Jaehyun and his Doyoung

A shot in a bathtab and a reading a book scene are missing from the usual list.

Eh, looks like it's plum on the jacket afterall. Still, a good attempt.

But anyway, "what a coincidence".

There were two busts in the MV, two different stages of detalisation. I suspect the person who did Taeyong's head for his pictorial and merch was asked to make them as well. Simply because it's easier to commission a person you already know then look for another one. Although it's also possible tv prop warehouses offer them, too.

The song was created in early 2025. Jae posted hints from his Jeju trip. And, I presume, it was professionally recorded only after his discharge.

Lol, not agunbang ending up in the memory carousel (one of the last photos).

Hyun works a lot with SM artists, Jae and Do solo and OSTs including. It seems he joined in 2023. Do's "Warmth" is the firt idol release post on his IG, but with Jae he created more.

This is a recent message, but the sentiment is old.

I liked the song on first listen, and then, just for fun, I started looking for any possible Doyoung hints. I don't think there are any strong ones, but I did have a few random thoughts.

When I think of Doyoung, I always think of the color blue. So when Jaehyun caught the blue ball, I was like, "Hmm... maybe?"

Then I noticed the seat number was 134, and my brain just went, 1 (3 + 4)😂 It reminded me of the recent Creed ad with the Room 17 door. When I first saw that ad, I immediately thought oh Doyoung's song 17. But then my friend showed me Rosé's demo for APT., which also mentioned Room 17, so that theory got kinda tucked away.

The song also talks about how the 'girl' felt like she wasn't enough. It made me wonder if there's connection to Unconditional, where the person ends up going on a "paper chase."(Though I think you mentioned before, may not have been written by Jae) Before Doyoung became my bias, I already thought he was very successful and probably rich, and respected how he kept pushing himself with musicals and others. Looking at it now, I wondered if that could somehow connect to the theatre setting in Jaehyun's MV.

Sorry for rambling—I just got excited and wanted to share these random thoughts with someone, even if they're just fun coincidences and don't really mean anything. Whatever the truth is, even if Jaedo isn't real, I genuinely hope both of them find someone who loves them deeply one day and that they're happy. Cheers!

I'm curious to know what makes JaeRose shippers ship so hard? Did your friend explain? I understand when two celebs participate in a project (romantic movie/series co-stars), MC or host together, make a memorable scene (like Doyoung and Gayoung at MFW). But Rose and Jae? Maybe stood side by side on a music show once, and that's it?

The balls represent the Earth and the Sun. Jaehyun moves the blue ball around the red one during the "(the bond we form is like the pull) of the Earth to the Sun" lyrics. Jaehyun is the Earth, the blue ball. So getting the ball is like a statement of his feelings, the truth confirmed by his other self. Jaehyun in a suit didn't leave the city (the situation, the circumstances of his relationship) in the end. Jaehyun the mime held a red flower, the background was red, the seats in the theatre were red. And red is the universal colour of love. So, perhaps, the theatre scene meant Jaehyun looking inside his heart/contemplating about his love (as an additional layer to Jae/Yuno).

The sculpture was the Doyoung reference. It was inserted very accurately, to not attract attention. From the front it looks feminine, it never stays long on the screen, therefore only a person who is not fully in the mode of "this song is about a girl" will pay it any mind. However, in a romantic setting it's always the love interest being sculpted/drawn. This reference is as old as Greek mythology (Pygmalion), not to mention how often this trope appears in teen series.

You have to remember that most songs Jaehyun doesn't write alone. Therefore, most sentences in his songs will be inclusive, without minute details. The overarching idea matters more ("the one and only" instead of "girl you look hot let's hook up"). Secondly, it is the MV director who develops a vision and later incorporates suggestions from SM and the artist himself. I failed to find out who is the director for "99 degrees". I think only people who have worked with JaeDo for a considerable time are let onto the secret of their relationship (like Kim baldie the NCT stylist).

