Mango Music Awards.
The Mango Music Awards, held four days after the Green Music Awards (GMA) concluded, had its share of chatter as well. But among all related ceremonies, it was one of the top three most prestigious music award shows.
[Ha, the more I think about GMA the more pissed off I get....]
[Making them work their asses off on stage and then giving only a participation prize at the end, I’ve literally never seen that in all my years following K-pop.]
[WH, what the hell happened to you..T_T Where did all your pride go...T_T LOOOL]
Of course, the anger of Hi-Five’s and The Dawn’s fandoms hadn’t cooled one bit.
As if conscious of that, the Mango Music Awards team thoroughly locked down to prevent the stage lineup from leaking. Fans only knew through articles that The Dawn and Hi-Five would appear, and so they had no choice but to gather in front of their TVs.
[Are our boys going with Level S2 or Lantern Festival this time?
└I’m betting on Level S2. Dajun was making a fuss on PopPop trying to drop spoilers about their year-end stage, saying we should look forward to it LOOOOL
└└Seriously, he’s so cute LOOOOL Our maknae’s still such a baby.]
Part 1 of the Mango Music Awards featured solo artists and fresh rookies.
Ravish wrapped up Part 1 with their stage before disappearing backstage.
[Not sure if I’ll even have energy left to focus on The Dawning’s performance... I’ve been drained fighting fanwars lately.
└Still, LVS2 is always legendary...]
The Noeuls were grumbling while waiting for The Dawn to appear when—
【 SPECIAL STAGE
The Dawn Jiwon & Dajun — Skate Kiss 】
[Wait, WHAT?!?!?!!!!!!!]
At a completely unexpected moment, the names Sung Jiwon and Jung Dajun appeared under “Special Stage.”
Under bright lights, a colorful graffiti-splattered alley came into view. Sitting on a staircase railing and swinging his legs, Jung Dajun hopped down, then rolled onto stage on a skateboard.
[That outfit is insane]
[Oh {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} my fucking god Jung Dajun I gave birth to you myself]
Jung Dajun wore a fluffy white knit beanie, white arm warmers, and sneakers far too big for him in a bright blue.
Clutching a handheld mic, he spun his body in a half turn, stopped by lifting the skateboard with his left foot, and came to a sharp halt.
【Come on!】
Winking into the camera, he began to sing.
The song was “Skate Kiss,” a B-track off the 2nd album of W.O.W, a 1st generation boy group that shook the 1990s.
In contrast to the dark, heavy, powerful title track, “Skate Kiss” was a bright, bouncy melody with sweet, playful lyrics.
【Ay, Ay, Ay!
Wanna ride skateboard with me?】
[Jung Dajun totally scammed me?!?!!!!?!? Come here, let me plant a Skate Kiss on you]
[Seriously, this mischievous concept was made for him]
[Out of all current idols, he interprets this song the best LMAOOOOOO A guy riding a skateboard into an award show?!]
[I keep saying ‘That makes no sense,’ over and over right now]
A spotlight shone from the corner left, revealing Sung Jiwon in the driver’s seat of a yellow sports car.
He wore a short-sleeved ivory knit and low-saturation sky-blue earmuffs. With a gentle smile, Jiwon opened the door, stepped out, and sang.
【With the love I have for you
I want to fill this sky completely
My Skate Kiss Kiss Kiss】
[Was this song always this comfortable?]
[Excuse me Sung Jiwon, at this rate you’ll end up being my only husband]
[God, hearing his real voice mixed with breaths instead of lip-sync—so soothing]
Then came a dance break absent from the original track, with Jung Dajun shining center stage.
[Jung Dajun’s killing it]
[What the hell, his dancing’s inhuman—when did he improve this much T_T Our baby genius]
[I’m crying from pride, my child I raised with my bank account..]
Spinning in a wide circle along the rising melody, Dajun pointed both arms at Jiwon. Jiwon curled his lips into a smirk, flipped his mic in the air, and caught it upside down.
[Oh shit]
[No way....]
[Hold on, wait a sec]
And sure enough—
【I dropped where I wanted, broke up with my lover
But don’t be down!
