Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 335 Every April belongs to Shen Juan

Considering that European and American singers generally choose to release album singles on Fridays in order to achieve better first-week results.

所以对于音乐圈和全世界歌迷来说，今年四月份的几个重要时间节点分别是4月5号，4月12号，4月19号和4月26号。

On April 4, the long-awaited return of the Jonas Brothers' "Cool" and the South Korean girl group BLACKPINK's "KILL THIS LOVE" were not worth mentioning. One debuted at No. 5 on the Hot 27, and the other debuted at No. 41, but neither achieved very good results.

On April 4, due to the successive hits of the two premieres that sparked discussion, coupled with strong and phenomenal publicity, "Leviathan", which had been anticipated by countless fans and music lovers around the world for two months, was finally released.

And once it is released, it becomes an instant hit online!

Relying on the powerful and enthusiastic fan base in the Asia-Pacific region, Shen Juan broke almost all the records that could be broken in the fields of streaming and sales, and slaughtered the North American music scene!
While letting the world witness the power of Asia, he also further widened the gap between him and people like Ma Long, Harry Styles and Cockroach, becoming the undisputed leading male star of the new generation!

The day when the latest weekly rankings of Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 are released is the day when Shen Juan, who has traveled across the ocean, will be gloriously crowned in this promised land!
He has become the one that people in this era must mention when discussing pop stars.

On April 4, the remix version and official MV of "Old Town Road" were released, helping TikTok's cowboy challenge and the song itself to reach new heights in popularity.

Shen Juan's name began to appear in the mouths of more people in North America and even elementary school students. The impact of Alex Fever further expanded and gradually spread to the sinking market.

Then, on April 4, which is tomorrow morning, the much-anticipated first single from Taylor Swift’s new album will be released.

And because Taylor revealed as early as the end of last year that the singer she would be collaborating with this time was Shen Juan, whom she likes very much.

Therefore, this collaborative single between the two attracted the attention of Shen Juan's fans and a large number of passers-by, just like Alexana before, achieving a publicity effect of 1+1>2.

Of course, it is definitely not as violent as when Shen Juan promoted Leviathan some time ago and wanted to cover the entire world completely.

(Shen Juan’s publicity model is to die if he fails, leaving no room for retreat!

Unless a singer is absolutely confident in his album or urgently needs to announce his strong comeback, it is absolutely impossible for a singer who has been famous for a long time to be so ostentatious and high-profile.

After all, if their performance fails, this well-known joke will follow them throughout their careers.

No one wants to take such a risk when releasing a song.)
But this is her first project after signing a contract with Republic Records and Universal Music Group.

So Universal will naturally give her the best resources!

First, on the morning of the 13th, US time, Taylor changed the profile picture of his personal social platform from a black and white cover to a light and soft colorful cloud, and started a countdown to April 4 on his homepage. The countdown showed that there were less than 26 days left until that day.

Then we started offline simultaneous promotion.

The 13-day countdown began to appear on billboards and LED screens in places like Tokyo and New York's Times Square.

In addition, Shen Juan, who has been in the limelight recently and is expected to join the discussion of "the world's number one man", also joined in.

Not only did he repost the colorful cloud picture of Taylor's new album on his Instagram and Twitter social media accounts, he also took the time to do a live broadcast on Instagram. While promoting Leviathan and chatting and interacting with fans, he also mentioned Taylor's new song and shared some interesting stories that happened during their creation.

This collaboration between the two adds a lot of story and dramatic plots that the American people love to see.

It’s a pity that the waiting time is destined to be boring and long. The closer it gets to midnight, the slower time seems to pass.

No way.

Fans can only watch Shen Juan's latest materials.

For example, the recently aired American flagship talk show "SNL Saturday Night Live" is a way to kill time and pass the time.

Just like that, after a long wait by countless fans and music lovers, the time finally arrived at midnight on April 4th.

The first single from Taylor's new album, also the first collaboration single between Taylor and Alex, "ME!" is officially online!
It is early morning in Budapest, Hungary.

Fan Zhendong's performance in the World Table Tennis Championships was not ideal.

First, in the men's singles 1/8 finals, he lost to his teammate Liang Jingkun with a total score of 2-4 and failed to reach the quarterfinals.

In last night's mixed doubles semi-final, partner Ding Ning lost 0-4 to teammates Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen and missed the final.

Two consecutive defeats ended his journey in this World Table Tennis Championships early, and started his fishing days as a loser.

Although it is a pity and regrettable, he has never won the men's singles championship at the World Table Tennis Championships before, so he really wants to win it this time.

But life must go on.

