Chinese entertainment, from radio love songs to superstars

Chapter 193, Sadness and Joy
[——《The Nameless Man》

I am a nameless person on this road. I have no news and no one comments. I have to try my best to get an ordinary script. I can only make a living through twists and turns...】

……

[——"The World"

The grass will sprout and the children will grow up, the train of time will not stop for anyone, the platform of fate is full of joys and sorrows, and people fly high like snowflakes and then melt...】

……

【——《Where Has the Time Gone》

The old tree in front of the door has new buds, and the dead tree in the yard has bloomed again. I have lived for half my life and have said many things, which are hidden in my white hair...】

……

Gao Yuanyuan could only understand the lyrics, but the lyrics alone were enough to immerse her in it.

Each of these three songs is writing about the ordinary, as if telling the story of every ordinary person. It has both the broad feelings that connect heaven and earth, and the warm romance of human fireworks. It is full of the breath of life and the warmth of emotion.

The lyrics are plain, but have extraordinary power.

"This... is so hard to choose. How about you sing it once? If it is matched with music, it may be easier to distinguish." Gao Yuanyuan was in a dilemma when faced with these lyrics. She felt that every song was good.

"Okay, I'll sing them all for you." Shen Lang drank the ginger sugar water in the bowl, stood up and sat in front of the piano.

In a blink of an eye, moving melody flowed from his fingertips, accompanied by his infectious singing.

Gao Yuanyuan listened quietly, immersed in the atmosphere created by the lyrics and melody, feeling the ordinary and extraordinary contained therein.

When Shen Lang finished singing one song after another, her eyes were full of entanglement and reluctance, and she said with a bitter face: "After listening to you singing, it has become more difficult to choose. Every song is so beautiful. Otherwise, how about selecting the troops and generals?"

This is a good way to deal with decision-making difficulties. Shen Lang smiled and said, "I'll leave it to you anyway. I just want one result."

Gao Yuanyuan thought about it and it seemed that this was the only way. She stretched out her right index finger and tapped lightly on the songbook, muttering to herself, "Call the soldiers and generals, big soldiers and generals, small soldiers and generals, I'll choose whoever you call. If a grain of rice hits the bottom, it's either him or you!"

Shen Lang looked at her with a smile on his face. This formula is different from the one in Shuchuan, but it doesn’t matter. As long as it produces results, it’s fine.

After Gao Yuanyuan finished ordering, she looked up at him and said, "It's chosen. God has chosen this song, 'Where Has the Time Gone'."

Shen Lang nodded and smiled: "Okay, this is it."

In his opinion, any one of these three songs would be able to shine and slay the audience on CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

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As early as August 8, the bidding meeting for CCTV's 16 Spring Festival Gala was held in Yanjing. The chief director of the Spring Festival Gala was selected according to the format of 2004 and was designated by the station to participate in the bidding. Generally, each center recommended one or two director candidates.

This time, the position of chief director went to Yuan Dewang, a senior employee of CCTV. He had successfully directed the Spring Festival Galas in 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1997 and has extremely rich experience.

Then, at the end of October, the first batch of "prototype" language programs underwent strict review by the director team, and at the end of this month, the song and dance programs will be reviewed.

It’s only the beginning of the month, but Yuan Dewang is already a little anxious.

Among the singing and dancing programs, the one he was most looking forward to, and also the one the audience was most looking forward to, was Shen Lang.

So, the next day after receiving the appointment letter as chief director, he quickly contacted Du Ting and extended a sincere invitation to Shen Lang.

However, more than three months passed and there was no news, which made Yuan Dewang very anxious.

He was worried that Shen Lang would turn down the invitation to the Spring Festival Gala because of his busy schedule, or would only perform on stage with an old song.

What he hoped was that Shen Lang could bring new songs, because new songs would get more attention.

Since the millennium, the Spring Festival Gala seems to have gradually lost its former glory, with its ratings and reputation declining, and the situation is not optimistic.

Last year's Spring Festival Gala has proved that Shen Lang's new song is like a shot in the arm for the Spring Festival Gala and a strong guarantee for ratings and reputation.

