Chinese entertainment, from radio love songs to superstars

Chapter 159, Sweet Girl Group? [ words for monthly votes]

The casting for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" is still proceeding in an intense and orderly manner.

Since the beginning of June, various news surrounding the selection of the 6 main characters have forced people to admit that among the TV series produced this year, this one can be called a "hype model."

Since the investors of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" include Jiangsu Television Station and Jiuzhou Audio and Video, the producer Zhang Jizhong and the chief director Zhou Xiaowen are also well-known figures in the entertainment industry.

Therefore, news about this drama came out through four channels, but the news about the same event from the four sources was often only generally consistent and different in many details.

In the first list released, many celebrities became "chess pieces". Leaving aside the popular Korean idol Song Hye Kyo, there are many first-line domestic actors, including Zhang Ziyi, Zhao Wei, Liu Jialing, Zhong Zhenyao, Lu Yi, Huang Yi and so on.

Near the end of the month, the news that Shen Lang would play Duan Yu set off a huge discussion on the entire internet.

However, when some media reporters went to some of them for confirmation, they were told that this was not the case. Then Zhang Jizhong said in an interview that announcing the list in this way would be considered hype because some actors have not signed the contract yet and therefore cannot be counted. On the other hand, Zhou Xiaowen said that the list of actors should be almost certain, but they have not officially signed the contract, so it is difficult to announce it.

"They are really good at hype. They leaked the news before you even signed a contract." Gao Yuanyuan was wearing cool silk pajamas and sitting in front of the computer. Her curvy figure was fully exposed and she looked gentle and charming, like a stunning beauty in summer.

"This is a routine operation of the bearded man. Don't take it too seriously." Shen Lang hugged her from behind, kissed her hair, and whispered, "In the entertainment industry, being marketed, hyped, criticized, and blackened are all inevitable. If you can't keep your heart calm and peaceful, you will only become more and more confused, more anxious, and more painful."

Everyone says Deng Jianguo is a master of hype, but in fact, Zhang Jizhong is no less inferior to him.

Last year, Zhang Jizhong chose Huang Jianzhong to star in "Swordsman", but was criticized.

Afterwards, he hired Wang Rui, a new director of the sixth generation, to shoot The Legend of the Condor Heroes, which again caused constant rumors both inside and outside the play.

Under such circumstances, he first chose Wu Ziniu, one of the representatives of the fifth generation of directors, to shoot "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils". Just when people were still watching Wu Ziniu, he then said that Wu Ziniu had voluntarily withdrawn and was replaced by Zhou Xiaowen, who was also a director of the fifth generation.

Zhang Jizhong’s means of hype were numerous, and netizens later commented that “Although the bearded man doesn’t understand martial arts, he knows how to hype.”

"The key is that when facing reporters, he denied that he liked hype and said bluntly, 'I will do my best when I do things.'" Gao Yuanyuan scoffed at this move.

"If a tree has no bark, it will surely die. If a person has no face, he will be invincible." Shen Lang also denied his scandal when facing reporters.

"And it's been a week, and he hasn't asked you to sign a contract yet. What is he planning?" Gao Yuanyuan thought that no one was more suitable than Shen Lang for a role like Duan Yu, so there was no need to consider him at all.

"I guess he's thinking of delaying it, so maybe I'll lower the price." Shen Lang could guess what the bearded man was thinking. Who wouldn't want to save some money on the film pay and spend it on production?

We have to admit that after Zhang Jizhong’s hype, the attention and popularity of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" has skyrocketed before filming even started.

At this time, Gao Yuanyuan jumped from the entertainment industry to the music industry. After reading a few posts, she said, "You haven't released a proper Mandarin single or album this year, and everyone is urging you to do it."

Shen Lang shrugged and said, "It's no use urging you. I have to wait until October to regain my freedom."

Gao Yuanyuan said coquettishly: "I also want to listen to your new song. I haven't heard it for a long time."

"Really?" Shen Lang frowned and looked at her, saying, "Then, who did you sing that song for yesterday?"

Gao Yuanyuan stuck out her tongue cutely and said, "One day without listening feels like three autumns, and one night feels like half an autumn."

Shen Lang raised his hand and gently rubbed her hair, saying, "You may have to wait for a few hundred more autumns."

