#rkyq

[rktingyan-blog]

   *.☽ .* ┊chong tingyan meets mga 5 callbacks, 062719 !                                 ↪ dancing to  i’m so hot (0:03 - 1:11) &  so hot remix (0:12 - 0:55)

what did chong tingyan do when she found out she'd made it past preliminaries? did she cry, gasp, or scream like other contestants might have done? well....no. in fact, she laughed. not out of amusement, or humor, but in actual disbelief that something which had started out as a dare had landed her a spot on the show she used to fantasize of even being in the audience for. it was reality - a crazy one at that, but hers. unbelievably hers.

things had been hectic in the week she'd took to prepare both mentally and physically - from hectic dance practices with yuqi, to stressing over her outfit, to preparing the best performance she could muster. it was no secret the girl was a perfectionist, so no matter how short her appearance on the show was she would do anything to stand out for just a little more camera time.

things hadn't really begun to settle in until tingyan got where she is now - walking in with the rest of the hopefuls, really sitting where the first episode would be held. as the cameramen were getting their positions, her eyes wandered to the front, landing on the set of chairs she just knew had to be for the ceos. gulping, even the seemingly unphased tingyan couldn't help the wave of nerves approaching her. her competition had never wandered far from other dance schools or her own classmates - never had she been in the running with so many people this talented. for the majority of the waiting she stays to herself aside from the polite hellos and small talk, her nerves and final preparations getting in the way of allowing her to be as talkative as she usually is.

and though it feels like only a few minutes have passed amidst the nerves, she's eventually called up to the stage where she's expected to perform. it all seemed so surreal, and it's almost as if someone else's taken control and walked her up themselves. you've got this, tingyan. i don't know anyone else made for tv than you. her older brother's words ring in her head, from the phone conversation they'd had earlier. for a while, looking at others talking to their parents or friends for encouragement, tingyan swears she's all alone. but when she thinks of all those who have supported her - from yuqi helping her out with her performance, to soyeon making sure she looked pretty, and all the other friendly people she'd come across during her time there. it gives her the confidence that, if not anything else, she's here, and that's farther than she'd ever really expected to make it. she'd give it all she got to the judges - and it'd be enough for her.

once she approaches the stage, she imagines herself starring in her own movie, not really there. instead she tries to channel an amplified tingyan - a little more confident, a little nicer, a little less nervous. when the girl looks over to the judges who asked for her name, she notices the faint exhaustion imprinted on their features from the many contestants who'd already gone before her. she recalls the past interview she's partaken in as well as the encounter during her arrival at auditions and decides she'll try her best to leave an imprint on the judges. "graceful, young, and pretty! this season's ambitious queen, i'm your chong tingyan, hello everyone!" she'd created her own greeting a few days in advance, sounding similar to the ones idols had for entire groups. extra, but very tingyan. her introduction exudes confidence, which isn't entirely false, but she worries it may come off as cocky. also not entirely false, but that wouldn't be a good look for a new contestant to have. so just in case, she slips in a quick "i look forward to hearing your feedback! i hope you enjoy my performance," before continuing.

as the lights dim, tingyan gets the chance to clear her thoughts, imagining she was performing at a noraebang with friends. this could be her stage, if she claimed it. so when the lights are shining back on her and the music she'd heard too many times this week begins to play, she knows she's got this.

she'd got it all figured out - this portion would be dedicated to her charms. the choreography isn't hard in the slightest, obvious in the way the judges look on nonchalantly, but tingyan hopes to spice things up with her personality. so even though she's not singing this time around, her lips mouth the lyrics as her body moves to the beat. a little flirty, but more cute than anything. attempting to win over the heart and soul of her most beloved company, she delivers a finger heart to hyun bin in substitution of the point she usually does. the girl was certainly risking a lot here, but it was her best shot at showing she wasn't scared of trying new things. if anything, it was much different than her previous dance audition - far less involved with technicalities and dramatics and much more with stage presence and charisma.

so when the chorus hits, tingyan ushers the crowd to show enthusiasm, cheering "let's go!" as she points to the crowd, beckoning them to join in on the chorus. "i'm so hot!" she chants, beaming as her hands began pointing, doing the infamous choreography. few other songs could have matched tingyan so well, full of confidence and laced with a little cuteness on the side. the choreography isn't straining, and tingyan uses the opportunity to utilize the whole stage, waving in the direction of the crowd, and then the judges. when she reaches back to the center, she grins, mouthing one last "i'm so ho-"

silence. the music turns off for a few seconds, and tingyan notes the confusion through squinted eyes as she slumps her head over. it's only obvious once the winding up sound effect of the next song is heard this is intentional, as the girl's body moves with the beat. thank god for yuqi helping her gain control over her body, or else she may have never learned how to do it properly.

the song shift is...certainly different, straying from cuteness and moving towards a more fierce type of alluring. soft and cute moments are handed over for sharper,  more seductive ones. though it's a completely different drama, the moves call for all the years of ballet in which she'd learned how to have more precise movements when she danced. her eyes lock on each of the judges for a brief second a piece, unable to help the small smirk on her lips as she moves. torso bouncing forward, she feigned exhaustion with her hand over her forehead as the words hot hot were heard from the speakers. going from i'm so hot to so hot seemed to be a good choice - both with familiar lyrics but definitely different vibes. this portion was mostly to show her dance skills, that even though she had much to improve on regarding hip hop she could also do other things outside of just contemporary.

as she reaches the lyrics, she mouths these by heart as well, evidence that both songs had been ringing in her head for days on end. this choreography calls for her to point to someone, but this time, it's directed at katie lee. hey - it never hurt to try and pinpont your favorites, right? her body moves in each of the choreographed moves for the breakdown, a little less clean than it could have been but satisfying for tingyan considering her lack of experience in hip hop. she lingers on the last few beats, bringing her body into a squat then popping up to finish the song. the dance finishes with a turn to the back of the stage, looking over her shoulder to wink at the panel one last time.

as soon as the song's over, she's a little flustered, but manages to smile and deliver a thankful bow to everyone. "thank you for watching!" she says gratefully, one last time before following the route she'd gotten on to get back offstage.

she'd done it. she'd really done it. euphoria washes over her as she exits, finding her friends who'd been watching in the audience to give a thumbs up.

i came, i saw, and even if no one else thinks i did....i conquered, she thinks, sitting in her seat once more as yet another contestant prepared to perform. she'd gave it her all, and finally got to feel the rush of dancing once more. that was enough for her.

[rkdaehwi]

CALLBACK AUDITION PART II : INTERVIEW

MGA5 contestant Sohn Youngjae Mentioned : @rkharuto ; @rkyq ; @rkumji ; @rkkyul ; @yuzurk ; @rkkyungsoo Outfit

“ Congratulations on your ability to create drama out of absolutely nothing ”

With the performances over and done with, it was only a matter of time before he’d know the result, and he could do nothing now but to sit down and wait for the CEOs to return to their post. Or so he thought at least, but soon Eric came to notice people going and coming, dragged out by staffers to who knew where only to return moments later. As expected there were still things he couldn’t prepare for this time -- things that were bound to be different from before. Questioning of another contestant after returning revealed it to be another interview and the young teen was suddenly confused. Hadn’t they already been through that once already?

Eventually he himself got called and soon enough his questions became answered and he felt slightly stupid. Of course it only made sense to do a follow up interview on his opinions of the auditions. For a moment Eric’s thoughts rested on a noona who had once asked him a question on evil editing in the mgas. Was this some part of it too? If anything it was certain that Mnet enjoyed drama and he also wasn’t a moment in doubt that some people were actually going to fall into those viles and tattle on one another. There was absolutely no way every single contestant was going to be all chummy with each other. Eric could only give a shrug at it as it was really just the name of the game.

Well knowing that his every word was going to be used against him, Eric still had no intentions of holding anything back as he sat down to perform the interview. Whether his blunt attitude was going to be his downfall only time would tell.

First of all; how did you feel when you received the news of the callback?

A mild start he supposed, perhaps to ease people up and feel settled before the real questions began. Eric was surprised at himself for how skeptical he was towards everything they were doing -- it didn’t feel like how he’d usually be at all, but somehow the reminder that this was, after all, a survival show had him be way more conscious of what was going on around him. But for now he simply went with the flow. “Obviously I became happy!” he admitted although it might not have been an obvious matter for every contestant. “I think if I’d had gone through so much trouble to return and not even make it through the first round of auditions I might really have cried! And that would have been really embarrassing so I’m glad I made it to here!”

With that being said, how do you think you did?

No hesitation or thought was needed for Eric to answer. “I think I did the best I possibly could today.” It was a bold and confident declaration, but he gave a satisfied nod to say that he was serious. “Today’s Eric Sohn was at his peak for my current ability. No matter what I’m not disappointed with my own performance today.” This was nothing like the Triple Threat challenge where he already knew from the get-go that he hadn’t gone into it with an earnest mind. Today he was on fire and would be stopped by nothing. He wanted to make it to the next round. No, he was going��to make it. If he didn’t believe in himself who would?

Were there any performances you liked?

“All of them!” Eric beamed in response, again needing no time to think before responding. But as always he was genuine in his evaluation. “Simply standing here today... I think that alone already takes up so much courage. I’m not really a person who’s easily affected by nerves myself so it’s hard for me to understand, but I know some people have things like stage fright and stuff like that so? Yeah. People like that standing up and performing in front of so many people, that’s impressive no matter how you look at it, isn’t it?!” Excited, he swung his arms wide open as if that would help prove the point he was trying to make.

“I think all of the performances were impressive in their own way. The fact that people have put thought behind what to do and how to perform. I think that’s something to be admired.” Satisfied with himself he gave a nod and crossed his arms before his chest, waiting for the next question. After a bit of silence it seemed the interviewer understood that he had nothing else to say on the matter.

I suppose you don’t have any performances you didn’t like then. In that case, among the performances today, do you have a favourite?

This time Eric took a moment to think the course of the day over. When it came to looks Kim Yewon had been incredibly cute and charming and Song Yuqi who, in Eric’s humblest opinion had been the very image of a youthful beauty. Joo Kyulkyung had performed a rather impressive ballet. Choi Yena’s song choice had definitely left an impression on him, as had her dancing capabilities and Do Kyungsoo had presented a very satisfying violin display that Eric had greatly enjoyed despite having no interest or knowledge in the instrument. But amongst everyone on stage, one had stood out the most to him. “It’s gotta be Watanabe Haruto.” Perhaps an unexpected choice, but Eric was certain in it. “When it comes to being unique he really got that one down! That’s for sure! I’ve never seen anyone use skates like that! And his exit from the stage was definitely memorable too although I feel kind of bad for him!”

I see. From everyone who performed today, is there anyone you’re sure will be eliminated?