It can be said that as long as he brings new songs to the Spring Festival Gala, the audience will have more expectations and more reasons to look forward to the Spring Festival Gala.

This was exactly what Yuan Dewang had in mind. He hoped that Shen Lang and his new song would be able to preserve his integrity and reputation in his later years.

Just as he was wondering whether he should call to inquire about the situation, his assistant knocked on his office door.

The assistant came in and said, "Director Yuan, Jingtao sent someone to deliver the song that Shen Lang will be singing for the Spring Festival Gala." After that, he placed a tape and a sheet of music on his desk.

Yuan Dewang was stunned for a moment, then he breathed a sigh of relief, lowered the corners of his mouth slightly, and said, "Okay, I get it, you go ahead and get busy."

The assistant responded and turned to leave the office.

Yuan Dewang couldn't wait to pick up the tape and put it into the recorder. He waited until the flowers were almost withered.

As the music started, he looked at the lyrics on the music score.

The rhythm of the song is relatively slow, like a gurgling stream, flowing gently into his heart.

The melody of the main part is steady, paving the way for the emotional outburst in the chorus.

In the chorus, the melody rises slightly, pushing the emotion of the song to a climax.

The lyrics do not have fancy words, such as "new buds grow on the old tree in front of the door, and the dead tree in the yard blooms again". The simple sentences depict the natural scene of the passage of time and the passing of years, allowing people to quickly form a picture in their minds and feel the quiet passage of time.

And "half of my life has been filled with many words, which are hidden in my white hair." Those unspoken words, perhaps the perception of life, the guilt towards family, the regret for dreams, etc., are all hidden in the white hair with the passage of time, full of vicissitudes.

There is also the line “Raising children for a lifetime, and thinking about their crying and laughing” which vividly depicts the selfless dedication of parents who work hard for their children all their lives, and expresses the love of parents for their children in a simple and touching way.

Yuan Dewang, a director in his fifties who has directed several CCTV Spring Festival Galas, actually had tears in his eyes when he heard the question "Where has the time gone?"

"Good, good, good!"

Three concise and powerful words "good" came out of his mouth, which not only showed his love for the song, but also expressed his true appreciation and admiration for Shen Lang.

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In the middle of the month, Shen Lang attended the signing event for Zhang Liangying and Chen Chusheng's debut album.

The two of them opened it together, and the scene was extremely popular, with more than 2000 people on the scene.

Of course, most of them came for Shen Lang.

On the same day, the two albums "Shocking Waves·Zhang Liangying" and "Shocking Waves·Chen Chusheng" went on sale.

Their hit songs "If This Is Love" and "Mercury" were also put on the charts a week in advance and both ranked well.

Having Shen Lang's help in their debut is undoubtedly equivalent to taking a step ahead before the start. As for the subsequent development, it still depends mainly on themselves.

Zhang Liangying and Chen Chusheng, who used to be resident singers in bars, know this very well. The road to music is long and full of countless challenges. On this road, it is far from enough to rely solely on the help of others. Only by relying on one's own efforts and constantly improving one's musical ability and artistic accomplishment can one gain a firm foothold in the fiercely competitive Chinese music scene.

After Shen Lang finished this matter, he saw the news about Anita Mui in the newspaper.

Earlier, after Anita Mui completed the outdoor shooting of a slimming advertisement in Japan, she returned to Hong Kong very tired and breathless. She has not been seen in public for nearly half a month. She was originally scheduled to attend the advertisement premiere and autograph session outside Times Square the day before yesterday, but in the end only Tony Leung and his friends attended on her behalf. She was originally scheduled to leave for Singapore yesterday to attend tomorrow's photo album charity sale, but will also be absent.

The media speculated that Anita Mui was hospitalized.

Shen Lang sighed softly and frowned.

Sure enough, a few days later, Zhang Guorong called and said that Mei Yanfang's condition had suddenly worsened.

Afterwards, Shen Lang took Gao Yuanyuan to Hong Kong.

