“I don’t get how it’s come down to this. I thought Ari-hyung just needed a break. Now he might never come back?” Jesse swiped at tears. “Can everybody just stop fighting and yelling, at least?”
“You should be yelling too,” Kei argued at him. “If this idiot walks out now, it’s never going to be the same again.We’renever going to be the same again. We might as well look at it as the beginning of the end.”
“Between the enlistments and Ari leaving, it would be hard to keep up the momentum.”
“That’s true. Nicky and Gyu are supposed to go next year. It'll be forever before all nine of us are on stage again.”
“Let’s say we keep going as a group,” said Nick, beginning to pace. “That’s fine, but we’ll always be one man down. We’ll know it. Sunshines will know it. We’ve been nine members for almost ten years. That’s not easy to forget or erase.”
“You guys have a unit project dropping next month. That won’t happen if hyung quits now.”
“I don’t give a shit about that, Keiichi,” Max was quick to say. “Seriously, can you guys figure out what’s more important? Why are you being like this?”
“Because this is all he knows how to do,” Kei raged back at him. “He just runs away!” And Eunjae couldn’t defend himself because it was true.
Someone else interjected, and then that interjection gave way to more. Soon the room rang with raised voices, a growing cacophony of opposing viewpoints and high emotions. Eunjae had no idea how to make himself heard above the noise. Jungwoo, who had always spoken for him, had still not uttered a single word. To Eunjae, his silence was an ongoing rebuke. Of all the reactions, it was the most painful to endure.
“We said we’d stay together,” said Namgyu, partly drowned out by Kei and Max as they lobbed accusations at one another. He looked up at Eunjae, face drawn with misery. “We’re supposed to be brothers.”
There has to be another way, Eunjae wanted to scream. As if on cue, the office door swung open and CEO Yoon stepped in at last. An abrupt hush fell upon them all as they realized that he had a pair of guests in tow.
Following close behind him were Choi Haewon and Sun Soyeon, the founders of Emerald Entertainment.
Excerpt from Jewell’s entry on Wikipedia
Jewellwas a South Korean girl group formed byPolaris Mediain 1998 and consisted of membersSun Soyeon,Nam Jinseol,Choi Haewon, andLee Eunmi. The group was one of the most popular and successful acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s, credited for their significant role in the cultural movement which came to be known as theHallyu Wave. Some of the group’s most enduring hits are“Too Many Boys”(1998), “Spring Love” (1999),“Secret Garden”(2002), and “Last Goodbye” (2005) from the Korean dramaA Rose in Winter.
Jewell officially disbanded on August 12, 2008. Eunmi branched into acting with a breakout role in the 2010 historical filmFallen Flower. Jinseol stayed on at Polaris Media as an in-house choreographer. In 2009, former members Haewon and Soyeon jointly foundedEmerald Entertainment. While Soyeon pursued a brief solo career, Haewon primarily dedicated herself to songwriting and production.
HISTORY
1998: Formation and Debut
The eldest member and leader of the group, Sun Soyeon, was scouted while waiting to be seated at a restaurant in Myeongdong. According to an interview with a former Polaris Media executive, Soyeon was heard singing to a song on the radio and immediately drew his attention with the clarity and range of her voice. The next member to be scouted was Lee Eunmi, who auditioned with some friends from school. Nam Jinseol joined as a trainee after initially pursuing a career as a ballerina. Last to join the lineup was Choi Haewon, discovered two months later when she won a songwriting contest sponsored jointly by Polaris,Wonder Music Korea, andM7 Entertainment.
The four girls debuted as Jewell in 1998 with their first album,Ruby Red. Defying late 90s K-pop trends, Jewell focused less on cute, catchy pop, becoming known for poignant lyrics and a distinct R&B sound, as with their debut single “Too Many Boys” and its equally popular B-side “Sunshine Smile.” In the back half of their career, they shifted to include melodic power ballads that showcased the members’ impressive vocals, particularly Soyeon’s.
It is rumored that member Haewon is an uncredited lyricist and composer on a significant number of Jewell’s hit songs. Polaris Entertainment has neither confirmed nor denied these rumors. Haewon has never addressed them either, despite continued speculation among fans and industry experts. Notably, Haewon went on to co-found Emerald Entertainment, which houses multiple self-produced groups (Athena,Apollo) and singer-songwriters (Ye-ri,Flora Jung,Ryeowook/SKYLINE).
1999-2001:Sapphire BlueandJeweltones Live
Jewell’s sophomore album,Sapphire Blue, arrived in May 1999 to wide critical acclaim. Its lead single “Spring Love” reached the number one spot on multiple South Korean airplay charts upon release. At the 1999Seoul Music Awards, Jewell won a daesang (grand prize) as well as Song of the Year.
Between 1999 and 2001, Jewell saw a massive increase in popularity. Seeking to capitalize on the tremendous success ofSapphire Blue, Polaris Media announced a special album in the first half of 2000 entitledJeweltones. For this album, each member of Jewell had a solo track in addition to two songs by the full group.
In September 1999, Jewell’s leader Soyeon also released a song for the Korean dramaUntil You. The song (“When You're Here”) became the only track on the drama soundtrack to break into the Gaon charts. Shortly afterUntil Youfinished airing, several news networks reported on an alleged copyright dispute between Jewell member Haewon and Polaris Entertainment CEOJang Minseok; Polaris disputed the claims and threatened legal action against all three networks.
In January 2000, the group starred in a commercial forKorean Airlines. Brands such asPepsiandLotte Department Storereported a surge in earnings due to their endorsement deals with Jewell.
During the summer of 2001, Jewell embarked on a concert series calledJeweltones Live. They performed in cities all over Asia and ended their tour with back to back concerts in Seoul. The group finished touring and went straight to the studio to begin recording for their third album.
2002:Crystal Clear,Production Delays, andSoyeon’s Hiatus
In early spring of 2002, Polaris Media issued a statement which explained that a series of health problems among the members of Jewell necessitated the delayed release of their third album,Crystal Clear. Originally slated for April 2002, it was postponed until May as member Eunmi recovered from a compound fracture and Soyeon was hospitalized due to complications from an untreated illness during 2001’sJeweltones Liveconcert tour.
Crystal Clearsmashed all of Jewell’s previous sales records. The title track“Secret Garden”earned the group their second perfect run on South Korean music charts. It also earned them Song of the Year and Album of the Year at theMnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA). Polaris Media announced an impending Japanese debut for the group in July 2002 with a repackaged album forthcoming in the next year. However, promotions for “Secret Garden” were interrupted when Soyeon experienced a panic attack while filming their performance on the music showInkigayo.
Jewell completed the final week of promotions as a four member group. Abruptly, Soyeon posted a message on Jewell’s fan cafe which stated her intention to leave the group and end her exclusive contract. Just as abruptly, Polaris held a press conference the following day. At the press conference, the agency’s CEO confirmed that Soyeon would remain a member of Jewell, resuming group activities after a hiatus of approximately two months. This hiatus eventually lasted eight months total.