We can achieve anything in life
As long as our hearts don’t break, everything’s possible】
—Jiwon rapped.
[kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk]
[My life suddenly feels brighter LOOOOLLLLLLL]
[The impact of having no rapper on stage LMAOOOOOOO]
【Don’t listen to what adults say
We’ll always ride skateboards and roam the world free!】
With brows slightly furrowed and a dead-serious face, he spat out the straight-shooting, socially aware lyrics typical of a 1st gen idol track.
[Sung Jiwon turning into Jekyll and Hyde is hilarious
A moment ago he sang like the god of K-pop himself
But now the rap...
the rap...
└LMAOOOOOOOO He’s working so hard with staccato delivery, it’s adorable T_T That’s what makes it so good, because in the 1990s that style of rap was actually popular
└└Now nobody can ever accuse him of lip-syncing LOOLL TT_TT
└└Yo, where’s Kang Ichae! Someone drag him here immediately]
[Okay, just a tiny... a tiiiny bit, his rap has improved, Jiwon..]
[How the hell is Jung Dajun holding his laughter
└He’s biting his cheek trying not to grin
└└He had the exact same face when Kang Ichae flung his shoe off at the Japan showcase LOOOOOOOOL]
[I NEED a reaction cam of Kang Ichae, Seo Hoyun, and Kim Sunghyun right now. Please tell me someone’s filming the waiting seats]
Compared to the vocals and dance, his rap was still lacking—but the cheering crowd was bursting with laughter and joy.
The music wound down, ending with Jiwon and Dajun high-fiving and flashing a thumbs-up to the audience.
[That was fun]
[They really made my year-end brighter]
[Such a good group.. our Saebyeok..]
The screen dimmed to black, fans expecting another idol’s performance to follow. But instead, the alley set remained—now washed in red-tinged shadows, eerie where it had been playful.
【 SPECIAL STAGE
The Dawn Hoyun & Sunghyun & Ichae — Good Driver 】
Only a faint glint of a silver chain around a shadowed figure’s neck reflected the dim light. Dropping the thin flip phone at his ear, his black leather jacket slipped off his shoulder.
[Holy shit ............]
[random keyboard smash]
A pale sigh drifted in white smoke, and stepping forward—Kim Sunghyun.
[Oh fuck I almost threw my phone too]
[Sexy dumpling of death,,,,,]
Sunghyun tossed the flip phone over the railing, brushed his thumb across his lips, and pulled a worn car key from his pocket. A heavy beat dropped at the same time.
【I think I like you dancing
Maybe you are trouble, not too sure
Well, I’m a good driver
(You dancing, I like it
You may be trouble but I’m not sure
Well, I can drive well)】
The track was “Good Driver,” an American hip-hop song released the same year as “Skate Kiss.”
Built on a boom bap base with thundering drum loops, rapid-fire rapping, touches of R&B melody, and provocative lyrics—it had been a massive hit.
【Sit next to me
(Sit next to me)】
Sunghyun grinned while dancing in sync, twirling the key around his finger before pressing the power button. The yellow sports car Jiwon had used flickered to life, headlights blazing.
The camera panned with the lights, revealing Seo Hoyun leaning on the hood.
He pushed off, straightened, and peered over his sunglasses at the lens, crinkling his nose.
【I am good at something that you like
(I’m good at the things you like)】
[He’s insane]
[Holy fuck he’s actually insane]
【I don’t hit on someone so much
If I say so, will you believe me?
(I don’t do this to just anyone
—If I say that, will you believe me?)】
He slid his sunglasses up onto his head, reached a hand out as if to touch the screen, then turned right—revealing Kang Ichae, cap pulled low.
【Ride on my car Call your friends
We can do this everyday if you want
(Get in my car, call your friends
If you want, we can do this every day)】
His sharp jaw and thin lips stood out under the brim, sending fans into a frenzy.
[That cap is fucking killer]
[The hat is insanely stylish
But take it off
No, keep it on
What even is my heart doing]
【Show me how to dance
Oh yes yes yes that’s how we work it
(Show me how to dance
That’s how we do it)】
After kneeling with the backup dancers all in black, thrusting their hips to the beat, Ichae ripped off his cap and tore into a syncopated rap with raw growl.