Ah, here it came didn’t it? With a light chuckle Eric answered as he didn’t really need time to think that one over either. “Watanabe Haruto.” Seeing the understandable confusion on the face of the interviewer as he listed the very person he had just praised, Eric gave a nod to confirm that he hadn’t made any mistakes and began giving his reasoning. “Honestly I have no way of knowing what he showed before today so he might have been incredibly impressive and whatnot, but although his performance was definitely the most memorable to me it also seemed... Kind of irrelevant to the show? This is about music, about singing and dancing and stuff like that. He’s like totally talented no doubt about that but he just hasn’t shown it in the right area today. Plus I know the kid -- he barely speaks a word of Korean! I gotta applaud him for even signing up in the first place!”

I see. Thank you. You may return to the set.

[rkheejin]

‧ ₊ ˚ ♡ EPISODE FOUR INTERVIEW!

• • • mentioned— @rkjaemin , @rkpjy & @rkyq​

     sat once more before the cameras, cards prepared and answers thought up, heejin feels good— with a steadily dwindling pool of contestants, there's more time to speak, more time to give her opinions and thoughts when it came to the questions staff asked, and as lenses are turned towards her and her session begins, she's sure to sport nice posture and an easygoing grin.

❝ CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING HERE FOR ANOTHER WEEK— HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE RESULTS FROM THE LAST EPISODE? ❞

     "last weeks results...were acceptable," her words start out slowly, her grin growing slightly tighter. "of course, i'm happy to still be here, but i was a little disappointed that all the effort daniel and i put into our performance wasn't recognized more." her voice is steady, lips slowly pulling down into a small frown, her head nodding along. "we did a lot in preparation for our stage, and in my opinion we worked really nicely together, but i feel like we were overlooked in favor of others— i guess i should be thankful we were safe regardless, which i am, but with how good it felt to be praised so highly during the first episode...part of me can't help but want more of that, you know?" with the quirk of her brow, she lets out a small laugh as she finishes speaking, another tight smile growing on her lips as her eyes closed slightly.

❝ WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE JAEMIN AS A PARTNER FOR THIS WEEK? ❞

     her shoulders relax more, a pleasant tone to her words as she speaks. "i enjoyed working with jaemin a lot— i feel like i'm very lucky to have been paired up with good partners for these last two stages," her head tilts to one side for a moment, looking off as she thought before finding the camera once more. "it's funny, actually— he and i knew each other before this, mostly through having mutual friends, but neither of us was aware of how talented we each were. when we first got together to start planning everything, he was so excited! it put me in a really good mood with him being so high energy, and i was happy to work with him as well, so it was easy for us to talk together."

     moving in her seat slightly, hands folded across her lap, heejin finishes off with a soft smile. "i really liked what we were able to come up with for today and we performed well, so i’m hopeful for good results."

❝ SO, DO YOU THINK THE TWO OF YOU WILL BE SAFE FROM ELIMINATIONS THIS WEEK? ❞

     nodding her head almost immediately, her brows raise slightly with sincerity. "i do," she begins, face serious. "even if we don't get high recognition like i'm hoping for, i have confidence that our duo will be fine— jaemin is a very skilled rapper who can do well on his own, and my vocals are strong as well, so the two of us putting on a performance together isn't weak by any means. i feel like we'll be far from the bottom of the roster, so i'm not really worried at all."

❝ OF THE CONTESTANTS ELIMINATED LAST WEEK, WHO DO YOU THINK HAS THE STRONGEST POSSIBILITY OF RETURNING? ❞

     it takes her a moment to think, another small pout playing at her lips, before she gives an answer. "from those who were eliminated...i think i'd be happy to see either yuqi or jinyoung return. of those six, they were the ones who left the biggest impressions on me, yuqi especially— it was shocking to see her fall so far after being put up so high." she's silent for another moment, giving a gentle hum. "yeah, if either of them were to come back, i wouldn't be upset."

[rkjulia]

MGA: SEASON FIVE, ‘19! episode zero ⇢ the callback part one: dancing + singing, chi chi’s “into the new world”           the fromis_9 edition ( 0:00 - 1:55 )

kokoro stares at the email sitting in her inbox with utter disbelief. and for a good while, too. she is hesitant to click on it, still so absorbed by the text in the title and what it is she’s reading. but she somehow manages to convince herself to actually delve a little deeper and read the actual email, rather than the title ten times over. and so she does, once and then twice before going back over it a third time. is this what she thinks it is? is this really a ... callback notice? it couldn’t be that, no ... why would they contact kokoro for a callback? she furrows her brows, reading the email again. she’s tempted to forward the email to yuri to ask if she’s reading it correctly. maybe yuri would then tell her that this is more so a thanks for trying notice. that would settle her nerves, kokoro knows she’s looking way too far into this. and after forwarding it to yuri, turns out this wasn’t a scam or a prank of sorts. kokoro had read this entirely correctly. it really was a callback.

and kokoro was invited.

it really felt like only yesterday that kokoro had began to contemplate auditioning for the show. 

it only felt like yesterday that kokoro had began contemplating on auditioning for the show; night after night of going back and forth on a dream she thought she had left behind when she moved to seoul. the first audition had come and gone in an absolute blur, and somehow no one had really gotten suspicious about kokoro’s whereabouts on that very day. and now here she was, at an actual television set, with two of her best friends. bright lights hanging overhead and large, expensive cameras directed towards her and the rest of the contestants. kokoro sits upright in her chair, bright eyed, doing her best to survey her surroundings. she follows the prompts given to her by staff members and producers carefully, knowing there is no room for mistakes. this is going to be going to air, on actual live television. kokoro totally lets the fact that her mother or her step-sister might see this, and if she does think it, she pushes it to the back of her mind. for now. she’s sitting with yuri and yuqi, feeling less nervous about performing in front of a large crowd, but she can’t help but wonder who the panel of judges will be made up of.

kokoro ends up finding a lot of familiar faces amidst the crowd of contestants around herself, yuri and yuqi. she finds yoona, her dance dance revolution companion and jeongin, the k.arma fan from the showcase she went to a month or two back. she even happens across the boy from the royal cafe who ended up wearing her hot chocolate, a memory she would much rather forget. she hopes and prays that he doesn’t look back and catch sight of her. kokoro would of never of taken him for someone like her, a hopeful of sorts, someone looking to break into the industry. he seemed too ... cool for that. but everyone was here for their own reason, as basic or complex as it may be. and who was kokoro to judge? she was here for her own reason, albeit generic. there are hushed whispers and questions about who is going to be sitting on the panel for this round, and some people offer up guesses while others keep their lips sealed in anticipation. the 100 chairs have been filled by contestants, eagerly waiting for their chance to shine.

and then their questions have been answered. appearing from out of nowhere, or so it seems, is the ceos of the five, top companies in south korea, trc entertainment, kt entertainment, sphere entertainment, royal entertainment and nova entertainment. the reaction is positive, kokoro is guessing that a lot of people are losing their minds right now, although some people are probably dreading the fact that the ceos are getting involved so early in the competition. and no one’s fate has been set in stone. kokoro’s reaction is a mixture of surprise and excitement. she realises that she’s never seen the ceos up close before, or actually ever. everyone looks so big and famous, kokoro isn’t too sure that they’re all worthy to be sitting in the same room as these people. 

the callback process begins as one would expect. one by one, each contestant is called forward to show off their skills. they have two minutes to impress the judges and ignite fear in their fellow contestants before returning to their seat and so on. that was the jist of things, or that’s at least what kokoro understood after the first two people had gone forward. she pulls at the hem of her skirt. she knows that from here on out, her charms and cuteness alone aren’t going to get her very far and kokoro starts to understand that maybe she’s not cut out for this sort of stuff. the other contestants are really good dancers, really good singers and really good rappers, almost brimming on trainee or idol level good. kokoro though, hasn’t ever really had any formal training. she’s taken some dance classes and she was in school choir. her parents were never really big on her joining an academy to perfect her skills, well, her father was persistent that kokoro do what make her happy. her mother on the other hand, she was adamant about kokoro doing well in school and with her studies. having had her father absent during her teenage years, it’s easy to see the path kokoro had followed. the path free of any hopes and dreams she had.

     “and next up, we have ... kato kokoro.”

amidst her thoughts, kokoro’s name is called. she’s rather startled, looking across to the panel of judges, spotting katie lee, holding a microphone. it was a woman’s voice in introduced her, so it must of been katie lee. kokoro smiles, getting to her feet before making her way down to the front of the stage, being careful to not step any toes or trip on anything. because that would be very kokoro of her and typical, especially since this was going to be aired on television. she pulls her skirt straight before falling into a polite bow, holding it for a moment before standing upright once again. brushing both of her twin tails back over her shoulder, she looks towards each of the ceos with a bright smile. “hello everyone!” she says enthusiastically, waving both of her hands either side of her face. “my name is kato kokoro, please take care of me.” she doesn’t let on to what it is she’s performing today, and she hasn’t any intentions. the opening notes of the song will do all the talking for her. into the new world, by the nation’s girl group, chi chi. kokoro had heard that it was a song of importance to young people in south korea, a song of hope. 

it was a song she had heard prior to coming to south korea, it was just one of those songs that transcended languages and touched her heart. and that’s what she wants to do today, give a performance that is full of heart. an idol to kokoro is someone who brings others joy through song and dance. they may not necessarily be the best, but when they dance, they give their all. their passion shows. although kokoro is fearful that she may not be as skilled as some of the other contestants in terms of technique or skill, she knows that she has the ability to out do them in one aspect; in heart. she knows, standing there, center stage that this routine will be full of it.

and the song begins to play. it’s familiar to everyone in the room. it’s a song that everyone knows the words to, even kokoro. admittedly, she hesitated upon choosing a korean song to sing at her callback, but she needs to prove that she’s competent with the language. maybe not so much with interviews and general speaking, but with singing. she wants to prove something to herself. she stands there, hands gently folded behind her back as she looks out towards the panel of judges. as the beat drops, kokoro’s smile widens and she nods her head, moving forward into the choreography seamlessly. for a song that is over ten years old, it’s aged very well.

i want to tell you, even though the sad times have already past. close your eyes and feel my moved heart, my gaze at you.

don’t wait for a special miracle, there’s a tough road in front of us, with unknowable an unknowable future and obstacles, i won’t change. i can’t give up. 