There are so many formal table tennis competitions, big and small, and team training sessions. If you lose a game, will your mentality collapse?

Then you will accomplish nothing in this life.

So, as a loyal fan of Taylor Swift who is not yet known to outsiders, Fan Zhendong, upon hearing that his idol will release a song at midnight on April 4th, US time, which is six in the morning in Budapest, simply set an alarm for himself so that he can be the first to hear his idol's new song.

Just like how he followed the trend to support Shen Juan’s new patent Vitan some time ago, he skillfully opened iTunes and placed an order for his idol’s new song for US$1.99.

Then I put on my headphones, opened YouTube, found the song MV that was released simultaneously, and clicked to start playing with curiosity.

The song opens with a ferocious pink venomous snake coiling around. The snake was the logo of Taylor's previous album "Reputation", symbolizing darkness and revenge (when she was slandered by Kanye and the Kardashians and led to online violence, all American citizens used snakes to insult and humiliate Taylor).

But this time it was different. When the audience in front of the screen thought it was going to open its mouth to bite people, it turned into a butterfly.

This is not only a farewell to the previous stage, but also a declaration that the coming era will be colorful, sweet and gorgeous.

At this point, the main part of the MV officially begins.

Taylor and Shen Juan play a quarrelsome couple in the MV this time.

The two quarreled in French, and Shen Juan tried to calm Taylor Swift down, "You need to calm down!"

Taylor blamed him for blaming her in front of their daughter.

Interestingly, when the camera turned, the audience realized that the daughters Taylor was talking about were actually her two pet cats.

After saying that, he rushed out.

At the same time, the whole song officially begins.

"I promise that you'll never find another like me."

Then, through the lyrics, the male protagonist is told this truth:
It’s true that there are many beautiful women in the world, but there is only one like me. When it comes to lovers, I have to be the one.

Finally, Shen Juan, who still had love for her, was persuaded. He changed his clothes, jumped out of the window, grabbed an umbrella, and was determined to get his girl back at all costs.

“I know I tend to make it about me.”

“I know you never get just what you see.”

"But I will never bore you baby."

At this time, Taylor had changed into a pink waterfall skirt and was sitting on the unicorn, which symbolizes love, waiting for him.

There was a beautiful rainbow hanging in the sky, and on the roof stood a pink light sign with the word "Lover" on it.

In order to win back his girlfriend's heart, Shen Juan knelt on one knee and took out flowers and a diamond ring.

But Taylor remained unmoved.

It wasn't until he brought out Hakimi that Taylor stopped pretending to be angry.

Shen Juan also opened his heart, and the two people who had been arguing constantly before finally reconciled.

Although the entire MV seems to be about a love story of reconciliation, it actually conveys the theme of embrace and self-acceptance.

People often fall into self-doubt, but the most important thing is to try to accept and love your imperfect self.

Although the plot of the MV is somewhat different from the previously expected handsome man and beautiful woman idol drama plot, it is still very interesting.

Fairytale town, light tunnel, colorful castle. The shapes and scenes are constantly changing, and the special effects are overwhelming.

This song "ME!" is probably the most flashy yet extremely pleasing MV so far this year.

This also led to a rapid increase in the number of online comments on major platforms once the song and MV were released.

Fans obviously have a strong desire to discuss and complain.

【After several years of settling down and working hard, Taylor finally came to terms with herself, shed the black and white, and found her own color again. So Alex is the man who changed her? Where is Joe Alwyn? ? 】

[It's rare to meet a male singer who can make Taylor wear high heels with a clear conscience. Alex and Taylor in the same frame are very good for my eyes! The only problem is why are the styles so weird? It completely wastes Alex's advantage in appearance! Is there something wrong with Taylor's clothing style? ]

[The melody is brainwashing, the lyrics are cheesy, and the MV is abstract. The production level of Taylor's single has declined seriously. ]

[I feel the MV is too rustic and the lyrics are childish. Although I know Taylor wants to get rid of the influence of reputation, this is too thorough. Going from one extreme to another, even Alex, a fashion icon, has become a comedian. ]

[I will be happy whenever I listen to this song! Even if 100 million people say it is childish, I will still like to listen to it! ]

[Anyway, this song makes people happy, which is something that other songs by Taylor and Alex can't do. ]

[Isn't this song a bit too childish and joyful? Shouldn't the combination of Taylor and Alex have that kind of awesome aura? Why did they directly transform into Disney live-action cartoon actors in the MV? With Old Town Road, is Alex going to completely go for the elementary school student market this time? ]

[Oh no, Alex is not really trying to divide and brainwash Generation Z in the U.S. as the media says, hahaha! ]

[I don’t know whether it’s brainwashing or divisive, and I don’t make any comments on this song. I just know that Alex has been crazy this month, from the beginning of the month to the end of the month, from Leviathan to Old Town Road to ME. You can hear his new songs and see his news almost every time period.]

