Chinese entertainment, from radio love songs to superstars

Chapter 182: God of the Past, God of the Present, and God of the Future

Los Angeles, Neverland, in Michael Jackson's mansion.

"It's been a long day without you my friendAnd
The days without your company are so long.
I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I meet you again, I will open my heart and tell you everything..."

Music is undoubtedly a unique spiritual oasis for Jackson.

In this complicated world, pressure is always there, and music is the only way for him to let go of the burden and gain a brief peace.

When the melody sounded, the notes seemed to have magical power, able to penetrate layers of fog and reach deep into his heart.

What he was listening to was "See you again", a song from the new album of Chinese singer Shen Lang, which has been hotly discussed in the United States recently.

The prelude is a soft and beautiful piano piece, flowing slowly into the ears like a gurgling stream.

Jackson likes this simple and moving piano melody, which creates a quiet and wistful atmosphere that makes it easy for people to immerse themselves in it.

What happened since the beginning of this year has made him feel very bad.

On February 2, the documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" edited and produced by Martin Basher was broadcast in the UK, and three days later, the film was also broadcast in the United States.

There was a cancer patient named Gavin Arvizo on the show. The child was diagnosed with advanced cancer and the doctor said he could only live for a month at most. He had a wish to meet Jackson. Jamie Masada, a Los Angeles businessman who was keen on charity, helped him fulfill this wish.

It should have been that simple, but the documentary "Living with Michael Jackson," edited and produced by Martin Basher, focuses on their relationship, especially the constant combination of images suggesting that Jackson and Gavin Arvizo spent the night in the same room.

In 1993, Jackson was accused of molesting a boy, but the two sides later reached a private settlement.

The development of this incident has once again pushed him to the forefront. If the charges are proven, he will not be able to escape jail time.

The media also began to make an effort. There were many rumors about his deteriorating condition. Some even compared his photos from a few months ago and came to the conclusion that "Jackson was suffering from a terminal illness."

But Jackson's spokesman has denied it and said Jackson is preparing a new album.

"Damn, who knew all the planes we flew
Who would understand the journey we have taken?

Good things we've been through
Who will understand the beauty we have witnessed..."

Suddenly, the change in the style of the song brought Jackson back to his senses.

From the soulful and soothing pop singing style, it suddenly turned to the rap with a strong sense of rhythm.

However, this is quite common in English songs and is a popular style nowadays.

But most of the time it is a chorus of two singers, one responsible for the pop part and the other for the rap part.

However, when this style appeared on a Chinese singer, it aroused Jackson's interest.

He began to examine Shen Lang's voice and singing skills.

From the perspective of pop songs, her voice is very magnetic and she can switch between true and false voices freely. When singing the main part, she delicately interprets her longing for her friends and expresses the feeling of loss vividly.

When it comes to the rap part, their control over rhythm and power is not as good as that of American rappers, but the style is unique and full of emotion, which echoes and sets off the previous part. It is like an old friend whispering his own story in your ear, which makes people empathize.

Overall, the singing is still very good, no worse than those who won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Singer.

"So let the light guide your way
Let that light guide your way

Hold every memory as you go
When you leave, please keep all the beautiful moments
And every road you take will always lead you home
That way, no matter which way you choose, it will lead you home.

Hoo~"

Jackson nodded frequently as he listened, obviously identifying with and being touched by Shen Lang and the song.

In the past, whether he was singing or listening to music, he mostly preferred melody. At that time, through those melodies that were passionate, soothing, or dynamic, he was able to release his emotions and show his artistic charm.

However, as he grew older and his mood changed, his focus gradually shifted. Now, he pays more attention to the lyrics, which have become a new window for him to explore the connotation of music.

Jackson believes that the lyrics of "See You Again" are very good. While making people feel the friendship, they can't help but recall the path they have traveled and the people who have accompanied them. It also links friendship with family, emphasizing that family and friendship are precious treasures on the road of life.

The lyrics are rich in emotional layers and very appealing.

When he finished listening to the entire album, he was amazed at Shen Lang's musical talent.

Making a song requires creating many instrument tracks, but Jackson's creative method is different from most people. He "sings" the instruments in each track, like "first the first chord, the first note, the second note... then the second chord, the first note, the second note..."

Because he can't read music scores, let alone write them, but he is very smart. Although he is not a professional, he can play many musical instruments. Keyboard, synthesizer, guitar and drums are not difficult for him.

So, he was very curious about how Shen Lang could create 10 songs of different styles by himself.

"I wonder if Jackie and Coco know him..."

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Nashville, Tennessee.

Nashville is the most famous country music town in the United States. Not only is it full of "musicians", it has also witnessed the birth of many superstars. Elvis Presley, the founder of blues rock music Roy Orbison, and country music legend Johnny Cash all came to the world from here.