He is not present in the Chinese music scene. In the first half of the year, everyone rushed to release albums, but in the second half of the year, there were fewer albums released by big names, but fortunately, the quality was relatively high.

The dazzling debut of "Car Undercar God" A-Du was one of the most sensational events in the Chinese music scene this year. His first album "He Must Love You" was released in early June and became popular in the streets and alleys. Almost half of the songs were hits, such as "Tearing the Night" and "Living Alone". The album sold 150 million copies in Asia within a year. His identity as a construction worker also added a touch of inspiration to his singing career.

The high notes of Shin band's "Love Until Death" are so high that they can blow the ceiling off; the new girl group SHE continued their success with "Brave New World" and "Tropical Rainforest" which are both extremely popular; Fish Leong's "Happy Breakup" became the limited song for Valentine's Day; Tao Ze's "Melody" amazed countless people as soon as it came out; equally popular is "Xiao Wei", which is known as one of the four beauties in the music scene along with A-lian, Xiaofang, and Jiu Mei.

Mainland singers are still the older generation who are holding the scene. Sun Nan brought a song "Save", Yang Kun's cigarette butt-stepping magical song "It Doesn't Matter" was released, and Na Ying avoided Shen Lang and brought her new album "Now".

But none of these can compare to Stefanie Sun's new album "Leave", which broke the pre-order sales record in the history of Chinese music records, selling 18 copies in one week. The album's title song "Dimple" sung with Shen Lang immediately topped all major music charts, becoming another sweet song after "Today Are You Going to Marry Me".

She also appeared on the cover of the international magazine "Asia Weekly" because of the "Sun Yanzi phenomenon".

The so-called Stefanie Sun phenomenon refers to the fact that Stefanie Sun and her music are popular among young fans in the Asian market.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a 'male has Shen Lang, female has Sun Yanzi'."

"These media outlets are really writing nonsense. It should be 'The male is Shen Lang and the female is Gao Yuanyuan'."

Previously, when Shen Lang appeared on Time magazine, the "Shen Lang phenomenon" had already occurred. Now, when Stefanie Sun appeared on Asia Weekly, which is equally influential, the "Stefanie Sun phenomenon" had occurred. Therefore, the media used the phrase "For men, there is Shen Lang; for women, there is Stefanie Sun" to evaluate the Chinese pop music market in the early 21st century.

For example, last year, the two’s albums accounted for nearly 60% of the annual album sales in Formosa Province.

They are the most popular and best-selling Chinese male and female singers today, no doubt about it.

So far this year, in Formosa Province, Stefanie Sun is currently ranked first in sales of female singer albums with 30 copies of her cover album "Start"; among male singers, Jay Chou is ranked first, and his new album "Octave Space" was released in advance, which sold 35 copies.

The Chinese entertainment industry seems to be still glorious and bustling, but in fact no one can reach the sales volume of 1300 million albums that Shen Lang achieved last year. Even those who have sold over 100 or 200 million albums can be counted on one hand.

That's why everyone is so looking forward to and urging Shen Lang to release a new album.

But what’s interesting is that instead of waiting for new songs, old songs have been given a second life.

This song is the theme song of "The Sky of Eighteen Years Old" - "The Crossroad Where the Phoenix Flowers Bloom".

At this time, the annual grand graduation party of Yenching Art School was being held as scheduled.

The theme of this evening party is "Youth never ends, the future is promising", which expresses the school's deep blessings and earnest expectations for the students who are about to bid farewell to this place and move towards a new stage in life.

Liu Shishi was admitted to Yenching Art School to study dance in the fourth grade of elementary school. She later transferred to the technical secondary school department for professional ballet training. Because of her excellent grades, she was recommended by the school to Yenching Dance Academy.

She has a performance tonight, but it's not dancing, it's singing.

"When the phoenix flowers bloom again, I think
I'm talking to an old friend I haven't seen for a long time

Memories slowly become more vivid with feeling

Say goodbye to the intersection on the red hillside
What does youth take away and leave behind?

I am left with a feeling of being touched in my heart..."

On the stage, Liu Shishi was wearing a white dress, looking young, innocent, and moving.

I saw her sitting in front of a piano, her fingers gently touching the keys, and every note floated like a gentle breeze.

