Chinese entertainment, from radio love songs to superstars

Chapter 194: Nervous Taylor
Tiaobei, Xinso records.

"Fuck, do you have to be so exaggerated? 12 awards?" The president's face was filled with shock and disbelief.

"Let me correct you. It's a nomination, not an award," said the music director.

"The nominations are outrageous. When did the Grammys become cheap stuff?" The president's words were full of sourness.

Jealousy can indeed change a person beyond recognition. After seeing the list of nominees for this year's Grammy Awards, the president and the music director were both jealous of Shen Lang.

It’s not that they have any deep hatred with Shen Lang, but the decision they made at the time caused them to be criticized in a meeting at the head office, which was a very embarrassing thing.

Now everyone in the industry knows that they were the ones who let Shen Lang and Chen Yaochuan go, which makes them feel more pressured. The jealousy and regret in their hearts are intertwined, making it difficult for them to look at Shen Lang's great achievements with a calm attitude.

In fact, even if Xinsuo Records offered better conditions to retain him, Shen Lang would still leave. Chen Yaochuan might stay, but it doesn't matter anymore.

Let them be jealous, they are not the only ones who are jealous.

However, Shen Lang and Chen Yaochuan didn't care about these sour voices at all.

They choose to remain indifferent to the jealousy and criticism from the outside world.

Because they understand that their own value and achievements are not determined by the words of others, but by their own works and efforts.

Besides, there are far more voices praising them than those sour voices, so why not watch something that makes you feel better.

Moreover, a few days later, these "jealousy and criticism" will be added with "discomfort".

On January 1, the 5th Billboard Music Awards were announced in Las Vegas.

After receiving multiple Grammy nominations, Shen Lang once again became the most dazzling star at the awards ceremony.

Unlike the Grammy Awards and other awards where winners are decided by voting, the Billboard Music Awards are generated by Nielsen using U.S. sales, download, and playback data. The final winner is determined based on the performance of the year-end charts. It can be said to be very direct: whoever's song is more popular wins the award.

Shen Lang won 12 awards with his album "Shen Lang·Towering Waves".

——Most Popular Male Singer Award;
——Best Singles Chart Artist;

——Best Albums Chart Album;

——Artist on the Best Album Chart;

——Album of the Year;
——Artist of the Year;
——Song of the Year: "Uptown Funk"
——Best Singles Chart Song "Uptown Funk";
-- Best Country Song: "Need You Now"
——Best Pop Song: "Viva La Vida".

——The 11th award is the "Hot 16 Special Award" specially awarded for the single "Uptown Funk" winning the Billboard No. 100 for consecutive weeks.

——The 12th award is because as more and more websites launch paid music download projects, purchasing and listening to pop songs through the Internet has become an emerging cultural phenomenon. For this reason, the "Internet Download Music Award" was specially launched this year.

The main reason why Shen Lang was favored by the Billboard Music Awards was that his album sold a record 526 million copies in the United States.

This sales volume ranks among the top among non-American singers, and first among Asian and Chinese singers.

Moreover, this achievement was achieved in just four months and is not the final result, as the data for this award is from December 4 to November 2002.

Although it is difficult for an album to sell over 600 million copies, there is a very good chance of reaching 700 million or million copies.

Shen Lang successfully broke into the American music scene with his album this time, winning numerous awards and making a fortune.

You said that those who were previously "jealous and critical" of his Grammy nominations, now seeing him sweep the Billboard charts, should add "uncomfortable".

He is personally very happy. It is one thing not to care about honor, but he is naturally in a good mood after winning the award.

But having said that, the Billboard charts have a great influence, but the Billboard Music Awards have a moderate influence.

Once you leave the United States and use this award as a way to show off your face, people will just say, "Ah? What kind of award is this?"

In comparison, the Grammy Awards, like the Oscars, have a huge influence worldwide.

Foreign singers are as keen on competing for awards as domestic singers. In China, once a singer wins the Golden Melody Award, he or she can be crowned as the "King and Queen of Pop", while abroad, the core of the competition is who won the Grammy, who got it first, and who won more.

This competition fully reflects the high importance the music industry attaches to awards and the key role of awards in measuring the achievements and status of singers.

Those singers who win the Grammy Awards will undoubtedly gain wide recognition and praise, and will be able to achieve greater breakthroughs and development in their music careers.

It is no exaggeration to say that if you win the Grammy Award, it doesn’t matter even if you don’t win any other awards; but if you win a lot of other awards but not a Grammy Award, you will be overshadowed in the competition.

The Grammy Award is like a magic key that opens the door to the international music stage. For a singer like Shen Lang who aims to become a "world superstar", he must get a Grammy trophy to start a more glorious journey on the international music stage.

Wait another two months and the suspense will be revealed.