kokoro’s voice is soft, her accent present. however, thankfully the tone of the song works with her, rather than against her. the beginning of the song is much more forgiving and kokoro knows she doesn’t have the vocal chords to challenge the end of the song with the high notes and the adlibs. she isn’t out here to butcher a korean classic. a part of kokoro can’t help but wonder if she really is good enough, strong enough to withhold the idol industry of korea. perhaps they aren’t interested in heart; performances that are wholesome and meaningful. perhaps they really do only believe in the best of the best. she knows too well that she isn’t the best dancer, nor the best vocalist but kokoro makes sure that she hits every single dance move, sharp and precise, as though this is dance dance revolution and she’s out to hit her highest score yet. even despite the foreign words flowing from kokoro’s mouth, something about this feels so normal to her.

protect me with an unchanged love, also my wounded heart. looking in your eyes, no words are needed, time has stopped. 

the song builds ever so slowly, inching towards the chorus. and as the song builds up, so does kokoro’s energy. the chorus hits and kokoro quite literally jumps into it, her smile becomes bigger and brighter. this is the feeling she chases, the feeling she so desperately wants others to feel. when people hear the music they love, they should want to get up onto their feet to dance and sing along. she wonders if the other contestants, or even the ceos themselves are surprised by her song choice ... or perhaps it was a given that she, the foreigner, would perform a classic like into the new world? into the new world was a right of passage for so many girl groups in korea, so why couldn’t it be a right of passage for a hopeful like herself?

i love you, just like this. the longed end of wandering, i leave behind this world’s unending sadness. 

in the many unknowable paths, i follow a dim light. it’s something we’ll do together to the end, into my new world.

she is no longer fearful of the outcome of this callback. whether she goes beyond her wildest dreams or falters right here, right now; she has come to realise that she is grateful for one thing; the opportunity to feel again, to feel this happy, this confident and this comfortable whilst dancing and singing to a song like such. the song cuts short before the dance break, which kokoro would of happily performed, only doing so would of pushed her over the two minute mark. pushing her hand outwards to her side she sings the final words of the chorus; it’s something we’ll do together to the end, into my new world. before finishing as she started, hands laced together behind her back. her chest rises and falls ever so slightly, she’s ashamed to admit she’s out of breath. but perhaps not so much from the singing and dancing itself, but from the excitement and the emotion she’s feeling right now. and not even then does her smile falter. it’s kokoro’s one constant. she gracefully falls into a bow, her twin tails becoming curtains, blacking out her vision for a moment before she straightens herself up, brushing them back behind her shoulders. she looks around at the other contestants and the ceos one last time, wanting desperately to savour this moment. it could be the last time she sees a stage like this ...

     or it could be the beginning of something new.

[rkxsoojin-blog]

 MGA5 C A L L B A C K SINGING I DON’T WANT IT AT ALL by KIM PETRAS [1:53-2:28, 3:05-4:06]

 It takes Minkyung a minute to check her email, even after she hears the tiny little ding of the notification, and when she does, she’s initially a little surprised; she thinks she did pretty well at her audition, she just hadn’t given much thought to the what if of her actually making it through. Somehow in her mind it had been done and dusted the moment she’d returned her cute little nametag and left, and mentally, she had moved on. 

 For a moment, she considers backing out; she hadn’t really auditioned out of any true desire to be an idol, right? But there’s already a pool of leaden resolve forming in her belly, one that she recognises, and one that she isn’t exactly happy to see. 

 Minkyung loves a good challenge. She’s competitive down to her very core, and knowing that out of all the idol hopefuls, all the fame-hungry whomevers that would have auditioned for this show, that she’s in the top hundred? She’s satisfied with that, she just thinks she could do a whole lot better, that’s all. 

 Not to mention that the audition itself had been really quite fun. Minkyung feels like she’s her best self when she’s performing, and the allure of a bigger stage, more of a production, as opposed to some practice room in the back of a high school is positively alluring. 

 She immediately begins bouncing options around in her mind, and as always, she’s got a thousand ideas buzzing about her, so it’s really a job of whittling the numbers down. 

 The one thing she knows for absolute certain is that she wants to make a bit of a scene, it’s just a question of how to do so in the way she wanted to, with a bit of subtlety, so it might seem a little more organic. 

 She decides that she wants to lean into the cutesy thing, in an ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek way, as always. She supposes that’s just her thing. 

 The outfit comes first, for some reason, a little high-waisted denim mini skirt, a faded Spice World tee, a choker, and a pair of glittery silver knee-high boots that she’d gotten from a stall in Hongdae that were almost certainly some kind of designer bootleg. 

 It’s then, looking at the bootleg leg boots that she has a bit of a creative epiphany. 

 She doesn’t want to do something dour, or serious, not yet at the very least. She wants something bubblegum bubbly, something fun and bouncy, so she designs to lean into the fraudulent designer aesthetic and do I Don’t Want It At All; a high energy bop with cutesy materialistic lyrics that will be fun to jump around to. It’s also a rather challenging song in some respects, and Minkyung relishes chances to show-off just a tad. 

 She isn’t a dancer, so she doesn’t bother with a choreography, or any such thing, but instead sets into figuring out an arrangement. She only has two minutes and wants to make sure that her performance still has a sense of build, some peaks and valleys, lest it become monotonous by remaining at a singular level the entire time. She also wants to make sure she can show off a decent range of vocal technique within that short time span. 

  She opts to do the second verse and the pre-chorus, to create a bit of a build from a lower energy to a higher one, but instead of going straight into the chorus, she’ll instead jump into the bridge, and finish off with the final chorus, which is higher energy than all the ones before it, and will also give her the opportunity to really belt out a high note or two. She thinks it’s a well-balanced arrangement, and she practices it often enough that the song clings to her head like glue, almost driving her nuts. 

 By the time the day of rolls around, she wakes up to the song already playing in her head, which is perhaps a good thing. 

 She dolls herself up, throwing a denim jacket over the outfit she’d previously selected, cinching her hair into a high pony, something fun to throw around, and before long, she’s arrived. 

 It’s always interesting seeing the other side of this sort of a production, the security check-ins, the form-signing, the cameras and boom mics and stage lighting, the bones of the operation all naked like you never see them on the actual show. Its both grounding and a little exciting, like being let in on a big secret. 

 She finds a seat at random, smiling at Yuqi and her little girlfriend as she passes them by, quietly wishing them luck and ending up sat between a girl called Kyulkyung, and a boy called Suwoong, surrounded by a great load of noisy people, which ends up being great fun. Her and Kyulkyung eye one another up for a moment, whispering a few mild critiques and some small talk between one another before she’s distracted by Suwoong, who is uniquely friendly, on a similar wavelength to herself, Minkyung thinks. He initiates small talk with her, leaning over after every performance so they can express some brief opinions on it, their opinions becoming more imaginative as the performances continue, eventually turning into a strange game of elaborating on the theoretical life of the contestant in question based on their outfit, or gait, or choice of song and dance. 

 The section she’s sat with are all chatter, and they cheer and clap for every contestant who goes up, and by the time Minkyung hears her name called, shes been imbued with enough of that joyous energy that she hops up with zeal, finding her way to the stage easily where she she bounces into the the designated spot, the stage lights immediately rather warm against her skin, the cameras trained on her. 

 She gives the judges, and the camera, a sweet smile, bowing a good ninety degrees before pulling back up and introducing herself with a bit of a giggle. 

 “Hello! I’m Kim Minkyung! It’s nice to meet you on the stage today” she says, the smile that parts her lips suddenly a little strange, mysterious almost, as though she knew something those whom she smiled at did not. The glimmer of confidence, the cool unarrogant sort, unmistakable in her eyes. She doesn’t bother expressing some hope that they’ll enjoy her performance, as she’s more than hopeful that they will. She’ll make sure they do.

 There’s a brief count from some staff members behind the cameras, and without time to waste, the music starts, an instrumental that she’d artfully snipped together herself to match the arrangement she was doing. As it does, she doesn’t begin to sing, having purposely left a few extra seconds of music on the front of the track, but rather feigns surprise, almost worry, lifting an urgent finger to the judges to indicate that they wait, as though she’d forgotten something crucial, skittering quickly to the side of the stage in her boots, where she bends down to accept a plastic tiara, with little LED lights spelling the word “princess” on its front from a waiting staff member, a gag that she’d arranged beforehand, even though everyone on the show’s end seemed to be confused by the request. She secures the fluffy pink tiara tightly to the front of her head with a smile, flicking a switch on its rearside to turn the lights on, and then skips confidently back to the centre of the stage, stomping her feet into a self-assured stance and jumping right into her verse.

If you wanna get down tonight You better hook it up at the place I like Better make it fit like the perfect size Aw yeah, aw yeah And if you give me everything I want You go from none to number one Yeah, you're so cute, yeah, you're so fun Aw yeah, aw yeah

 She holds her position for this potion of her performance, her voice easy over top the bright, glittery synths. As she slides into the pre-chorus she begins to strut along the stage, each girlish stomp in time with a beat of the song. She’s not a dancer, but she’s got enough bodily sense to keep on rhythm as she bops and sways along with the song, a grin on her lips, pivoting her head so that she can feel her ponytail whipping about behind her. 

Baby, don't you fight it Close your eyes and swipe it Maybe I could be with you If you buy me diamonds And you keep me smiling Baby, I can be with you Oh, with you 

 Minkyung is having a lot of fun with her performance, bouncing along with each word, the vocals themselves having yet to become too demanding for that. She flutters her eyes with girlish flourish, mimicking the motion of a credit card swipe alongside the pertinent words, pointing at the camera with a wink, smiling wide and flashing the cartoonishly large hunk of plastic masquerading as a diamond on the cheap costume jewelry she was wearing. She’d initially wanted to strike a balance, to figure out how to be peppy and referential without being too much, but she had realised that being a little too much was a perfect fit for this particular song, and had decided to lean into it as a concept, summoning every drop of pseudo-ironic bubbly zest she could, although the gleam in her eye was entirely real. 

 She ends the pre-chorus with a high note on “Oh, with you,” ceasing her gleeful prancing so she could properly belt in out, the music fading into a more subtle, slow synth build beneath her as she flips her ponytail with apparent delight to sing an adorable “Woo! ah...” once the high note is through, blowing a kiss with the judges with her two fingers before bringing her hand forward so she could form a finger heart in the same motion, in time with each syllable. The gallivanting she’d been doing across the edge of the stage now slowing to a sensuous prowl to reflect the energy of the song itself.

I don't want it all  Give me summer in the Hamptons Give me summer in the Hamptons (I don't want it at all) Give me summer in the Hamptons In the Hamptons In the Hamptons I want all I want

 On the original track, the bridge made use of a robotic filter of sorts, but Minkyung takes the opportunity to show off some of her technique, leaning into a bit of vocal fry distortion to give her voice some edge and grit in lieu of any metallic effect, the bridge slowly building into a belt before she jumps straight into the final chorus, which she opts to stand still for, having found her way to centre stage once again, she focuses her attention back onto the microphone, and her singing, knowing that this bit was a challenge in terms of maintaining proper breath support, the way she wanted to do it. 