After undergoing her second chemotherapy, Anita Mui attended the recording of the "Anita Mui True Reunion" program on the 24th. During the performance, she looked tired and needed help walking behind the scenes. News of her worsening condition circulated outside, but she still said firmly: "I will not die." People who know her say that this is a strong woman. She does not want to accept her fate, she does not give up her pursuit of life, and she does not want to expose her fragile and helpless side to her fans and audiences who love her.

However, God was not kind to Anita Mui. In the early morning of the 30th, she suffered from lung dysfunction caused by cancer and died in Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital at the age of 40.

Not long after, a press conference was held at the hospital to announce her death, but no questions were accepted.

Many of her good friends, including Zhang Guorong, Shen Lang, Tan Yonglin, Zeng Zhiwei, Jackie Chan, and Liu Dehua, were among the mourners at the hospital.

Anita Mui passed away so suddenly. A month ago, she appeared in Hong Kong's Hung Hom Stadium in her best attire and held eight solo concerts in a row. Despite suffering from cancer, she was still full of energy and vitality, which shocked the Chinese world.

Over the past 20 years since her debut, she has established an immortal position on the Chinese art stage with her talent and diligence. Even in the last days of her life, she tried her best to use her life to interpret her love for art and the stage.

The Hong Kong entertainment industry praised it: This is a kind of beauty, like a comet in the sky, emitting the most beautiful light at the moment of falling.

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On January 2004, 1, the beginning of the new year, everyone was full of longing and anticipation for the coming days, just like in previous years.

However, when we look back at the entertainment industry in 2003, what remains is a "sad" melody.

This year, many stars and veteran artists passed away, including Ma Sanli, Anita Mui, Xie Tian, ​​Ke Shouliang, Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn...

So, for more movie and music fans, last year was filled with a sad atmosphere from the beginning to the end of the year.

However, everything in the world has its ups and downs, life and death, and there have been many happy things in the entertainment industry this year.

During the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in the Year of the Sheep, "Gong Xi Fa Cai" became the first song of the new year to spread rapidly. The thoughtful lyrics and cheerful melody added a strong sense of joy and peace to the new year.

Then, in this year, Shen Lang first won the Grammy Awards and the British and German Music Awards with the three songs "Hall of Fame", "Fire" and "Believer". His subsequent English album "Shen Lang·Towering Waves" sold well all over the world. It can be said that he was popular all over the world and became a new generation of idol superstar.

This year, Jay Chou released the album "Ye Huimei", in which the song "In the Name of the Father" was hailed as a classic of Chinese rap. He also ushered in the most glorious moment in his singing career.

In addition, songs such as "Will Love" by Wang Jingfei, "Need Someone to Accompany" by Stefanie Sun, "Born Like Summer Flowers" by Pu Shu, "Persian Cat" by 87 Girls Group, "Super Star" by SHE, and "Ten Thousand Reasons" by Huang Bo are all widely popular and have become the childhood memories of many post-90s.

In the film industry, Zhang Yimou ushered in the era of Mandarin blockbusters. The magnificent "Hero" swept the global film market and reaped a box office success of $1.7 million.

Other directors can also be said to have achieved great success. "Infernal Affairs 3: The Last Infernal Affairs" directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, brought together many top stars such as Andy Lau, Leung Chiu-wai, Lai Ming, Chen Daomin, etc. It not only earned 3600 million at the box office, but also received rave reviews.

In the field of television dramas, 2003 was also a fruitful year. The drama "Towards the Republic" was hailed as an insurmountable monument of historical dramas. It restored the true face of history with a fair and objective attitude, without deliberately glorifying a good person or belittling a bad person.

The Jin Yong drama "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", starring Shen Lang, Hu Jun, Liu Tao, Liu Yifei and others, has also received unanimous praise from drama fans.

Looking back at the entertainment industry, you will find that it is really a big drama, with sad, happy, funny or boring plots. The protagonists of each plot are familiar stars. Without these hot news, the stars will be lonely, and the entertainment sections of various media will be anxious about not having headlines. With these hot news, some unknown stars may become famous overnight.