Prior to this, Shen Lang met foreign artists under Jingtao Music in New York, including Rihanna, Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Chris Hemsworth and OneRepublic, all of whom are expected to be world-class singers in the future.

Like Adele, who was only 16 years old at the time and had not yet experienced the pain of heartbreak, she wrote the tear-jerking song "Someone Like You" that made the whole world feel heartbroken.

Or Lady Gaga, who at 18 is currently attending New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and is still years away from becoming one of the most commercially successful artists.

Like Katy Perry, although she has been exposed to music, she is just exposed to it. Her name is still "Katherine Elizabeth Hudson" and has not been changed to the "Katy Perry" who is very popular on the world stage.

Oh, and Taylor.

Shen Lang did not ask her to come to New York, but went to Nashville before returning to Yanjing.

Bluebird Cafe is a gathering place for many music lovers.

Asian faces like Shen Lang are rare here, and with the sharp-eyed Ma Qi beside him, he attracted attention as soon as he appeared.

"(English) He looks like Shenlang!"

"Hiss...what do you mean by similar? It's just that, although I think all Asians look the same, he is still different."

People began to talk in low voices, their eyes focused on Shen Lang.

"Boss?" Taylor, who was waiting to sing at the side of the stage, also saw them and had an expression of disbelief on his face.

At the same time, many questions surged in her mind: Why did the boss come? Was he here for me? What should I do?
Shen Lang saw her, smiled at her, then found an empty seat with Ma Qi and sat down, ordering a drink.

"Taylor, it's your turn." At this time, the waiter urged Taylor to go on stage.

She originally wanted to go to Shen Lang, but then she changed her mind and realized that no matter why the boss came, what she had to do now was to respond with the best performance.

So she took a deep breath, suppressed her excitement and doubts, and walked onto the stage with firm steps.

“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..."

Taylor played and sang Shen Lang's country song "Need You Now" by himself.

This is the song she sings the most in this place, because everyone loves to request it and she herself particularly likes to sing it.

A melodious tune flowed from her fingertips, and her moving singing echoed throughout the cafe.

Shen Lang looked at Taylor on the stage quietly, with a slight surprise in his eyes.

Taylor, who is only 15 years old, already has unique charm. Her confident posture and flying style shine like a bright star.

Obviously, her success is no accident.

"Excuse me, are you Shen Lang?" Finally, someone couldn't sit still anymore and ran over to confirm his identity.

"I think it should be." Shen Lang's tone was relaxed and natural, and he was not surprised to be recognized.

"Wow, I like your songs very much. I have listened to all your Chinese albums. I am your loyal fan. Can you sign an autograph for me?" The blonde beauty's eyes were shining with excitement and her face was filled with joy.

"Sure." Shen Lang took the pen and signed his name on the notebook she handed over. "Thank you." The beauty happily returned to her seat.

I don’t know what she said to her friend, but the two beautiful girls at the same table also ran over to ask Shen Lang for his autograph.

With this initiative, the cafe suddenly became lively.

People gathered around, their eyes full of anticipation and excitement.

"I would like to ask, when will your next English album be released?" a fan asked expectantly.

"Soon, probably in March." Shen Lang replied with a smile. His words were like a shot of stimulant to the fans, making them full of expectations for the new album.

……

"I saw the promotional poster for your world tour. When will the tickets go on sale?" another fan asked anxiously.

"Soon, in the middle of this month." Shen Lang's answer was brief and clear, but it made the fans very excited, and they began to plan to grab tickets.

……

"I wish you win a Grammy Award." A fan sent his sincere blessing.

"Thank you." Shen Lang's smile was full of gratitude.

……

In the fiercely competitive entertainment industry, knowing how to maintain relationships with fans is one of the important factors for an artist to succeed.

So when facing questions from fans, he always kept smiling, patiently answered every question, and showed great affinity.

This not only made fans feel his sincerity and warmth, but also further deepened their love and loyalty to him.

After a long time, the cafe gradually returned to calm.

Taylor finished singing the song early, but Shen Lang was surrounded by people and her small body couldn't squeeze through.

She could only wait anxiously by the side, looking in Shen Lang's direction from time to time.

Finally, after everyone had left, she was able to see Shen Lang.

"Boss." She greeted him a little nervously.

"Sit down and talk." Shen Lang pointed to the seat opposite him.

Taylor sat down obediently, and the tension in his heart eased a little.

Shen Lang looked at her with admiration in his eyes, and praised her again: "You sing very well."

These few simple words made Taylor feel warm in her heart. Her face turned red and she quickly said, "Thank you, boss."

Her father, as a stockbroker, has been in the business world for many years and is very shrewd. He has his own considerations about what kind of company his daughter should choose.

The previous company made big promises, claiming that they would wait until his daughter turned 18 before releasing an album, so he decisively let his daughter leave.