I want all my clothes designer (Ooh!) I want someone else to buy 'em (Yeah!) If I cannot get it right now (Now!) I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it at all I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it at all Give me all of your attention (Ooh!) Give me summer in the Hamptons (Yeah!) If I cannot get it right now (Now!) I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it at all I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it at all

 The synths rocket upwards in intensity the minute the bridge ends, and Minkyung launches right into the chorus, asserting what she wants and how she wants it. She chooses to lean into some of the ad-libs that Kim had done on the final chorus, including a sustained belt at the end of the fifth line. It’s fairly close to the ceiling of her range, especially after all of the energy she’d just expended, right in the middle of a bunch of other singing, and she has to sneak a breath as inconspicuously as possible, almost gasping it, turning her head away from the mic to do so. She manages it, however, having practiced this exact part almost endlessly, and plows through the rest of the chorus with a smile of self-satisfaction gracing her lips. 

 The song ends just as she makes one final declaration of how she wants it, and she’s sure to close with a bit of flourish, bringing her arm up in a big dramatic swoop to pose cutely with a v-sign at her temple. 

 She’s shocked at first, by the cheers from her little loud section, jumping ever so slightly before bursting into a laugh, bowing and thanking the judges quickly before she returned to her seat, happy to plop down in her seat, her legs trembling with the rush of adrenaline.

 As she watches the next contestant step up to bat, she begins to process just how much she enjoyed that, the bloom of desire to win this in her chest now twofold in nature.

[rkseung]

 🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 10 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !           —   X     yes i’m still alive, mourning my mgas loses

 🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 10 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !           —   X     brb still crying over all the WASTED TALENT THIS SEASON 

 🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 9 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !          —   X     you let yuqi and yoona go but then eliminated jinyoung the next episode??                               like?  

🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 9 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !         —   X     they really did that to em.

🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 9 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !         —   X     bye i’ll be busy supporting jinyoung’s career under none of those tasteless                                labels. 

🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 9 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !         —   X     and i’m signing yoona to my company. debut already in the works.

 🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 5 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !          —   X     on a good note we’ll be seeing yeji in the semi finals. like actually SEEING

 🐤  ›   SAD & BOUJEE.  ›  TWT 5 MINS AGO  ›   @ITSJANGSY !          —   X     catch me watching episode 6 live bitches ✌️

[rkjaemin]

mnet global auditions 5 ep2 : skill showcase song: 휘파람 (original song)

jaemin had rested well, ate better, and finally found the time to breathe. the first leg of the mgas have been extremely stressful. no matter how much he denied it, haech always saw through his reassurances and the calm demeanor that he always had on. and truthfully, after finding out he made it through the previous round, he was relieved and grateful that there was someone calling him out for being too... closed off. he knew better than to bottle everything up, he was stressing himself out more than he should. his boyfriend had always reassured him that things will be fine and that he'll make it. and make it he truly did. he started his day right, with a smile and left the apartment feeling better than he did the first two times.

he finds himself next to song yuqi again. this time though, instead of looking like a deer caught in the headlight, he actually interacts with her and tries to make conversation. it wasn't anything in depth just yet, and there were still some idle moments but it was a start. and he hoped that he's not scaring her by suddenly being social. he starts looking around the room too, trying to recognize faces, smiling at xuxi and minkyung. it was unfortunate that jeno didn't make it. jaemin knew things would have been more comfortable with him around. he wouldn't look as awkward as he does now because at least with his friend, they'd be able to distract themselves with other dumb details they can talk about.

and then the pressure builds up again.

he twists his hands on the microphone, heart pounding against his ribcage as he was on standby. jaemin takes a deep breath, wipes his hands on his pants and puts on a smile as he steps on stage. he was smiling more than the first two performances, and he could feel the strain on his cheeks. like his interactions with the others, he didn't want to force it too much so he introduces himself and talks about the piece he will be performing briefly. it was an original song that he had put together a few months back, something different from the usual ones he does, but he wants those who will listen to enjoy it just the same.

the music plays and jaemin starts to move along to it, nodding his head and just trying to... relax. it was unlike his usual performances, there was less layer to it, but the sound is distinct. at the five second mark, he starts with a quick "uh," and at the ten second mark, he goes for an enthusiastic "let's go" and proceeds to whistle before starting his first verse at the twent second mark. although the feel of the song was different from the dark, heavy, and multi-layered versions that he had done before, his verses remained lyrical and occasional wordplays inserted here and there. this is the style that he feels that leaves the most impression, at least to the people who's heard his original songs so far.

his first verse starts almost as if he was dissing himself, saying that he's only ever performed the girl group songs, songs about heartbreak, face always serious, and not having a talent for variety. but he proceeds to rap about only getting warmed up and that he does know about love that doesn't hurt too. he continues with talking about not knowing how to smile but also knowing how to make girls' hearts flutter -- all while he does the unthinkable -- na jaemin does the finger heart at baek jiyoung and winks at katie lee. he cracks a small smile, looking a bit embarrassed but continues on with his performance. at that point, the beat starts picks up and he gets more into his performance. he starts moving his body to the beat, delivery growing faster in tune with the song.

the chorus drops and it sounds more like a slowy dancey beat but not too far off from the bridge and first verse. his delivery for the chorus was somewhat like he was singing, talking about how there's more that he could show, that there are more layers to him like the layers of his re-arranged songs, and that he actually knows how to smile. jaemin always thought that his humor was different from most, but it was worth a shot at this point. he shouldn't have to take himself too seriously, he already sent finger hearts to baek jiyoung and winked at katie lee. there's nothing else to fear. as the song continues to the next verse, it slows down again, back to the simple beat that he started with. his last bar talks about being more open and trying to smile more, but to keep making music that people would enjoy.

and with the final beat, the pressure also dissipates and jaemin lets out a deep breath, bowing and genuinely smiling at the crowd as he straightened up.

[rkminhyun]

                                        MGA SEASON FIVE     ∙       duos performance

                                          𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲     :     𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

                            performing a reimagined acoustic version of block b’s toy 

          surviving eliminations feels wrong,  no matter how hard he works building up for the day,  how much effort and will goes into making it past another round;  his thoughts are inevitably pessimistic in nature.  by the time they start calling out the names that will go home,  his heart leaps into his throat,  fists clenched in his lap,  nails digging into the skin  --  he expects it.

         and it never comes.

         could one call something like this, perhaps arbitrary in the long run,  survivor’s guilt?  relief,  however,  is like a high he can’t shake,  and he sits there for a while trying to process it.  he might not find his luck abundant enough to keep going,  but it feels strange for circumstances to acknowledge how hard he’s working,  how often the voice deep inside him tells him to summon the courage to believe in himself.

         once they begin calling the duos,  minhyun finds he doesn’t necessary know his partner,  gaze curious as he looks in her direction.  she seems nice enough,  though his attention falls more towards the guidelines of the round  --  both of them,  or none at all. 

         he should’ve expected that,  he tells himself later,  bitterly amused. 

         he spares a few thoughts doused with worriment towards how the partnership might go,  if it’ll be as smooth as he wills it to be.  he may be easy to please,  but he’s also more of a  avoid-conflict-if-possible type,  finding it rather exhausting to deal with.  however,  a few moments in,  he’s quickly reassured on his own,  yuqi being someone easy to agree with,  and eager to work.

         the song choice is proposed by his partner,  and he’s fairly quick to fall into agreement.  the song is catchy and he can see both of them succeeding in pulling off the performance but he can’t help but wonder if it’ll be enough.  will it leave enough of an impact?  will they pass with just this?

         as a result,  rearrangement feels like the best route in the long run,  the decision to rely on acoustics falling back on a voice that whispers its selfish desire at the back of his mind  --  do it to bring attention to yourself,  do it so it looks like you attempted to put some effort into the whole thing,  do it because you can.

         somewhere along the line,  it shifts into having fun and doing his best to support yuqi than it is about himself.  yeah,  he wants to survive so bad he can almost taste it,  but he knows victory is often bittersweet unless it comes with that satisfaction you performed and had fun with the people you’re with  --  he learns that best with empty enigma. 

         it helps that yuqi’s talented and outgoing from the get-go,  that minhyun doesn’t entirely have a chance to be as awkward as he’d been fearing.  her energy and enthusiasm is contagious,  and it reminds him of his own little sister,  the one he’s most protective of in the world.  so,  maybe it’s a cliche,  but he rolls with it and hopes the cameras can also pick up on the chemistry they build as they work on the song,  hopes it translates into the performance itself. 

         his main objective,  however,  is making sure he has the right chords down.  it’s the beginning that takes him some time to get down and lots of practice.  he starts,  stops,  repeats until he’s sure he could play the song as fluently as possible in his sleep,  keeps his guitar on him when he crawls into bed and eyes the ceiling as he strums to a beat in his mind,  often recognizing it to be the very song they’ve been obsessively practicing throughout the week. 

         but,  the very core of minhyun’s being has yet to change even though he’s been on stage for as long as he can remember,  has returned to it some time ago since reign was conceived from the ashes of his past failures,  even when considering the performances he’s done on the mgas alone.  taking all that into account and more,  one still can’t deny the common factor each week;  he’s so nervous he almost keeps forgetting to breathe. 

         he wonders if it’ll ever get easier. 

         he texts yuqi a  “we’ll do great”  the night before,  tacking a smiley face at the end and wills himself to believe his own words.  he believes they’ve done all they can,  have practiced until they could drop,  and he knows the song as well as he knows himself;  tells himself over and over,  chanting as if the words were a mantra of their assured victory.  (  victory,  the confidence the word upholds shakes him to the brink of his existence,  but minhyun’s always been good at pretending.  )

         he lugs his guitar around on his back,  secured in his case.  it’s almost a reassuring weight,  having something so familiar close to him,  bringing comfort as he thinks instead about how this instrument brought him and his mother closer,  occasional memories with his father as he sat on his lap as a small child and watched the other play with wonderment present in his gaze.  it feels like he himself has been playing for a lifetime now,  and the idea settles him  --  he can do this,  he knows he can,  and he can do it well.