She practiced this song for a long time, just for today.

Shen Lang is her idol and role model. He grew up with her, struggled with her, and spent an unforgettable time with her.

So, she thought of using Shen Lang's song to say goodbye to her teachers and classmates.

At the same time, it is also a farewell to the passing time, to youth, and to yesterday's self.

"The river of time flows into the sea
Finally we split up

There is no port where you can stay forever..."

June is the season when the flamboyant flowers bloom, and it is also the season of parting.

The lyrics depict a scene of flamboyant flowers in full bloom, expressing memories and emotions about the past youthful years.

The melody of the song is simple and affectionate, without gorgeous music production and vocal techniques, but it will still stir ripples in the listeners' hearts.

Liu Shishi's singing is naturally not as good as Shen Lang's, and she is even an amateur among amateurs.

However, she incorporates her emotions and tenderness into her singing, which makes her singing more expressive and appealing.

Some people say that graduation is a paradise for dreamers and a hotbed for those without dreams. At this moment, in this situation, the students in the audience sang along with tears in their eyes.

"There is a crossroads where phoenix flowers bloom in my mind.

My most cherished friends

To my most cherished friend. "

We are reluctant to separate, but we must separate.

Perhaps, there are not many things worth remembering during the three years of school life, but at least the memory of the chorus of thousands of people is deep enough.

The red hillside, the farewell crossroads, what did youth take away and what did it leave behind, leaving only a feeling of emotion in the heart.

Liu Shishi’s singing ended, everyone’s youth came to an end, and their dreams set sail again.

She bowed to the applause of the audience, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and walked off the stage with a smile on her face.

Idol, I didn't embarrass you.

The same story happened at the same time but in different places.
"We are so happy together! Happy graduation!"

"Listening to the same song, but recalling different stories, perhaps this is the meaning of music."

"When I was watching 18 Years Old and heard the song "The Crossroads of Phoenix Flowers Blooming", I couldn't appreciate it at all. But now when I listen to this song again, I have become one with it, and my eyes are blurred with tears."

……

Fengtian Vocational Middle School:

"Today I finally understand that wishing you a bright future is a farewell."

“Friends come from afar and go to a distant place. Actually, my eyes are already filled with tears, but I am afraid that you will look back, so I leave with a smile.”

"Phoenix flowers bloom, crossroads, farewell, Shen Lang is really a genius, worthy of being my favorite star!"

……

Los Angeles Normal University:

"In the music class, the teacher played "The Crossroads of Phoenix Flowers". She said she hoped that you would watch beautiful movies, listen to beautiful music, meet beautiful people, and most importantly, become a beautiful person in the future."

"I watched my roommates leave one by one, and now I am leaving too. My youth is really over."

"No port is a permanent stop. My friend, it is you who make my youth meaningful."

……

This summer, the sunny days have a sense of heaviness, which is the taste of parting.

In the taste of farewell, Shen Lang's singing voice and Shen Lang's songs are deeply imprinted in the students' hearts.

And he continues to write his own legendary journey.

------

------

A villa in Yanjing.

"What's going on? I remember this song was the theme song for a TV series that aired during the Spring Festival. It's been four or five months. How did it suddenly top the charts?"

"It's a farewell song. It's graduation season now, and it suits the students' taste. Isn't this the routine he always likes to play?"

"It's outrageous. It's not like they don't have new songs. Hua Zai's "Practice", Zhang Xinzhe's "From the Beginning to Now", Xiao Huangqi's "You Are My Eyes", which one is not better than this one? How could he overshadow it?"

"He took advantage of the popularity of the World Cup to release two English songs, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies overseas. The media touted him as the No. 1 in the history of Chinese pop music. Those who don't understand music will definitely be misled."

"Did you listen?"

"Listen."

"Sounds good?"

"Learning to sing rock songs sung by European and American bands is very rustic."

"Rock and roll? It's a thing of the past in China. It can only fool foreigners."

"It's better to go to overseas markets, it can make the Chinese music scene quieter, and he has no more songs, so that's it."

……

The two sisters Na Ying and Na Xing had reached a consensus before that they would no longer discuss anyone or anything related to Shen Lang.

However, whenever there is any movement of Shen Lang, they are the most active and pay close attention.