Nashville produces a huge amount of music, with more than 400 record companies in the United States concentrated here. It is the second largest music publishing center in the United States after New York.

In addition to the popular music companies, music parties are everywhere in Nashville. In the evening, accompanied by melodious tunes, the music party officially begins and everyone gathers together to play music naturally.

For singers, the places where they can perform are not limited to casinos and bars in Las Vegas. In Nashville, there are resident singing spots everywhere: bars, cafes, restaurants, shopping malls, and even in the center of the square. As long as there are musical instruments and feelings, they can have fun anytime and anywhere.

Among them, the Blue Bird Cafe, which is a gathering place for composers, is the most famous.

“Picture perfect memories
Photos of beautiful memories are scattered on the floor
Scattered all around the floor
Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't resist anymore

Reaching for the phone cause
I wonder if I pop into your mind sometimes
I can't fight it any more
This happens to me quite often..."

At this moment, on the stage where the singer was performing, a blonde girl in her teens was holding a guitar. The light shone on her, outlining her small figure, which was particularly eye-catching.

She lowered her head slightly, gently plucked the strings with her fingers, and beautiful notes poured out.

The song she sang was "Need You Now", from Shen Lang's new album.

"(English) Hey, what song is this girl singing? It sounds pretty good."

"Ah? Haven't you heard of it? Shenlang's songs, the 10 songs from his new album are dominating the Billboard charts, 10 of them are in the top 4."

"Wow, so awesome? But the name is weird, is he a foreigner?"

"The Chinese were nominated for a Grammy and performed on stage at the beginning of the year."

"Oh, I've been so busy with business this year, running around, that I haven't paid attention to these things."

"You can buy his new album, every song is really good."

……

Taylor Swift is 14 years old and is the youngest resident singer at the Bluebird Cafe. Influenced by her mother, she has loved music since she was a child. After seeing singer Faith Hill's performance on TV, she had the idea of ​​becoming a country singer, so she began to beg her parents to take her to Nashville, the "holy land" of country music.

To help their daughter pursue her musical dreams, the Swift family made a decision last year to move to Hendersonville, about 20 miles from downtown Nashville.

Taylor was very happy and was closer to her dream. In the following year, she worked very hard, constantly accumulating performances and looking for opportunities, and finally got a contract from American Broadcasting Corporation.

In order to release an album earlier, she went to the company every week with her new songs, but the company's executives were not impressed by her songs and insisted on waiting until she was 18 to release an album.

So, she resolutely left the record company and came here to perform.

"It's a quarter after one l'm all alone and l need you now
It's a quarter past one I'm all alone I need you now
And l said l wouldn't call
I said I wouldn't call you.
But l'm a little drunk and l need you now
But I'm a little drunk and I need you now
And l don't know how l can do without
I don't know what to do without you

I just need you now
I just need you now..."

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Taylor is only 14 years old, her voice and singing skills are better than 99% of the resident singers here.

Her voice has the typical characteristics of a girl's voice, fresh, sweet and full of vitality. This unique voice is as bright as the morning sunshine, giving people a youthful feeling.

Her singing also has strong penetrating power, which allows people to hear her singing clearly even in a noisy environment, which makes her songs attract the attention of listeners in various occasions.

Taylor aspired to be a singer-songwriter, so when a singer-songwriter appeared on the Billboard charts and started a massacre with 10 songs, she immediately went to the music store to buy it.

Her original purpose was to learn, but after listening to these songs, she became curious about Shen Lang, so she searched for him online. She was shocked to find out that Shen Lang had created nearly one hundred songs in the three years since his debut, covering pop, folk, rock, country, R&B, Chinese style and other genres, and his album sales had reached more than 2000 million copies.

These foreign introductions to Shen Lang were edited and posted by Jingtao Music’s Publicity and Marketing Department.

Taylor had originally admired Norah Jones, who won eight Grammy Awards. After all, it was amazing to win the highest honor in the music industry at the age of 22.

However, now she thinks Shen Lang is even more amazing. He is only 24 years old, and all his songs are written by himself. He first swept the Asian music scene and now dominates the Billboard charts. This talent has left a deep impression on her heart.

So, when she was a resident singer, she started singing Shen Lang's songs.

Her unique voice blends with Shen Lang's masterpieces, creating a different kind of spark.

Even though she was just singing a cover, she successfully made herself famous in the music industry with the perfect combination of "good voice" and "good songs".

"Thank you!"

Taylor finished singing and bowed to thank everyone for their applause.

"A customer ordered Shenlang's "Let Her Go". This is the tip." The waiter handed her a large bill and pointed in the direction of the customer.

"OK." Taylor responded and looked over.

She found that he was a middle-aged man with an Asian face. She guessed that he might be Chinese and must be a fan of Shen Lang.

Nod slightly to show your gratitude.

Then, she plucked the strings with her fingers and sang Shen Lang's "Let Her Go".