         “you ready?”  various individuals ask throughout the week  --  he wills himself not to retort with how he’s sure his lifespan decreases by a couple years each time he’s asked,  instead just shrugs slightly and offers an  as ready as i’ll ever be.

         new week,  same old routine.

         he pays more attention this round,  racks his mind for each contestants’ name as they go up two by two,  and each one leaving a chilling feeling in his bones.  he doesn’t even know what his friends are doing this round,  more focused on getting through his own performance,  added with the fact he’s too often lost in his thoughts,  timing passing all to quickly.  if he didn’t already know it before,  he’s too aware of the fact everyone’s good,  of course they are considering it’s already episode three into the broadcasting,  but he wonders if it’s a mistake,  him making it this far.

         a few minutes before his performance,  and he’s starting to question his spot on the show  --  how typical.   

         sungwoon goes up shortly,  with his partner,  and before he knows it,  he and yuqi are called up.  he shoots her what he hopes is a reassuring smile,  and grips his guitar on the way up,  nodding pleasantly through the introduction.  his mind blanks and he feels he more or less floats his way to his seat on stage,  propping his guitar onto his knee,  before taking a breath.

         it’s a moment before he starts,  his fingers ghosting above the right chords,  letting his mind come into focus.  then,  he begins,  starting position staring at his fingers move as he waits for yuqi to start off the song with her voice.  then,  he lifts his head towards the audience and judges as he starts off his verse.

쓸모 없어지면 버려 몰래 문득 어렴풋이라도 기억될 수만 있다면 나 everything i do it for you i’m a toy, toy

         the acoustic version feels more sentimental in a way,  led by the emotion they try to channel into the song,  however there’s a casual attempt towards keeping it upbeat,  with the way their voices plan to rise,  with how they sway their heads and bounce a little to the beat.  his vision of the song is one filled with a certain longing,  to be one’s even if they don’t necessary hold you to the same degree. 

얼마 안 돼 구석에 놓이겠지만 이 운명은 네 소유인 걸

         to put it simply,  minhyun simply channels what he feels when he hears the song.  a degree of nostalgia as he thinks about on failed relationships,  often on the end of being broken up with,  or even more generally.  extending it to the sometimes overwhelming needs to feel like someone’s number one  --  it can be a difficult feat to achieve,  and with a pang of unwarranted loneliness,  minhyun allows his voice to grow louder as the chorus approaches,  intent in showing off a more powerful message for the middle part. 

난 너에게 더 이상 바랄게 없어 나로 인해 채워지는 널 본다면 꺼내줄 수 있어 다 가져가 주겠니 사랑이 ���난이면 가차 없이 날 이용해

         he works various emotions into his expression,  eyes closing as he prolongs a note,  the corner of his lips rising here and then as he tries to play the persona the original vocalists had channeled when performing the part.  then comes their shared lines,  and minhyun looks to his partner,  sharing a small smile of comfort as they communicate with their eyes.

now you know, all you need is me i’m your toy, i’m your toy, i‘m your toy

         here comes yuqi’s solo part,  and minhyun nods along as he plays,  portraying the image of a man invested in the performance he’s in the middle of,  fingers moving almost on their own.  he’s sure she’ll go far,  filled with talent and hungry to show it  --  for a minute,  he hopes he won’t be the one holding them back in the moment.

난 너에게 더 이상 바랄게 없어 나로 인해 채워지는 널 본다면 꺼내줄 수 있어 다 가져가 주겠니 사랑이 장난이면 가차 없이 날 이용해

now you know, all you need is me i’m your toy, i’m your toy, i‘m your toy

         as the performance ends,  and his fingers stop playing,  minhyun takes the moment to let the end settle before he looks back to yuqi.  a nod of acknowledgement,  gentle dash of contentment in his gaze he hopes she picks up on on,  before they say their thank you’s.  as he bows,  the thought flickers into his mind,  that he’d gotten lucky with his partner.  he shines a more genuine smile to the cameras as he stands straight,  before walking off stage,  each step interchanging between feeling lighter with the knowledge they were done become more prominent and a settling heaviness at what’s to come.

[rkiny]

imrinnas  i’m a bit late, but i was finally able to watch the latest mga episode 😊 it’s sad to see so many talanted people go, shows like this can be so brutal 😞😞 however, i’ll look foreward to what those still standing have to show~ i’m wishing you all the best luck, especially my oldest son #5038, woojin ( please cheer him on as well hehe )!

p.s. #5044, yuqi, is the cutest but also so charasmatic— i hope she goes far! #5030, nakyung, #5011, yeji, and #5050, kyulkyung, as well!

[rkkyul]

190627 MGA SEASON 5  +  EPISODE ONE ⟨  ━━  ❀ °    PART ONE: PERFORMANCE, SWAN LAKE/STRIP ( 0:00 - 0:36, 0:00 - 1:22 )   ⟩

her expectations were questionable after her eventual day at seoul arts. initially, she had thought that with this many people chances of her going forward with the show were pretty slim. but after returning home and allowing herself to relax, slipping out of her clothing and cooling off in the bath with many bubbles and a modest glass of wine, kyulkyung found herself thinking back on her performance. her dance was more than acceptable in her eyes, but her singing might be a different story. 

fake it til you make it, something she used to tell herself often last year. she had forgotten the habit after waiting so long to perform again, nothing demanding this much out of her since her last perfomance at knb. the pressure and anxiety of not knowing how she did would slow eat her alive if she didn’t just fill herself with ounces of nothing but confidence. and so she did just that, told herself she had made it up until she opened the callback email that next week. 

the sound of her heart pounding on her chest was enough to make her ears ring, to make her mouth run dry and her fingers shake as she clicked and scrolled through the email. she couldn’t take it - the entire week of her telling herself you did it, there’s no way you didn’t meant nothing until she saw that she had indeed advanced. and sure enough, there it was.

CONGRAULATIONS, ZHOU JIEQIONG.

she was so relieved they spelled her name right.

the days leading up to the next phase of her journey were anything but relaxing. boyoung generously allowed her time off during her time at the mgas, however long that may be. in exchange for all the hassle, her friend gave her strict orders to win but she could only respond with a sheepish one step at a time. episode one sounded like another audition, further proving she had a long way to go.

this round kyulkyung had a bit more time to showcase what exactly she had to bring to the table. there were many dancers out there and she’s convinced a great number would be joining her on stage in a few days. she debated her performance over dinner with yuqi and boyoung over dinner - having bought a cake to celebrate the two in their advancement. yuqi was competition, but kyulkyung just couldn’t help herself from sharing every little detail about what she was wanting to do, probably talking the poor girl’s ear off but she just couldn’t stop. 

it was hard to get her mind off something she had set it to; she had thrown herself head first into this competition without even realizing it. in the beginning, her thoughts were just to try it out and see what happened, to satisfy those who poked at her to sign up for days just to get some peace. but it seemed that once she got a tiny taste of victory, kyulkyung just starved for more.

the woman didn’t dressed herself up too much when the time came, needing to formulate a costume that would allow easy and flexible movements but wouldn’t be too distracting. a nice pair of dark leggings hugged her legs, tiny zippers coming up the sides, and a pink fitted top that ended just below her navel covered her torso comfortably. kyulkyung carried her pointe shoes and tutu as to not ruin the ruffles, carrying herself proudly into the building and directing her eyes over the swarm of people.

fake it til you make it.

the woman found herself a seat on one of the sides of the stage, finding a seat near yuqi so she could sneak looks at her during the day. "good luck, pretty girl.” she whispered, smiling at her roommate before making her way towards an empty seat. as time went by, more seats filled up and kyulkyung found herself yet again growing impatient. she tapped her leg against the ground quickly, bouncing the limb up and down as she tried to pass the time with the people around here. most seemed nice enough but there were certainly a few she’d be keeping her eye on; this was a competition after all. 

the judges finally made their appearance and all at once the mood changed. for the first time since she sat down, kyulkyung shut her mouth and mimicked everyone else; following the CEOs as they took their seats and suddenly, this all felt too real.

 it wasn’t long before the first name was being announced by katie lee - all eyes on the unfortunate soul who had to set an example for them all. kyulkyung watched each performance intently, mumbling a few opinions and takeaways to the two who sat closest to her. the first performance proved to be a tiny bit of a let down and although she felt bad for the poor soul, she couldn’t help but whisper to minkyung who sat to her side. “maybe this won’t be as bad as we thought.”

it felt like forever before her name was called, kyulkyung growing too invested in everyone else’s performances. she almost didn’t register when her name was actually called - the only thing snapping her back to reality being Tiger JK’s voice as he called her name rather impatiently. "ZHOU... JIEQIONG” not too bad, kyulkyung thought to herself, quickly slipping out of one pair of shoes into the other. the woman stood and grabbed her tutu, practically running up onstage in fear of keeping the judges waiting. 

"PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF”

kyulkyung nodded her head and let a bright smile form across her cheeks, both excitement and fear leaving her hands shaking as they held her tutu close to her chest. the tulle of her tutu was puffed out to perfection, a beautiful pink that complimented her perfectly but tickled her nose as she held it close to her chest. kyulkyung scrunched up her nose before blowing the tulle away from her face, dropping it further down her torso to introduce herself. “hello, i’m zhou jieqiong.” like her interview, the woman first introduced herself in chinese before continuing. “hello everyone!! my name is zhou jieqiong, but sometimes it’s just easier to call me kyulkyung.” she grinned, waving both at the judges and the other contestants before she continued. “i prepared something today that’s hopefully a little different, so hopefully you’ll like it.”

as soon as the lights began to dim, the woman instantly moved to slip into her tutu. she had a few moments to collect herself, to take a few breaths and slide into the role of odette. swan lake being a favorite of hers, it was a no brainer when it came to deciding on the first half of her routine. the music itself was absolutely beautiful, calm and elegant yet it took her breath away. the tune surrounded her on stage, willing her movements to begin - her legs shifting into a plié and allowing her arms to drop ever so slowly.

it was impossible for kyulkyung not to feel beautiful when she danced - the rush she got when she danced ballet something she had come to miss. this was her first serious performance in awhile where she got to wear her pointe shoes, the first she had performed a ballet routine in front of an audience since last year. that fact alone was enough to make her worry, but she craved to show this side of her - to give them something she hadn’t at her last audition. 

kyulkyung’s legs moved stiffly into high kicks and tightly kept movements - her legs the complete opposite of the pillowy motions of her arms. the ballet portion of her routine came to an end and the next section was quickly approaching, the music suddenly cutting out as she was moving into another kick. a look of surprised formed over her face, before she was moving to kick off her pointe shoes and slip out of her tutu. the look of mild confusion on the CEOs faces was enough to make her smile, the countdown to the next portion of her performance beginning.

take off all my make-up 'cause i love what’s under it rub off all your words, don't give a uh, i'm over it (jiggle all this weight, yeah, you know i love all of this) finally love me naked, sexiest when i’m confident

the beginning portion of strip contained so much of her personality, a huge contrast to what she had just shown. odette’s solo was all about elegance and beauty, nothing but gentle smiles and longing looks coming from a woman who was usually so full of life. the point of this performance was not only to show what she was capable of, who she was in the past, but to also show she was able to change, to adapt and let everyone know she knew how to have a little fun. 

you say i ain't pretty well, i say i'm beautiful, it's my committee say we too provocative still look at me, look at me, look at me, yeah come for my girls, you blind daily mail ratin', mañana a la noche i don't owe you nothin' nah, i don't give a, no, not anymore

kyulkyung moved across the stage, smiling from ear to ear and allowing herself to just have fun in this moment. she took a risk doing this, performing a routine that was full of charisma verses skill. boyoung told her to do something showcasing a bit more skill, more of a wow factor like her performance at the audition. but everyone would be doing that, who didn’t want to show all that they were capable of? and kyulkyung almost gave in, almost put together something that was more wow than power, but she couldn’t find herself enjoying it as much as she did now. 

this was not a time to show all that she was, but rather a short preview. she couldn’t give them everything now; she needed them to want more.

