Jangmoon scratched the back of his head. "But Electro-Techno will be really fun to perform. Just imagine the audience jumping with us to the beat."
"Well, dang," Daeho said. "It seems like we all disagree. Our choices don't even overlap."
"June hasn't said anything yet," Casper pointed out. "What do you want to perform?" he asked June.
June looked at his teammates in the eye one by one, and they all seemed to be saying the same thing—' pick the genre I picked.'
In the end, June merely shrugged.
Jangmoon glanced at the timer and saw there were only three minutes left. "We need to make a decision now," he said. "But how are we going to come to a conclusion if we all have varying opinions?"
The team stayed silent for a couple of seconds.
"How about this?" Casper suggested. "Since June was the one who practically won us the privilege of choosing the genre first, why don't we give him a chance to pick what he wants?"
Daeho sighed. "I don't see a problem with that. It's better than us fighting for the genre we want."
"It's fine with me, too," Ren mumbled.
"Well, I trust big bro with all my heart, so I'm all for it," Jangmoon smiled.
June raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You're really going to give me the authority to do this?"
"Sure," Casper said. "I don't see anything wrong with it. Just choose what you'd like to perform."
A small smirk emerged from June's lips.
"Don't regret your decision, alright?"
Casper chuckled. "We won't."