Other anon

I think Yuta did renew his solo contract. I think all of them did. That’s what the notice from SM means when it says they renewed their exclusive contracts. All the members will continue to be exclusively managed by SM. They’d announce it differently if something else happened.

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Ok, thanks, nice to know. Yuta was the only one who had any reason to leave as a solo artist, seeing how his career is in Japan (both music and acting). However, I suspect Avex has a tight partnership with SM with a clause that forbids artists to be signed by Avex after they leave SM. It wouldn't make sense for SM to just hand Avex developed artists and not get their percent.

I read Johnny's bubble on the matter, and I'm glad to see the change in his mindset, what he said about the sense of responsibility. I suspect around covid times he was also contemplating of maybe quitting.

“A quick memo. I think everyone needs to come to peace that more and more fans will treat k-pop as gossip/dis”

There are fans and casual listeners who will acknowledge and like the talent. You can go to any of Do's songs on YT and read in the comments how people get supported emotionally, think with more optimism about their future, their dreams, etc.

They are there. It's just that these people prefer to avoid the loud, obnoxious and toxic discussions on socmed. Even when they try to speak reason, they get ridiculed back and not heard, so with time they give up and either leave completely, or lurk. Therefore, the ones that are most noticeable are the bad apples (X algorythm supports negatively charged posts, because they get more reaction, wich results in a longer engagement with the platform, i.e. more revenue from ads). The problem is that their ranks grow and that the easily influenced fans (immature, immpressible, fearful of being ostracised, criticised) follow their lead when it comes to community behaviour ("we doppus fight tyongfs") and decisions (to cancel or forgive a celebrity).

But yeah, in their essence, design idols are animators on a cruise ship. Or participants of a survival show. Or sugar-babies. Entertainers, temporally famous people to watch and vote for, or puppy replacements in a boyfriend shape. When music as art doesn't matter, just charts and fame, or getting your pony the trophie, when outsiders get to know k-pop and idols through the worst examples, it's hard for talented idols to prove that they are worth something, be taken seriously, be given a chance. For that they need to make a name for themselves outside of idolship and prepare for a long game. Many co-workers who worked with Do on shows for several episodes never tried to listen to him. He was just a young idol, not worth getting to know him as a singer.

I mean, in the past meeting with an artist meant talks about creative process and thoughts on particular songs. With idol-soloists it's still dress up for pics and funny mobile games. Pay a lot, take a picture with the monkey.

On a positive side of things (?), musicians and lyricists are able to still produce quality music for unsophisticated masses thanks to pretty faces selling the songs. In Riize barely two people can sing and two dance (and in sum it's 3 members, lol) but their discography is solid, very listenable. And it's great that millions of people get to listen to it because they get interested in the boys and their looks.

The trick is for execs to love the music and care for the quality themselves instead of the audience (who will eat anything, one catchy line or bit is enough).

This is Tumblr, not X, please don't bring the culture of vague posting here. I don't really understand how to answer you because I don't get what you are referencing.

When it comes to the Korean industry, idols are at the bottom of hierarchy. Not only they are enterteiners (a low class to begin with), it is widely believed they can't sing or act. When you watch producers and journalists discuss Doyoung's vocal provess they often use "for an idol". There are more and more rich kids who decide to become idols, so, with the new era of influencers and personal social media, perhaps the perception is changing? In addition, there is a social taboo on stanning idols after you enter the adult working class.

As for abroad. Locals never truly welcome foreigners out of the sense of competition and "we are the owners of the land here". As such, the local producers/showbis community sabotage foreign newcomers, protecting their own interests, their money pie, this reflects on the perception of the audience as well. The way Asian categories are added to the existing awards in the West. It's not out of racism, it's to eliminate competition. It applies to many fields, traditional art or scientific community including. It's hard to enter, there are barriers.

And as for the fans... it's the new power trip that the internet allows - to feel oneself above or like you matter through pegging down, cancelling people more talented, influencial, famous than you. There is less of due respect and more of consumerism. Idols are a product. They get boring or lose the favour of the k-pop community they are discarded. One doesn't take seriously "a toy".