Liu Xiaoqing, known as the "No. 80 film star in the 422s", was finally released on bail with the help of her good friend Jiang Wen after being detained for days and gained a new life.

The hot-tempered actor Liu Wei wanted to slap singer Xuecun in the face because of a few words, but Xuecun was not beaten. Instead, a female student who was studying at the Central Academy of Drama was beaten. She was Tong Yao, and the beater was her classmate, the son of the famous actress Zhang Guoli.

2003 is destined to be an unforgettable year. We will remember the sadness of that year, but we will also never forget the unity we had.

In the new year, Shen Lang also had a new beginning.

第46届格莱美奖颁奖典礼将于美国东部时间2月8号晚20：00在洛杉矶斯台普斯中心举行，总计30个类别的105个奖项的提名名单公布。

Popular singer Beyonce, rapper Jay-Z, Southern rap duo OutKast, and Pharrell Williams, one of the two members of the gold medal record producer The Neptunes, each received 6 nominations.

Shen Lang?

Of course he is indispensable.

The English album "Shen Lang·Towering Waves", which he spent a lot of time and resources to create, was a hit this time and was nominated for 12 awards including Best Production of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Best Pop Male Singer, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Rock Song, Best Country Song, Best New Age Album, Best Short Music Video, Best Instrumental Composition, Best Instrumental Arrangement, and Best Album Notes.

As a result, he has become the singer with the most Grammy nominations in a single session so far.

This was chosen by more than 9000 professionals who voted one by one from thousands of albums and songs, and all of them are Americans, so you can imagine how valuable it is.

"We've been nominated for 12 awards this time, so we should be able to win at least 3...5...8 awards, right?" Gao Yuanyuan counted on her fingers and talked more and more.

"It's hard to say. What if they implement some kind of regional protection? It's possible that they won't give us any." Shen Lang shook his head slightly, his expression calm.

He knows very well that although being nominated is easy, winning the award is by no means easy.

Moreover, he knew what the Americans looked like.

In fact, he won the award just to gild himself and make money from them. As for whether it is an honor or not, he never cared.

"No way, isn't the Grammy the most authoritative and fair music awards ceremony?" Gao Yuanyuan said.

"You are too naive." Shen Lang gently touched her cheek and said with a smile: "As long as it is voted by people, it is impossible to be fair, because everyone has different preferences and there will be bias."

As long as interests are involved, everything can be manipulated.

But then again, the Grammy Awards at that time were still okay, without so many scandals and controversies.

He was not pessimistic about winning the award, he just suggested that there was such a possibility.

At the same time, they were discussing it and there was also heated discussion outside.

It is unprecedented and unbelievable that a Chinese singer has received 12 Grammy nominations.

Both at home and abroad, major entertainment forums have become battlefields.

in the country:
"Brother Lang is awesome. He even launched the sweep mode all the way to America!"

The fans are naturally excited and proud.

"The first person in the Chinese music scene, the first person in the Asian music scene, will he become the first person in the world music scene in the future?"

Some people began to look forward to Shen Lang's future achievements.

"Have you ever seen anyone open champagne at the beginning of a show? Nomination does not mean winning an award. There are four people who are better than him. Can he beat them?"

Some people are also sarcastic.

……

Abroad:

"Is it possible? A singer who is not American, not even from the American music scene, is nominated for so many awards?"

Questions arose one after another.

"You're not surprised by this. In 1993, at the 35th Grammy Awards, 47-year-old Englishman Eric Clapton won six awards."

Some people also used historical events to respond to doubts, adding legitimacy to Shen Lang's nomination.

"The 10 songs in Shenlang's album are really strong in terms of both sales and quality. It is natural for them to be nominated and win awards."

There are also many voices recognizing Shen Lang's strength.

……

There are those who flatter, those who question, those who watch the show...they are too numerous to count.

On the first day of the new year, Shen Lang injected new vitality into the entertainment industry and provided everyone with new topics.

The heat exploded like a volcano.

(End of this chapter)