Chapter 168: Something's Wrong! There's a Problem!
Shin Ryujin and Hwang Yeji followed Jiang Shu out of the waiting room. The backstage area was bustling with people. Jiang Shu glanced at the passing staff and other artists and spoke.
"The company has extended your promotional period to ten times this time. Try your best to maximize the value of this comeback. Can you do it?" Jiang Shu asked Hwang Yeji.
"Yes!" Hwang Yeji immediately nodded. She didn't quite understand the significance of increasing the number of promotions, but Jiang Shu personally informing them was clearly not an ordinary matter.
He then looked at Youzhen.
"As the main center, your condition is crucial. Don't mess up."
"Yes." Youzhen confidently smiled and agreed.
Hwang Yeji looked at Youzhen with envy. No one didn't want to be the center, but unfortunately, when the group was first formed, Jiang Shu had repeatedly emphasized that this group belonged to Youzhen, and her core position could not be touched by anyone.
She could only fantasize.
People always compare. Compared to the four seniors of IVE, their treatment was much better; they just didn't have the center position.
"Maintain your confidence," Jiang Shu said with a smile. He liked Youzhen's confident appearance; that hint of a 'whatever' attitude and her journey so far were truly sigh-inducing.
What a great card hand.
Thinking of this, Jiang Shu looked at Hwang Yeji.
"Hwang Yeji, you go back first and tell the others about the extended promotions."
"Yes."
Hwang Yeji bowed to Jiang Shu, then returned to the waiting room.
Youzhen stood still, looking at Jiang Shu.
Jiang Shu hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"How is your relationship with Xiao Liu?"
"We are friends," Youzhen answered truthfully.
Even before she debuted, Liu Zhimin often sought her out to play, and their relationship was already very good back then.
"Has she been acting strangely recently?"
"Strange..." Youzhen pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "There hasn't been much change. If I had to say, it's just that she's more dedicated to work than before."
"She used to be very serious about the stage, but she didn't put in as much effort as most trainees and artists. Now, it seems she's found that feeling."
Was it because of him before? Now, without his restraint, Liu Zhimin gradually became Karina.
"I understand." Jiang Shu nodded. "Work hard. I'm very optimistic about your ITZY."
"Yes!" Youzhen bowed in response.
Whether Jiang Shu valued ITZY or not, she didn't know, but he certainly valued her. She would remember the chairman's words at the ITZY debut meeting, "Youzhen is absolutely central to us," for a lifetime.
Aside from her parents, it was the first time someone had valued her so much. She wanted to prove to Jiang Shu that his judgment was not wrong, and that she could achieve a level that would satisfy him!
"Chairman, I will definitely become the artist you expect!" Youzhen gave Jiang Shu a thumbs-up, grinning as she promised.
Looking at the vibrant girl in front of him, Jiang Shu also smiled.
"I look forward to the day you become immensely popular."
...
S.M. Entertainment, Chairman's Office.
Li Xiuman looked at ITZY's comeback data in his hand.
Something's not right!
Twelve out of ten, something's very wrong!
There's a problem!
There's a big f*cking problem!
"Why is ITZY's second comeback so popular? Is the data correct?" Li Xiuman frowned, questioning the head of the data statistics department.
"We also found it very unusual, so we double-checked repeatedly and finally confirmed that it is indeed real data," the department head said with a wry smile.
Not to mention Li Xiuman, even they, who dealt with data all day, were already dizzy when they saw this data report.
For a normal group, after several months, even a well-established group, their data in all aspects would not exceed the peak of their previous comeback when they first returned.
This can be interpreted as fans not yet fully awake; the peak of the previous comeback was a data pinnacle created by a combination of fans and casual listeners. When a comeback just starts, most casual listeners and a small portion of fans are not online. Although the popularity is high, not everyone participates. People in the data statistics department usually call this 'popularity recovery'.
Popularity recovery is a process. In reality, as long as the initial popularity of a new comeback exceeds the initial popularity of the previous comeback, it is already considered a preliminary success. After that, once the popularity fully recovers, comparing the peaks of the two comebacks can determine whether this comeback is a further step compared to the last one.
But the problem is, ITZY has a f*cking big problem!
The initial comeback data for their second mini-album has already surpassed the peak popularity of their debut album. Is this reasonable?
Reasonable my ass!
Initial comeback popularity directly surpassing the previous peak?
If the data wasn't laid out in front of Li Xiuman, he wouldn't believe it was true.
Even the formidable IVE couldn't achieve this back then. Although they had top-tier popularity with every comeback, their popularity still followed the pattern of recovery and peak.
But what about ITZY?
Directly surpassing the peak upon release?
Wait!
"Immediately compile and bring me ITZY's popularity data since their debut!" Li Xiuman said to the department head.
"Yes!" The department head immediately agreed and left quickly.
"I hope it's not what I'm thinking." Li Xiuman thought of a terrifying hypothesis. If it was like that...
About ten minutes later, the department head returned with a heavy expression, carrying a chart.
"Chairman, the statistics are out."
Li Xiuman quickly took the chart, and then...
His heart stopped!
To more intuitively see ITZY's popularity since their debut, the data statistics department used a chart.
It was indeed intuitive; the data on this chart formed a continuously upward trend, with no downward trend in popularity anywhere in the middle, not a single bit!
ITZY's debut popularity peaked during their last debut activity. And surpassing that peak happened today, with the initial stage of their second mini-album.
What does this mean?
ITZY's popularity has not decreased since their debut; it has been continuously climbing.
When IVE debuted, their song "I AM" reached the pinnacle of the girl group market with overwhelming popularity, but they also experienced periods of declining popularity, though they always remained within the top-tier popularity range.
When ITZY debuted, they only barely touched the threshold of third-tier popularity, and that popularity was due to IVE and Red Velvet being their senior groups.
But now?
This group is steadily climbing, and has now firmly secured a third-tier position. In fact, if this trend continues, they will be able to break into the second-tier very soon.
Dude, are all of DM Entertainment's girl groups so unreasonable?
Compared to IVE and ITZY, Red Velvet seems like a normal rookie!
No, Red Velvet is also f*cking abnormal!
This group's popularity has never dropped below third-tier during their debut and comebacks. In fact, during the "Bad Boy" era, they never dropped out of first-tier popularity.
So, none of them are normal groups?