Just because it's annoying, I always want to find something from it that can make me feel happy.

Shen Lang is no longer in the martial arts world, but the martial arts world cannot do without him.

Since he doesn't release songs in Mandarin, some people have analyzed the outcome of his attempt to enter the overseas market.

Whenever he releases an English song, some people compare it with European and American songs in terms of lyrics, melody, arrangement, singing, etc.

Shen Lang himself didn't understand. It was understandable that those who liked him paid more attention to him, but why did those who didn't like him pay more attention to him? Was this crazy?

The data shows that in major online forums, the ratio of good posts to bad posts about him is 50-50, and both are very "hot".

From the perspective of human psychology, consciousness becomes dependent on the individual. The less you like something, the more curious you are, and the more curious you are, the more attention you pay to it.

Shen Lang felt that this incident was a good thing. There is a saying that goes “black and red are also red”.

In the entertainment industry, which is a place of fame and fortune, being praised is a good thing, being scolded is also a good thing, but having no voice, no discussion, and no one paying attention is a bad thing.

Of course, you can’t be criticized for doing things that are “low-brow, despicable, illegal and against regulations”, because that will really not make you famous.

"Brother Lang, you're still laughing. We were so angry that we argued with those people in Tianya Community for a long time last night."

"Yeah, Sissi and I are slow at typing, and we're in a hurry."

"You are just bored. If you have nothing to do, read the script a few more times and figure out your role."

Shu Chang successfully got the role of the Tianshan Tonglao in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils". Since the casting has not been completed yet, there is still some time before the filming starts, and it is summer vacation, she had nothing to do so she went to find Liu Yifei to play.

The two of them go shopping and play with cats during the day, and watch TV series and surf the Internet at night.

There happened to be a lot of posts about Shen Lang recently, and when they saw people criticizing or criticizing Shen Lang, they went to argue with them in a "friendly" manner.

"I have seen it. He performs two shows with Xiaochang every day." Liu Yifei explained.

"Yes, we are very active and work very hard," Shu Chang echoed.

"Okay, okay, it's almost time to rest. Hurry up and go in. We can have dinner after the recording is finished." Shen Lang urged.

He selected three songs to make an EP and let Liu Yifei and Shu Chang debut as a girl group.

In today's entertainment industry, film, television and music are inseparable. Actors and singers alike have to try their best to get a piece of the pie in the other circle.

The two of them are of similar age, both have sweet looks, and are not tone-deaf, so it would be a waste not to make this money.

Shen Lang spoke, and the two of them drank some water, cleared their throats, and walked into the recording studio hand in hand.

Seeing them making the OK gesture, the sound engineer started playing the accompaniment.

This is the seventh time today.

Liu Yifei: "Why can't I find a rose that never fades?
Why are the princes I meet not princes enough?
I don't expect him to have glass shoes and a white horse
I was surprised that love words could turn into lies."

Her voice is particularly smooth, and the sound flows out slowly with an even airflow, very soft.

When singing, the disadvantage is that the vocal range and singing style are relatively fixed, but the advantage is that there are stable bubble sounds and the nasal cavity and head cavity are very open.

It is suitable for singing Wang Jingfei's songs, but it lacks Wang Jingfei's ethereal voice, singing skills, and high notes.

Shu Chang: "Why does the blue bird of happiness fly so high?
Why Apples and Hugs Can Be Poison
I never thought it would be so scary to be alone with him.

I suddenly remembered the doll that used to accompany me. "

Shu Chang's voice is somewhat neutral and magnetic, but still a little childish if you listen carefully.

She is much better than Liu Yifei. She has been multi-talented since childhood and can sing, dance and play the piano.

The sound is melodious, but not fashionable.

Shen Lang’s plan for them was to make up for the shortcomings of their vocal conditions with “sweetness” and then improve their singing skills through learning and practice.

Moreover, the songs he chose were all classic songs of the original Time and Space girl group, namely "Don't Want to Grow Up", "No Tears in Moscow" and "Cherry Blossom Grass".

As long as she sings well, even if she can't be crowned the queen of the Chinese music scene, at least she can secure a spot in a Chinese girl group.

Just at this moment, Chen Yaochuan pushed the door open.

(End of this chapter)