(ah-ooh) if you got little boobs, love it, love it, love it, love it, love it if you got a big ass, grab it, grab it grab it, grab it, grab it (ah-ooh) if you got nothing, babe, rock it it’s your life, go get it, if you want it up in the mirror like, "aw, yeah" lovin’ my figure like, "aw, yeah" when i'm slim or i’m thick, i'm like, "aw, yeah" swear i'ma kill 'em like ah

kyulkyung sure to let her eyes wander as she danced, bouncing back and forth from the judges to the contestants who surrounded the stage. the woman winked at hyun bin just to play around a bit - having the time of her lip up on stage and enjoying the spotlight she had.

strip! take off all my make-up ’cause i love what's under it rub off all your words, don't give a uh, i'm over it strip! jiggle all this weight, yeah, you know i love all of this finally love me naked, sexiest when I'm confident (ah, ah, ah, ah)

she missed moments like these the most. she loved all the attention on her, loved the rush and reactions she got when she was dancing. prior to the announcing of this season, kyulkyung hadn’t thought of being an idol. she didn’t know about the world of an idol and didn’t understand it completely. but the more she allowed herself to get caught up, the more she yearned for that contract, to see what all of this could bring.

maybe this was her new dream.

i ain't scared anymore my body outta control (strip!) baby, i know that you love dis, dis, dis, dis i know i'm a hot bitch, bitch gotta do what you want if they love it or they don't (srip!) i know you ain't ready for dis, dis, dis, dis baby, take it off (strip!) da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da

kyulkyung panted, breathless as she ended and sweat dotting her forehead. she prayed that they would have touch up after this because sweat and makeup do not mix. the woman smiled as she moved to bow and thank the CEOs for watching her performance. she bowed a few more times to both the staff and her fellow contestants before moving to go off stage - almost forgetting her tutu and shoes in the process. it was only after her performance that she realized she did that whole thing barefoot... at least she painted her toenails a pretty shade of pink the day before.

[rkjeno]

〈♫〉MGAS SEASON 5 → 02. post-performance interview.

after the last performance, jeno kind of figured that would be the last big thing of the day. unfortunately, he had another thing coming. given he was so incredibly stoked to be met with an interview the first time, clearly he felt just as much excitement this time around. in other words, he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. he managed to sing in front of a hundred people, but talking in front of a camera seemed completely unrealistic and impossible. every time those types of thoughts play through his mind, he feels slightly amused. he really is a work of art, isn’t he? he could have been blessed with a mind that didn’t overthink and a heart that didn’t make him feel like it was going into overdrive on the daily. alas...

once he was comfortably sitting in the seat and positioned in front of the interviewer, he managed his biggest, warmest smile and let out a nervous sigh. it was following by soft, airy laughter as he laced his fingers together and rested his hands in his lap. he wasn’t sure what sort of questions he was going to be met with this time, though he had a feeling that they’d be a lot less effortless than the last ones. still, he has surprised himself before, so he tried not to get too worked up before knowing what was going to happen ( even though that’s always the situations in which he is the most worked up... he needs to know things ).

“how did you feel when you received the news of the callback?”

"oh...” his immediate reaction amused him, which left him briefly laughing for a few moments after. if only he was better at gathering his thoughts in the blink of an eye or speaking before he’s played it through his mind. “well, truthfully, i was really panicked. i didn’t even open the email right away because i was afraid that it was going to be bad news.” a sheepish smile accompanies his confession, and he scratches at the back of his neck for a moment before continuing. “i think it took me about an hour to finally work up the courage to see what was happening. once i saw that i made it through, i was surprised. out of all of the people that initially auditioned, i was very grateful to have been one of the top one-hundred. when i was little, a hundred seemed like a huge number to me, but by now, i can see how fortunate i am to be here today. it was a nice feeling... a feeling of accomplishment.”

“how was it seeing the set for the first time?”

he takes a moment before making any sort of noise or giving the interviewer some other sort of reaction, since he needed to mentally revisit his experience, trying to remember what the first emotion he felt upon witnessing it was. “surreal? it felt like i was visiting something that i wasn’t actually apart of. i think at first, i probably felt like i was just going to be someone in the audience that watches the competition, because i haven’t ever been anywhere like this before where i was... involved. does that make sense? i kind of felt like i was visiting some imaginary thing from tv. like... it’s hard to actually see these kind of sets as real when they’ve ever only existed on the television before. it took some sinking in for me to finally accept that this was real, and it was something that i was going to be a part of.”

“what did you think when the judges were revealed?”

"i think that i was convinced that it was over for me.” light, amused laughter spills from his lips as he leans back in his chair a little, tilting his head to the side as he tried to gather more of his thoughts. “i have never seen these people in person before, as far as i can recall. so, seeing them for the first time was overwhelming enough, but that was just intensified upon realizing that they were going to be judging me. they’re all respected, talented, and powerful people... they can bend a lot of things to their will, and i think that sort of intimidated and scared me.”

“how do you think you did?”

"um... i am pretty sure that i did well. or, as well as i planned to. in comparison to other people’s ideas of what ‘good’ means, i have no idea. i don’t know if the judges will like me or if the other contestants will think that i deserve to be here... but when it comes to my own thoughts and what i had in mind, i met my own expectations.”

“were there any performances you liked?”

this was a question that he predicted the second that he sat down for an interview. after having the opportunity to watch everyone and take note of what they did, surely these people would be curious about everyone’s opinions. it’s with a large, excited grin that he is able to answer, “yeah! totally... there were a lot of performances that i liked. i just enjoyed seeing what everybody had to offer since we’re all so different and everyone’s minds are wired to come up with different ideas and it’s really fun seeing the spins that get put on things. i really, really loved watching ha sungwoon? i think that was his name... the one that performed a fall out boy song on the piano. he was very talented and he had something going for him that i wish i could acquire. fall out boy is one of my favorite bands, so maybe i was biased watching him to start with, but his talent just... proved to me that he deserved whatever interest i took in him. it made me wish that i had chosen to play an instrument this time around, too. also, lee seoyeon’s performance was really pretty and enjoyable as well. i have always really liked her voice. we’ve been friends for a while and i think she deserves to make it far. na jaemin and song yuqi’s performances were also fun for me to watch. i hope that they get as far as i know that they deserve to. i’m constantly surprised by all of this talent that i hardly knew existed. it’s fun to experience.”

“were there any performances you didn’t like?”

"mm... i mean... there were performances that i enjoyed less than others, but i think that’s just natural. i didn’t see anything that i just absolutely hated, but sometimes i would just quietly laugh to myself and think ‘what??’ especially when that lee jeno guy made his way onto stage... how embarrassing for him.” once finished answering, he playfully laughed, feeling his face behind to slightly warm up. he was always a master at embarrassing himself.

“is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the mgas?”

"kang daniel. i should have mentioned him when it came to performances that i liked, i guess i was just trying so hard not to forget anyone that i did... but he is so talented and pretty known... well, i know about him, at least. i guess i can’t really speak for everybody, i just think it would be ridiculous and a big mistake if he didn’t move on to the next phase.”

“is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?”

the question causes him to panic just a little. it probably shows on his face in the way that his eyes slightly widen and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. he takes several moments of being silent before he even attempts to answer the interviewer. “no. i’m not certain of anything. i mean... i don’t think anyone can be. mistakes were made here and there, but even so... there’s not a way of knowing until it happens. people who i thought performed flawlessly could be eliminated while people that i thought needed more practice could win it all. it’s all up to the judges and we all just have to... hope that it isn’t us... but it’s going to be someone, sadly. maybe that will be me. nobody can be sure right this second.”

[rktingyan-blog]

closed starter for @rkyq !

“ah, you’re here already?” tingyan asks as she enters the dance studio, bag which had been slung over her shoulders being placed onto the ground. she’d underestimated the time it’d take to wake herself up, and, as a result, had gotten to the studio late. though she’d never admit it, the girl knew she should have been more punctual than she had been. after all, it was only a matter of days before the two would begin callbacks together. tingyan still couldn’t believe it herself, a dare turned into a real shot to get her name out there. but if she wanted to do well she had to practice, which was why she had enlisted the help of the younger. it seemed silly, to her, asking a seventeen-year-old for help, but yuqi had proved to be more helpful than she’d expected. while tingyan was well-versed in terms of technique, yuqi was best in flexibility and controlling her body  - something she had gotten worse at as her rigorous workouts had slowed down.  together, though, they’d work to balance each other’s weakness.

“sorry, i was late. traffic,” she casually lied, walking over to where the other was standing. “you ready for this? callbacks are in just a few days.” despite the confidence she seemed to be exuding, grin on her face, tingyan should have been asking herself the same question. she didn’t fit in with most other contestants - she’d never attended a fancy school, her understanding of the language still wasn’t great, and her skill couldn’t compete with many of them. they’d have to work hard today to make true progress, and pray for a miracle. “let’s start by warming up.” the female announced then sat on the ground, beginning to stretch. “how you feeling?’

[rkheejin]

‧ ₊ ˚ ♡ episode three interview!           • • • mentioned— @danielxrk , @jungeunxrk , @rkeunji , @rksihyeon , @rkchwev , @rkyq , @rkminhyun , @rkpjy & @rkjeonghxn

     the wait isn't as unbearable as it had once been, the air teeming with idle chatter as staff members called individuals for their regular post-performance interviews, and heejin finds herself the calmest she's ever been since this season started— it's easy to get the hang of things the longer she's there, experience building up higher and higher, cushioning former doubts and curiosity. she sees no point in harboring fears towards something to normal at this point, and more than anything, she's eager to share her thoughts.

     they were far enough in by now for her to have more of a proper read on people, personalities easier to decern, inner thoughts inferred based on actions and reactions. by no means did heejin feel she was an expert in people ( if this was any other scenario, she wouldn't give a damn about others thoughts or actions— aside from those she held close to her heart, she was only ever worried about herself ), but she felt she had enough sense to read at least the most basic gestures for what they could mean.

     briefly, her eyes wander the room, but when daniel speaks up for the first real time since they'd arrived, heejin finds her attention solely on him, eyes widening slightly, her brows quirking up ever so slightly in prompted question. he's not looking back, but that's ok— he doesn't need to.

     i think we’ll be okay.

     her gaze grows softer, letting her eyes leave his frame, and instead, looking towards the stage, just as he was. it feels as if he's speaking more for his own sake rather than hers, words so small and far away as if he was still trying to convince himself that they did well. it makes heejin break out into a smile, albeit a small one, but a smile nonetheless.

     she holds her tongue, letting him empty his thoughts out to her— she would have her time to speak, and once he's done, she doesn't stop herself from letting her own thoughts free.