In his opinion, it doesn’t matter whether the company is old or not. The key is whether he can value his daughter. After all, no matter how many resources an old company has, it is meaningless if he doesn’t give them to his daughter.

He has accumulated some money over the years and if it doesn't work out, he can buy shares in a company for his daughter or even start his own company to support his daughter, but this is his last card and he will not play it unless it is absolutely necessary.

When Shen Lang's company came to him and offered the terms and conditions that could be written into the contract to release an album within a year, and Shen Lang's English album happened to be a big hit, he learned more about the relevant information, discussed with his daughter, and decided to let his daughter join.

Just as they had hoped, the company started producing an album for Taylor immediately after signing the contract.

The key is that there is a lot of freedom here. Taylor can use his own songs, or Shen Lang's songs, or even songs purchased by the company.

This free creative environment made the father and daughter very happy, and they deeply felt that they had made the right choice.

For Taylor, such freedom means that she can give full play to her creative talent and show her unique musical style.

For her father, it was undoubtedly a huge comfort to see his daughter being able to develop her music career in a free and supportive environment.

However, every gain has its price, and what Taylor paid for was a long-term contract.

Shen Lang runs a company, not a charity. Artists who are promoted with huge resources must be tied down.

You can part ways amicably, but you have to leave behind things of equal value.

He is not afraid of what others will say, "All crows are black," because those companies are evil in that they exploit the artists to the extreme and do not give them a chance to survive. He is different. After the exploitation, the treatment he gives out is very good.

It is also this point that makes these artists willingly sign this contract.

Taylor was delighted to be valued so much by Shen Lang.

She has always admired Shen Lang's musical talent and regarded him as a role model. She longed to be able to express her emotions and stories through music like Shen Lang, touch people's hearts, and become an excellent singer-songwriter.

She had seen Shen Lang praising her in Chen Yaochuan’s email before, and she was secretly delighted and was looking forward to meeting Shen Lang.

And when she is free, Taylor will think about the scene of their meeting. She imagines herself standing in front of Shen Lang elegantly and confidently, showing her talent and charm with wonderful words, and how Shen Lang will respond. Maybe he will be amazed by her musical talent and give her more resource support, or even accept her as his disciple.

These beautiful imaginations kept emerging in her mind, making her full of longing for the meeting that had yet to come.

However, what disappointed her was that in the six months since she joined the company, she had not received a single phone call or email, let alone a meeting.

This huge gap made Taylor's mood plummet from the clouds to the bottom of the valley. She began to doubt whether she was really valued by Shen Lang as she imagined, and a sense of loss and frustration surged in her heart.

All the "loss and frustration" that once lingered in Taylor's heart disappeared at this moment, and this meeting scene was completely beyond her expectations. She never thought that Shen Lang would come here in person.

Originally, all the "elegance and confidence" and "wonderful words" she had prepared were of no use when she saw Shen Lang because of the nervousness that surged into her heart like a tide.

"What would you like to drink?" Shen Lang's tone was calm and friendly, as if he was talking to a familiar friend.

"Coffee is fine." There was still a hint of nervousness in Taylor's voice, but he was much more relaxed than before.

"Do you often sing here?" Shen Lang noticed her nervousness and began to distract her.

"Well, I come back every weekend, and more often during holidays." Taylor's nervousness gradually decreased, and his answers became more fluent.

"By the way, how's the song practice going? We'll start recording the song and shooting the MV this month, and try to produce it next month, and then promote and distribute it. It will be released directly after the first performance at my concert in March." Shen Lang said casually.

"I'm very familiar with it, but I don't know if I've met the boss's requirements." Taylor's words were full of confidence in the results of his hard work, but also a little bit of uneasiness.

“Then, I’ll arrange for you to shoot the MV this month, and when I attend the Grammy Awards next month, I’ll help you record the song.” Shen Lang believed in her potential and talent, but she was too young at the moment, and she was self-taught, so she lacked experience. He would give her some guidance to help her grow faster on the road of music.

"Okay, thank you boss." Taylor was surprised when he heard Shen Lang's words.

After chatting for a cup of coffee, the girl gradually relaxed under Shen Lang's guidance and started to talk.

They talked about everything from trivial matters in life to musical dreams, and the topics were broad and in-depth.

During this process, Shen Lang also changed his understanding of her from the Internet in his previous life to her real understanding. She has many facets, with a naive, sweet and pure side, as well as a mature, confident and self-assertive side.

Taylor felt the same way, feeling his true side.

In the evening, Shen Lang invited her and her family to have dinner together.

However, good times are always short-lived, and he left that night.

He returned to Yanjing with 12 trophies. As soon as he got off the plane and walked through the passage, the media reporters who had been waiting for a long time swarmed around him.

Flashlights kept flashing and reporters asked all kinds of questions, making the scene very lively.

(End of this chapter)