[KANG ICHAE! KANG ICHAE! KANG ICHAE!]
[Holy shit oh my god]
At this moment, The Dawn’s fans no longer gave a damn about the Daesang.
[Make them president instead......]
[That unit division was perfect.................
Innocent-cute vs adult-sexy......]
[Those lyrics, Jesus. Kang Ichae you understood every word...
└Not just Ichae, Seo Hoyun too obviously got it...
└└Sunghyun probably got it but played dumb...
└└My eyes are wide open but somehow I’m the victim here
└└LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO]
While Noeuls were losing their minds at The Dawn’s special stage, the ceremony suddenly called an unexpected name.
【Global Popularity Award, Hi-Five!】
[Eh??!?!!]
Smiling brightly and bowing politely, Hi-Five strode onstage.
[Wait what....? Doesn’t winning this make the Daesang awkward? They rarely give both Global Popularity and Daesang, maybe Top Ten sure;;]
[Since when did they rename the Daesang to Global Popularity Award?]
[Twitter’s going crazy with rumors LOOOOOLLLLLLLL Most popular theory: Kyungsoo stabbed the producers with a knife]
[You’re telling me Hi-Five closes the show but doesn’t get Daesang? Yeah, right LOOOLLLLLL]
After Hi-Five’s acceptance speech, The Dawn’s Level S2 performance followed.
Since Hi-Five had already won Global Popularity and The Dawn’s full stage was placed later than the special unit, Noeuls assumed naturally that the Mango Music Awards’ Daesang would go to The Dawn.
But instead—
【Global Artist Award, The Dawn!】
The Dawn’s name was called for the Global Artist Award.
They rose quickly from their seats. Cheers erupted around them, but fans—burned once already—were uneasy.
[So they got Global Artist... Do you think they can still get Daesang on top of this??]
[Well, there was that idol (BRK) who won Top Ten and Daesang, but usually it’s at the whim of the show]
[Mango Music only has Best Artist and Best Song as Daesangs, but... still. My old faves got Daesang here before, and The Dawn’s record this year is easily deserving.....]
[Ugh, why is WH so powerless these days? I don’t mind dragging the company, but it sucks that everywhere you go, people just dunk on them... Lately I even feel a weird sense of solidarity with Hi-Five fans, which makes it harder...]
[It’s okay guys, there’s no way The Dawn doesn’t get it this year. Their digital and album numbers were historic.
└Are WH and Mango Music Awards on good terms??
└└Just... not bad, I think.
└└Though lately Mango seems to be cozying up to LV. After the GMA mess they might want to hedge. I heard even the stage order was shuffled.
└└But in the end, all just rumors right?? LOOOL
└└Yeah, who knows if it’s true LOOOL]
“Rising Dawn! Hello, we’re The Dawn.”
The Dawn bowed in unison.
Kim Sunghyun stepped to the mic first, thanking Daepaseong Entertainment, WH Entertainment, the members, their families, and the Mango Music Awards production staff.
“—And, our beloved Noeul!!”
A roar of cheers.
With a radiant face, Sunghyun continued.
“Thank you so much for giving us such an undeserved award. We love you so, so much!!”
Next, Seo Hoyun took the mic.
[They’re not crying LOOOL]
[Come on, they’re too seasoned now LOOOL If they get Daesang, then sure maybe they’ll cry. Even if it’s the award before the big one]
[Wait, Sunghyun’s eyes look a little watery though
└Of course. Sunghyun’s our filial son idol
└└And look at Dajun grinning ear to ear LOOOL]
Hoyun dipped his head slightly, pausing in silence.
“.......”
Just a few seconds.
A fleeting hush stretched out.
[No way......]
Fans grew anxious as he kept his gaze lowered.
[Seo Hoyun starting with the eyes and ending with water... is he about to...]
[Seo Hoyun’s crying??????]
But as his head lifted, his face was spotless—no trace of tears, sparkling instead.
“Truthfully, we were sometimes anxious.”
With that, he unleashed the legendary “bewitching smile while stabbing the audience in the heart.”