When Taylor finished singing, she inadvertently saw the customer who had requested songs walking towards her. She wondered in her heart, was he going to continue requesting songs? A hint of anticipation quietly rose in her heart.

The middle-aged man walked steadily to the front of the stage, with an elegant smile on his face, giving people a sense of affinity. Then he said to Taylor in fluent English: "Hello, I am Chen Yaochuan, the music director of Jingtao Music..."

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In the European and American music markets, there are three most profitable record companies: Sony, Warner, and Universal.

Among them, Sony is currently the strongest.

Since the millennium, Sony has absorbed Columbia Records, which has a century-old history, and has gained a large number of legendary figures: Mariah Carey, the "Queen of Dolphin Voice", Beyonce, the "Daughter of Destiny", Leonard Cohen, the "Folk Poet", and Barbra Streisand, the "Queen of Broadway"...

It also owns colorful sub-labels such as Jive, Arista, RCA, etc. When there were no talent shows and idol trainees, the birth of stars depended entirely on the in-depth exploration of scouts from these labels.

Jive Records keenly discovered the Backstreet Boys and cultivated them into an idol boy group that is unsurpassed in the history of European and American music. In 2000, their self-titled album "Backstreet Boys" sold 1300 million copies in the United States, and their second album "Millennium" also sold more than 1200 million copies.

They also signed a "super internet celebrity" - Britney Spears. "Baby One More Time" became one of the world's best-selling singles with sales of 1000 million copies, and the album of the same name sold more than 3000 million copies, making 2000 the "Britney Year".

Not to be outdone, the RCA record label signed Westlife. In 1999, their self-titled album sold 580 million copies worldwide. Their second album Coast to Coast in 2000 sold 760 million copies worldwide. Songs like My Love and You Raise Me Up were so popular that they surpassed any idol group of the same era and can be called immortal masterpieces.

Arista Records signed a Canadian girl named Avril Lavigne who wore smoky makeup and skateboarded. Her two famous songs, "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi", announced to the world with her restless style and straightforward emotions that the queen of pop punk is here! Because of her success, punk elements were accepted by the mainstream public, and saying goodbye to sweet makeup and being a "cool girl" became the new trend in 2000.

But during this period, the senior management of Sony Music Headquarters was not in a good mood.

Shen Lang, who has been making waves in the European and American music scene, was actually from their company before.

The president of the Asia region and the president of the China region were both called into a meeting, and the whole time they were talking about why Shen Lang was not kept.

The two of them felt very bitter. It was not that they did not try to keep the other party, but that the other party was determined to leave and there was no point in talking to him.

It’s all Chen Yaochuan’s fault!

At this time, Sony Music USA.

"Is it necessary to worry so much? He's just a singer. In our group, isn't he as insignificant as an ant facing an elephant?" President Jim didn't care too much about Shen Lang.

"No, no, no. If he can release English songs as efficiently as he does Chinese songs, it will have a huge impact on the European and American markets. And don't forget, he has his own music company. What if he also signs contracts with European and American singers?" Sales President Howard sees more.

"You're exaggerating a bit. How can he squeeze into our market?" Jim sneered.

The record market in the United States is highly concentrated and basically monopolized by the three major record companies. According to distribution statistics, the three major record companies hold more than 80% of the market share. If these three platforms are taken away, music platforms will hardly be able to provide basic music services.

This monopoly has also given the three major record companies a strong voice, giving them strong market bargaining power in copyright protection and song library sales.

The reason why American record companies have not been greatly impacted by the Internet wave is that, on the one hand, the United States has a strong copyright awareness and relatively sound legal norms; on the other hand, several major record companies have completed industry integration and concentration through capital mergers and acquisitions, ensuring their own bargaining power over downstream channels.

"That being said, but..." Howard was speechless for a moment and couldn't find any words to refute.

"I understand what you mean. Even if he can write a lot of songs and sign a lot of European and American singers, does he have so much money to play with? Even if he invests $100 million or $200 million, it may not make a splash." Jim said arrogantly.

It’s like this, for a singer to release an album, it’s not enough just to have songs.

From song selection to recording, from packaging design to market promotion, each link requires a lot of manpower, material and financial resources, and each link plays a vital role. Excellent production can improve the quality of the song, and a wide range of distribution channels can allow more people to hear these works, and effective publicity is the key to opening the market.

Furthermore, there are countless examples of people who have good songs, good voices, and even spent a lot of money, but still failed to become famous.

The reasons for this are complex, it could be the wrong timing, a lack of a unique style, or not meeting the right audience.

Therefore, if you want to stand out in this highly competitive music market and become the focus of everyone's attention, it is only possible if you have the three elements of "the right time, the right place, and the right people".

The president of Warner Music thinks the same as Jim: Shen Lang is nothing to be afraid of.

However, the president of Universal Music had different ideas from them.

(End of this chapter)