[Didn’t the host of the Time 100 Summit say it a few days ago? Alex is the revolution! He is changing this era through his works and influence.]

After listening to the song, a large number of netizens flocked to the comment section, and friendly exchanges and discussions as well as sharp criticism and questioning occurred one after another.

Overall, the reviews were mixed.

If this song was created by any other ordinary singer, it would undoubtedly be above the passing standard.

Not only will people not question, they will also give encouragement.

But this song is Taylor's work, and Alex was invited to collaborate with her, which will not satisfy fans.

Damn!

With such an awesome lineup, they only made a children's song? Aren't they treating us fans like treasures?

But no matter how much they curse or how much they doubt,

The initial results after going online were quite good.

After all, the combination of Taylor and Shen Juan is not inferior to the copy of "Unforgettable North American Love" Alexana who is supported by CP fans.

And no matter how much it is criticized, this song can still bring happiness to people and there is a fixed audience who likes it.

Anyway, Fan Zhendong likes it very much.

After watching the song MV, he felt that the negative emotions caused by the loss in the game had dissipated a lot.

So in order to vent his desire to share, he quietly logged into his unknown private Instagram account.

Then he left this message: [Taylor's songs always bring strength to Swifties. No matter what others say, I like this song very much. I also like the other collaborator of this song, the pride of our Chinese country and the glory of Asia, Alex Shen Juan! I hope to meet him in the future.]

(My favorite late summer has turned into a boring one)
On the 24th, I completed the shooting of the cover of the June issue of the American version of "VOGUE", which was jointly promoted by many luxury brands.

On the 25th, in order to get Coca-Cola to agree to let him perform at the opening ceremony of the UEFA Champions League final sponsored by Pepsi, after discussion and negotiation, Shen Juan filmed a global advertisement for Coca-Cola free of charge, which was planned to be released this summer, as compensation.

Then came April 4, the first day that "ME!" was released. Shen Juan continued to stay in the Big Apple City and complete the recording of the remix version of "Lover" with Taylor.

At that time, the original version, which is the solo version of "Lover", will be released first along with the album.

Their remixes will be released later when Taylor is ready to release a single to help it top the charts.

Shen Juan had no opinion on this.

Anyway, as the nominal second songwriter of this song (he gets his share of the money according to the ratio of the first songwriter, which is actually to take care of Taylor. She must get the first credit on the album's title song, and singing someone else's song will affect her image), he will get his share of the money no matter what.

So it's OK for her to do whatever she wants.

Anyway, his energy is definitely focused on the current Leviathan and the Leviathan Era tour in the second half of the year.

Those are the key albums and key tours that directly determine how much US dollars he can earn and how high he can soar.

After recording the song, I spent another half an hour with Taylor using her Instagram account to start a surprise live broadcast without any prior notice.

After sharing a few little Easter eggs from the MV with fans, today’s work task ends here.

A little after six in the evening.

Shen Juan politely declined Taylor's invitation to dinner, said goodbye to her and returned to the business car to reunite with his team.

Yangyang Jin is handling the latest work assignment on her tablet: Arsenal heard that Shen Juan will be holding a concert in London in early May, so they want to invite Arsenal's Asian ambassador to visit their Emirates Stadium and shoot a new promotional video or vlog for them.

The little assistant was holding a tablet and watching "The Longing for Life 3", which was newly launched on Mango TV today, with relish.

Shen Juan was holding his mobile phone and replying to unread messages on Kakao, a chat app specially used to contact South Korean friends.

18:03
Jisoo: [How long will it take to get there? ]

18:11
Alex: [It’s about a 20-minute journey.]

Jisoo: [Okay, I’ll wait for you to come and order the food! ]

Despite the current situation, it is not convenient for Shen Juan to have any overt dealings or contacts with this nominal former CP.

After all, the gap in their popularity at this stage is too big, and appearing in the same frame is tantamount to a unilateral blood transfusion for targeted poverty alleviation.

Moreover, Shen Juan had no good feelings towards her agency and didn't want Waiji to get any popularity from him.

But after all, we have known each other for a long time, and we often chat and share gossip with each other, and there is a certain ambiguity between us.

If we completely cut off contact for this reason, it would be a bit too much.

So after hesitating for a moment this morning, Shen Juan finally agreed to the request of having dinner with this friend whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

Just think of it as a change of mood and taste.