     "we did excellently," she doesn't even try to be modest about it, voice quiet enough for only him to hear, but her tone is just as confident as the glint in her eyes, and she hopes it's enough for him to feel the same. she doesn't pull away as he moves to take her hand, instead, meeting him halfway— as they shake, his own words striking her, she decides daniel is someone special. "i'm....sad we won't be working together anymore, oppa. but, maybe we'll work together again sometime in the future— you know, if you're ever in need of a female vocalist or something."

     her words a jokingly said, a grin to match growing. but deep down, regardless of whatever he'd need, she hopes he knows she'd be glad to hang out again no matter the request.

     it's not long after that that she hears her name being called by staff, and as she finds herself sat before familiar cameras, her makeup being given quick touch-ups, she can feel her shoulders relax as she settles into her chair and waits for her questions.

     they start off as they always did, and heejin finds no difficulty in answering.

❝ JEON HEEJIN, WELCOME BACK FOR ANOTHER WEEK— WE'RE SURE THE RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK LEFT YOU SHOCKED. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN PICKED AT THE BEST IN YOUR CATEGORY? ❞

     "i was confident that i wasn't going to be grouped in with those who were eliminated, but i wasn't expecting to be picked as the best that day— like, not at all," her words come steadily, a gentle laugh leaving her as she finishes. "even now, just thinking back to it....it was a major shock. i was happy— i am happy— to know that the judges liked me as much as they did, that they were able to see how much i had to give. i can only hope to continue meeting their expectations as we go forward...i'm determined to keep my place at the top as long as i can." her lips form a coy smile, eyes crinkling in her own delight.

❝ FROM WHAT YOU SHOWED TODAY, YOU MAY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE AT DOING JUST THAT— TELL US, WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH A PARTNER FOR THIS ROUND? ❞

     she takes a second to collect thoughts, wanting to word herself just right. "working with others has never been an issue with me, but i will say i do tend to perform better when i'm able to do exactly what it is i want to do— no one knows your strengths and weakness' as best as you do, so it was a little worrying thinking that we wouldn't be able to properly come up with something that'd suit us both, especially with how different we are." she nods her head along as she speaks, eyes looking off to the side for a brief moment before she's looking back towards the camera. "but...it was fun. DANIEL oppa is a very creative and talented person, and now that we've performed, i'm glad it was him i was paired with. i'm not sure i'd have done as well with anyone else here."

❝ SO, YOU AND DANIEL WERE ABLE TO GET ALONG WELL? ❞

     "we were! of course, it was a bit awkward at first— we didn't know one another before this, and i could tell he was a bit intimidated by me, so having to get familiar enough with each other while also trying to collaborate was a little weird," she speaks, brows furrowing slightly. "once we started talking and throwing around ideas, though, it became easy very fast. he was open to hearing my opinions. just as i was open to hearing his, and we were able to come up with something that matched us both— if we ever have the chance, i would be happy to perform together again."

❝ WERE THERE ANY OTHER PERFORMANCES YOU LIKED? ANY DUOS YOU FELT WERE ABLE TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER WELL? ❞

     "JUNGEUN and EUNJI-ssi performed as well and energetically as i pictured they would— they're both amazing dancers, so i was expecting them to do something along that line, but they also did really well vocally. i think it's good that they were able to pull it off so well, but i think that's in part to them probably being able to work well together, so i liked them a lot— also, can i just say JUNGEUN never told me she was dying her hair darker, so when she first got on stage, i was completely shocked!" heejin adds in that last sentence purely as a way of joking, eyes wide as a hand coming up to cover her mouth as she laughs.

     "other duos that i enjoyed watching.....SIA and VERNON-ssi. they seemed very animated while they were are on stage— they played off of each other nicely, so watching them up there together made me feel good. their voices were also nice together, so i think they also did well. i also really liked the version of toy that YUQI-ssi and MINHYUN-ssi performed, maybe because it's something i could see myself performing. YUQI has a very pleasant tone to her voice when rapping, and the acoustics accompanying MINHYUN-sii as he sang were pretty, so overall, i liked them as well. lastly, for now....JINYOUNG and JEONGHAN-sii were a surprising duo, and their performance even more so— but, even though it seemed different for them, at least from what i've seen from them so far, i think they also did well. JINYOUNG has always does well with his performances, in my opinion, and now is no different."

     looking up briefly, she gives a gentle hum before bringing her eyes back towards the camera. "i liked others as well, but i don't want to ramble on for too long." she smiles, and her last question is asked.

❝ WHAT ABOUT ANY PERFORMANCES YOU DIDN'T LIKE, OR DUOS YOU FELT WEREN'T THAT GOOD TOGETHER? ❞

     her brows furrow gently in thought before she gives a gentle shrug. "honestly, pinpointing performances that were bad or didn't work is getting harder every episode— sure, some aren't really my style or don't catch my attention, but i really don't think there were any today that i can honestly say i disliked or hated." her face is neutral, another shrug given, and as she wraps up her interview, heejin is sure to give a polite bow as thanks.

     making her way back to her seat, she feels good— just as she always did.

[rksakura]

🔊: run it ( 1:10~2:49 ) performed by 💖 sakura miyawaki! trigger warnings: some anxiety. mentions: @yuzurk, @rkxkikwang, @rkgray, @yienrk, @rkchoutzuyu, @rkmason, @hyojinrk, @rkyq

sakura likes to start with the good news first, she’s got the call back to make it past the first round. she’s stepped up in another territory, one she thought she wouldn’t come far to at first but she was proven wrong. she shouldn’t be storing disbelief to herself, but fill up with much more confidence if she wants to push through the battle. that’s the hard part though is being separated from some of her friends like tzuyu and kikwang. she didn’t cope up with letting go quite well as shown in her past mannerisms. she wishes that they could be on the same stage as her performing but sometimes, life doesn’t always work that way.

lies didn’t align with the australian gal, she wasn’t one to display her anxiety that’s written all over but she’s practised generating the proper facial expressions when up on the stage. it seems silly but body language was essential when performing on the stage. she couldn’t just be another body count, sakura’s made them believe that she was a vocalist at the start but offered a different dish on the table with some rapping fire! in fact, she was more of a rapper than a high-note belting singer ( she wasn’t at that peak at all ). so she spends most of her days, other than tending to the aquarium and her daily dose of school, she was working on what song she should perform next.

when it comes to rapping in front of a huge stage and the whole world watching then she best prepares to give it all she’s got. most importantly, keep up the same energy and flow when on the stage! she couldn’t break the chain of the words she’s about to memorise, sakura ran trial through the verses a couple of times and tried out styles that complimented her vocal mixture with rapping and how the instrumental went. that’s how her nights pass by until the bright lights and cameras are flashing all over the area. she’s not coming up first in the short line of female rappers, sakura was one of the few last as her last name started with an m. thank god for now, it serves as a good excuse pass but she shouldn’t rely on that too much.

she has to break the bad habits of letting anxiousness overwhelm her, she can’t deliver that on the stage when she’s meant to perform a rap that’s the polar opposite of her physical epitome and markings! sakura wants to break the poor judgments about her, being called too soft and cute to even rap. the only way that she can cut through is by continuing what she loved to do. the assignment, from what she’s been told is to showcase an ( ultimately, dominant ) skillset. sakura’s prepared her resources efficiently. she’s ( somewhat ) ready for the big day!

since facial recognition serves with influences on votes, she can’t look dead. she rises from her bed with a decent amount of energy but it isn’t enough to deliver a good verse. once she sips down her green tea, it’ll wake her up eventually. she doesn’t consume a huge meal in the morning as it takes some energy to muster eating a great portion but she’s good with a blueberry muffin and her everyday tea. it’s time to at least look like a presentable human being, sakura needs to cover her dark circles that are formed over the past few nights as she’s become obsessed with her work. she puts on some bb cream and concealer to cover it, lip gloss at the shade of light pink, natural to her colour. with her choice of attire, she fits something that’s comfortable with the weather today, a light blue denim skirt and some high ankle socks, her top was an off-shoulder pastel purple blouse that was tucked in her denim skirt. she’s wearing a pair of sneakers which won’t be too hard on her feet standing all day in long queues. when she leaves her house, it’s taking the commute down the building! she shoves her earphones gently in her ears and makes it to her desired destination.

after some time, she’s reached the grounds and greets some of the familiar faces she’s spotting right off the bat. hyojin makes her days better when it comes to this setting, sometimes it’s unsettling but she escapes that torment of anxiety when she sees his gorgeous smile. mason’s also there, she greets the older brother figure and stops by for a brief hug ( his presence was surely enlightening as she’s known him for like forever ) before she turns her direction elsewhere then catches yuqi, a fellow rapper and one she doesn’t intend to make an enemy out of. despite the mnet global auditions being regarded as a highly competitive stake, she’s still able to manage the joy she finds in her friends. she’ll never toss anyone over a reality television show. she can only show support and that’s about it!

hope for the best, after all? she pulls yena into a reassuring hug prior to walking out on the stage, the music playing as sakura makes her presence known. “hi guys! sakura again here and today, i’ll be showing you guys something else!” she puts up two fingers, showing off a ‘peace’ sign, winking and holds the mic tightly closer to her mouth to start spitting out her lines. the instrumental plays, she’s rapping over the beat.

ya hold up 구름다리 굴러가듯 무음 걸어 뭐든 힘든 거니까 라고 말한 무책임 성공가는 계속 들어 백기 들어 백길 언제 들어 걸어 야 뺏긴 후에 안 뺏길 걸 ya i know it big boy 얘 앞길에서 비켜 ya i know it big boy 니 이마에 비췄어 뒤쳐 지기도 지쳐서 너는 노를 저었지 각을 재기 전에 각을 잡았지 make it boogie make it boogie switch move it make a movie

the beat was moving at a much faster pace, one that’s at a higher tempo than she usually raps to but she’s learned to adjust to this kind of technique. it’s all about breath control which she’s learned a trick or two from her choir classes. she’s jumping up on the stage, smiling but with a serious expression on her face as she couldn’t be overflowing with aegyo with this kind of theme. sakura has to communicate with her charisma she’s been taught by her mentors, gray. other influences like yien and luna keep her up to become a strong rapper. she only takes a slight break but then hits it back with another verse!

