From Thug to Idol: Transmigrating to a Survival Show

In the dimly lit yet wide recording studio, the eight members of EVE gathered to listen to the probable title track of their debut album.

After selecting the group's leader, fandom name, and stage names (June is still bitter about this), they were now going to listen to a bunch of songs and pick a title track.

"Have you done this before?" Zeth asked Jaeyong.

"We have," Jaeyong said. "But it's not to this extent. We were usually just given one song, then they asked if it was okay with us."

"Yeah," Akira nodded. "But now, we're selecting from a bunch of pre-made songs already."

Chul sat near the control booth and opened his notepad. "The overall album still doesn't have a definitive concept, but the creative team will work on it once we agree on a title track. We have the A&R team with us today," he pointed to the two women next to him.

The members greeted them respectfully.

"They have collated a total of six songs for this mini-album. However, there would be eight songs in total for you to record. The two other songs will be the signal song from Rising Stars and 'Tie Me Up,' since it was the most streamed song in the show aside from the signal song."

June and Sehun glanced at each other, pleasantly surprised. They didn't know their song had performed that well on the domestic charts.

"We have chosen six songs from different producers that we think match well with the group. Most of these have similar themes—beginning. This is a new start for you, guys, so we want to open your career on a good note," one of the producers said. "These aren't the complete versions, but listen to them carefully and tell us what you think."

The members nodded. June leaned back against his seat. However, he couldn't deny that excitement was coursing through his veins. Having the privilege to choose their title track made him forget about his stage name dilemma for a second.

"Let's start with the first song—First Love."

June pursed his lips. He already didn't like the song based on the title. However, when the song played, he was pleasantly surprised. It sounded like one of those Korean drama soundtracks.

It evoked the feeling of a refreshing and innocent new romance, reminiscent of high school days. The melody was gentle and soothing, carried by the soft strumming of an acoustic guitar and the subtle, calm percussion in the background.

The overall sound was warm and inviting, perfectly complementing the lyrical theme of young love.

However, in June's opinion, it wasn't fit for the title track. It was too calm and tame. Moreover, it was best suited for idol groups with younger members.

In EVE, June and Jisung were basically the youngest. Although they all had very fresh visuals, a more mature sound would be a better fit for the group.

"The next song is entitled—Restart."

This time, a song with a groovy house-trap sound resonated in the recording studio.

Jaeyong and Akira glanced at each other, already liking the sound of this song better. It was high-energy, hip-hop-infused with a catchy chorus, with the word 'Restart' being repeated throughout the track.

It was definitely a trendy genre, with most of the upcoming songs from K-pop groups, especially male ones, incorporating this type of concept.

"I like this one a lot," Jaeyong pointed out.

Akira nodded in agreement. "Me too."

The two RAVEN members found the song very enticing, which wasn't surprising for June since RAVEN employed this type of sound when they were still active as a group.

"Let's go with the next one—Caffeine."

Truly, trap hip-hop songs with repetitive elements were dominating the K-pop scene. Groups like SPRAY TEENS, ORTEEZ, and HIKERS use this type of sound often, and it has been proven to be popular with K-Pop enjoyers. It wasn't too popular with the general public, but it still garnered a lot of interest.

This genre was definitely the safest route the group could take if they wanted a semi-successful debut.

The next two songs were similar to the very first one, which made the group even more confused.

"I don't know what to pick now," Jisung chuckled. "They're all pretty good, in my opinion."

"Yeah," Ren agreed. "I can already imagine us employing very powerful choreography for these three songs."

At this point, the fifth song was already playing. However, the members of EVE weren't paying much attention since the last few songs were far more impactful compared to this one.

However, amidst their conversation, June listened intently to the fifth song.

It was entitled 'Oasis,' and it sounded exactly like its name.

The song was the embodiment of serenity and refreshment. The track immersed June in a peaceful, almost hypnotic scene with sunset vibes that make you feel like you're wandering through the hot dunes, desperately seeking refreshment.

The lyrics were also quite good.

June tapped his foot to the beat, enjoying how the music flowed through his ears.

It definitely wasn't 'title-track' material based on today's standards, but it was still a pretty decent…no, with a couple of edits, it could become a very good song.

However, it seemed like the producers were eager to skip to the next song since the last song played during the last chorus of 'Oasis.'

The last song, 'Red Moon,' was once again under the hip-hop genre, with a beat that hit harder than the other songs.

The members, who had been conversing during 'Oasis', now stopped and paid attention to the last song, bobbing their heads to the beat.

Zeth placed his hand over his chest when he felt the bass thump inside his heart.

"I like this one the most," he said with resolution.

"It's too intense," Jaeyong countered. "I think we should still go with the second song."

Ren pursed his lips. "Caffeine actually sounds the most addicting. I think it's best suited for us."

Multiple opinions were heard in the room, none of them yielding.

June looked around, observing the mess.

He thought that choosing the debut song would be one of the easier tasks.

It turned out he was wrong.