일동 홀렸지 백문이 불여일견 보기 전에 부정이 널 가로막으니까 넌 그걸 부숴 두벌식의 키보드가 만든 편견 check it 누구에겐 폭력이지 쳇바퀴만 도는 하루 어때 너넨 이게 제 자리로 보이니 잿밥에만 고이는 쟤 침이 못 이긴 땀이 너를 바꾸지

she’s led to the path of a singer for a couple of seconds but it’s a nice switch, smooth and the transition clean with her soft vocals complementing the track. before she hits the notes, sakura pulls the microphone away and releases a breath and pulls her control back together. the singing isn’t going to overshadow any of her rap, hopefully. she’s got some of her australian colours unveiling, the english part covered easily.

baby oh the world is yours i'll give it to you can you hear me tell me oh your visions you make them come true you know we run it run it

we run it yah 챙길 건 챙겨 너를 위해 we run it yah 지금부터는 너의 시대 we run it 정상을 향해 boy where we at i just do it i just do it i just do it i just do it

it seems that the last few verses are much easier than the opening, she seems to catch her breath control easier when it comes to this time. she’s not getting all tongue-twisted with the korean lyrics, she’s able to enunciate it correctly along with the occasional english. she isn’t afraid to show any of her foreigner roots off, sakura lets her australian accent emphasize on her rap when it’s switching over to english. it makes it a unique attribute and kind of a signature mark as there weren’t many female australian rappers in south korea.

chasing dreams i got the feel 멈출 순 없어 i love the thrill i'm a beast i got to kill 두렵지 않아 i got the will 내 꿈을 향해 달리고 포기 따윈 없어 never no grind it out just lose control when it all falls down it's dominos you know i'll get up and try again i can see the light again 날개를 펴고 fly again winning is my vitamin yeah run this game i just get it once i got it i don't lose it grinding through these bumps and bruises i'm the best and i just proved it

she wants to end the day with nothing but good vibes. but the last few lines take her back to when her hopeful friends dreams are shattered due to the process of elimination but she’ll strive and fight on for them. sakura can put her name out there on stage and not just be another cute face. once the song ends, the lights dim out and then the light’s on sakura once more and all she can do is smile, “thank you guys for your time! thank you for your support and please support my friends!” she still wants to share generosity by involving the ones she cares for. before she takes the exit door, she bows to the judges and other contestants politely. “have a good day everyone!” the cuteness aura catches up to her, for sakura it’s something she can’t avoid.

[rkjulia]

MGA: SEASON FIVE, ‘19! episode zero ⇢ the callback part two: another interview with kato kokoro

for a while there, it felt as though the performances might never end. routine after routine, a mix of singers, dancers and rappers and things inbetween. although kokoro was enthralled with almost everyone, she couldn’t help but be slightly overwhelmed. keeping up appearances and looking excited for nearly a hundred people was quite a task, but one she kept up with. it’s only after the performances are over that kokoro and the rest of the contestants are escorted out of the main recording area, whisked off to a smaller space, leaving the panel of judges to gather their thoughts and come to a conclusion. hushed whispers fill the room, but it’s soon revealed that kokoro and her fellow contestants will be partaking in yet another interview. if kokoro has come to figure out one thing, it’s that interviews were a core part of this show and that thanks to them, her korean might just improve that little bit more. although this time round, there seems to be more at stake. the questions aren’t straight forward and it almost feels as though the producers are fishing for drama or conflict of sorts. and kokoro doesn’t want to play.

sitting down with the interviewer, kokoro pulls at the hem of her skirt, just as she had done last time. “kokoro-ssi, how did you feel when you received the news of the callback?” they ask, looking down at the clipboard in hand, also much like last time. kokoro thinks back to her initial reaction. it was probably worth sharing. “ah ... i honestly thought that i was being pranked or scammed.” kokoro explains with a shy smile. “i ended up forwarding the email to my friend, yuri-ssi to ask her if i was reading the email correctly.” she chuckles before pressing the palms of her hands to her cheeks. “but i was very excited and felt very grateful for the opportunity.” she then says, not wanting the whole answer’s focus to be on her being an absolute dork. the interviewer nods, glancing back and forth between their clipboard and kokoro. “and how was it? seeing the set for the first time?” kokoro too thinks back to this morning, her reaction of being on a real life television set. it hadn’t felt real, kokoro was still at total disbelief of her actually getting a callback, it was a lot to take in. “it was very surreal, but very exciting. i’ve never been on a television set before, but it was ... very cool!” her replies are slightly slower, more thought out. 

“and were you as shocked as everyone else was when the judges were revealed?” kokoro nods almost immediately, her bright smile returning. “yes, i was!” kokoro exclaims. “i have never seen anyone like ... that famous up close ... i almost didn’t feel worthy being in the same room as them.” kokoro says awkwardly, covering her face up again. and that was true though, she had felt almost inferior for sitting in the same room as someone as famous and popular as the ceos of the big five. “but that being said, it really changed the energy in the room and made everything feel that ... bit more real.” the interviewer nods, moving on to the next question which is definitely more hard hitting. “how do you think you did today?” it’s confronting almost and kokoro is given a chance to truly reflect on her performance today, something of which she was unable to do during the audition round. “i aimed to give a performance that was passionate and full of heart,” kokoro explains slowly, making sure she enunciates her words correctly. “and i think i did that. i hope that my intentions showed while i performed.”

the interviewer looks almost surprised with kokoro’s response, as though that wasn’t the usual way contestants responded to that question. the interviewer moves onto the next question without haste. “were there any performances you liked? what about ones you didn’t?” kokoro’s voice gets caught in her throat. they were making her choose? how many exactly? she tries to think back to the performances she saw earlier today, the last one ending what felt like moments ago. “ah, it’s hard to pick only a few ... there were so many memorable performances today!” kokoro confesses with a smile, the interviewer exchanges a smile with kokoro also. she was going to have to say something, pick one or two performances she liked. she had to, or maybe she could curveball this one and avoid answering. “everyone was very cool in their own way.” and in kokoro’s eyes, it was too early to start picking favourites or throwing people under the bus, especially since the interviewer had asked kokoro if there were performances she didn’t like today. and who was kokoro to say what was and wasn’t good?

the interview doesn’t go on for much longer, a couple of things are said back and forth between kokoro and the interviewer before she is given the okay to move on from the interview space, where someone else will evidently take her spot and answer the same questions, hopefully giving the interviewer the answers they really want. for the time being, kokoro just wanted to find yuri and yuqi, chill out for a little while and wait to see what came next for the day.

[rkseung]

190708 INSTAGRAM LIVE  +  @SSEUNGJ…   ❤️ ⟨  ━━  ✖   ⋮     TODAY’S TOPIC: MGA 5   ⟩

                                             JOINING YOUR LIVE BROADCAST !

“hello everyone!” the woman greeted, throwing up a peace sign and watching as the tiny numbers on her screen slowly start to climb as people join. normally, seungyeon wasn’t one to do any kind of live - they were saved for special occasions. and oh, was this a special one. holding her phone in one hand and using the other to pull her chair closer to the desk, she smiled at the camera and greeted everyone who bothered to tune in. “okay, so you guys know i don’t do this unless i have a good reason and i bet you all know EXACTLY what i’m talking about.”

the mgas were a thing she kept up with every year, sharing her opinions openly online without a care to anyone who was willing to listen. dancing and singing and whatever else was something she knew next to nothing about, but oh did she love to play the judge for the poor contestant. “i’m just now doing this because life is gross and i’ve just now caught up with everything. BUT my opinions that no one asked for are finally here~” she sung with a smirk. 

the woman allowed herself to get more comfortable, settling back into her desk chair and propping her phone against the wall. seungyeon had turned on all the lights in her bedroom to hopefully brighten up her broadcast - knowing how annoying it is to watch a live when you can’t even see their face. raising a hand to comb her fingers through her hair, the woman begins to twist a bit in her chair, eyes raising to the ceiling in thought. 

WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?

“for starters, the beginning kinda shocked me, they’re switching it up this year! auditions at a school - i guess they were trying to scare everyone even more.” it’s summer. school, ew - who wants to think about that? “but overall, i thought the episode was pretty good. but didn’t they like... make them audition twice? that kinda sucks.”

the woman scooted closer to her screen to read the comments, placing her hand in her chin as her eyes scanned over the influx of caps and screaming words. “before i share my favorites, what do you all think?” there were a lot of KANG DANIEL and CHOI MINHO’s followed by some  KANG HYUNGGU and LEE SUWOONG’s.”damn, do you all just hate women? c’mon.” she frowned.

“okay, but in all honesty why is daniel back? his motivation is... undying? kinda impressive, but performance was meh.” seungyeon shrugged. “but oh my god, HWANG YEJI and SONG YUQI... they really stole my heart. i wouldn’t know what i’d do with talent AND looks like that. and CHONG TINGYAN was okay, but not sure how i feel about her in general.” okay, maybe she was a bit biased, possibly a bit sour with the woman she managed to recognized on TV ( but not after choking on her popcorn ). “but oh my god, JO YURI - her voice and that song. i literally can’t even form words.”

moving over to eliminations, the woman wasn’t all that shocked when they knocked half of the contestants out. less work for them, more eyes on the ones that really needed it. “the eliminations weren’t that shocking, but episode two now... that’s a different story.”

“i thought the top performances were pretty on point, but i think YUQI was robbed personally.” she pouted but ended up signing in the end, “but i guess it’s better than her being eliminated. i was personally sad to see LEE SEOYEON go - i think they really messed up with that one. and SHIN YUNA! i mean the one honest bitch, and they let her go? truth hurts, guys!!”

the woman shakes her head before picking up her phone, reading the comments that flow in with raised eyebrows. “yes, i favor girls. get over it.” seungyeon rolls her eyes. “but on a real note, support HYUNGGU and KIM SEUNGHUN. and KIM HYOJIN! ugh, and JEON HEEJIN too, i want to adopt her.”

a comment rolls in that catches her attention, WHO ARE YOUR TOP PICKS? and seungyeon hums at the question. “uhhh i’m not positive yet, it’s only episode two buuuut those guys i just mentioned are up there. but i also gotta give it to YUQI, CHOI YOONA and YEJI. and CHWE HANSOL aka my bitch. okay wait i take that back, please don’t hate me guys.”

MENTIONED: @danielxrk, @rkmason, @rkkhg, @rksuwoong, @rkyeji, @rkyq, @rktingyan, @rkapril, @rkyuna, @rkseunghun, @hyojinrk, @rkbclla, @rkchwev, @rkheejin, @rkyuri