I have been eating a lot of meat and fish in the United States during this period. It is time to change my taste and try some plain Chinese cabbage.

The dinner venue was finally chosen to be a high-end and sophisticated Asian Fusion restaurant on the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel in Hudson Square.

Asian Fusion is Asian fusion cuisine. It is said that only non-Asians like this hodgepodge style.

But hearing is false and seeing is true.

Shen Juan was obviously not the type to just follow the crowd, so after discussing with Kim Ji-soo he decided to come over and find out what was going on.

Even if it really tastes bad, he will accept it.

After all, the greatest meaning of life lies in trying.

In my previous life, I didn’t have enough capital for trial and error, so I didn’t dare to do many things, which led to the loss of a lot of fun.

I will have to compensate you double in this life!
then
Then the two of them couldn't help but start complaining.

"Why is it so sweet?"

"Why is it so salty?"

"I told you to go eat Korean food with me!" Jin Zhixiu whispered for fear of being heard by the waiter, then looked around vigilantly, and after seeing that there was no one else around, she continued: "Most Asian Fusion food looks good but is not practical. It is suitable for taking pictures, but not for eating."

"Although that's what people say online, taste is as subjective as aesthetics. You have to try it yourself to know if they are right, right?" Shen Juan couldn't help laughing. He thought the way she shrugged her shoulders and looked around carefully was very funny, like a little white mouse.

"Besides, isn't Korean food just fried chicken and kimchi? It's not bad to eat it once or twice, but I really can't stand it after eating it for a long time. Don't tell me that I, a Chinese, don't have the right to comment on South Korean food. I was a trainee in South Korea for two years before, so I definitely have a say in this regard."

Not mentioning the famous delicacy "Army Pot" left by the American soldiers is already considered lenient and very considerate.

"You're going too far by complaining about Korean kimchi in front of me, a South Korean!" Kim Ji-soo pretended to be angry.

"You South Koreans are stealing our culture right in front of the 1.4 billion Chinese people! Isn't that too much?"

Shen Juan has always viewed the country, the people and the fans separately, and all his goodwill is reserved only for the fans who like him.

As for the country?

He has been very restrained by not turning into a Wolf Warrior and making political remarks. Do you still want him to become half a XX person like Jackie Chan?
impossible.

It’s different in the past.

If Big Brother Cheng dared to say this now, he would immediately be beaten up by angry netizens and told to get out of China.

Naturally, Shen Juan would not give up his nationality that had been with him for twenty years just for the sake of a few petty profits in certain countries' markets.

Upon hearing this, Kim Ji-soo was speechless for a moment. If she had taken a closer look at the outside world, she would have known that she was in the wrong and could not say anything.

So after a moment of silence, he sighed and said, "It's not easy for us idols to interfere in this kind of thing, because you know, artists in the South Korean entertainment industry, especially idols like us, have very little say. We have to do whatever they want us to do."

Shen Juan smiled at Jin Zhixiu, who looked a little embarrassed and guilty, to comfort her, and fully exerted his unifying value as a global idol to unite everyone. "It doesn't matter. It's their business if they steal. As long as you don't do such things, you will always be my friend."

"Okay." Kim Ji-soo nodded with mixed feelings. Although most of the time she had no power to refuse and had to do whatever the company asked her to do, she had to stabilize Shen Juan first, because she didn't want to lose Shen Juan, a friend who made her feel very excited and her hormones soared.

The atmosphere in the box gradually calmed down, and the two of them simultaneously turned their eyes to the brilliant night view outside the window.

As night falls and the lights come on, the lights from thousands of homes make the outline of the world's most developed city clearer and clearer. The colorful light reflected from the glass windows of the skyscrapers is like thousands of stars scattered across the sky, blending with the deep, dark night sky, and together painting a picture of the times.

It is undeniable that the New York night view constructed by the Americans who have accumulated a large amount of wealth and capital from all over the world through oppression and plunder is indeed shockingly beautiful, which reminds Shen Juan of the song Blind Light performed by the original Time and Space Bonsai on the 2020 VMA stage.

He performed on a transparent suspended viewing platform of a skyscraper, with helicopters filming the entire process in 360 degrees. Several cruise ships on the Hudson River lit fireworks for him, and citizens all over New York City shouted his name (the fireworks woke up all the residents in the surrounding communities and they cursed him).
I also want to perform on such a grand stage! I also want all the residents of New York to shout my name!
This is how a real man should live. I can take his place!

At the other end of the table.
Kim Ji-soo didn't think so much about it. She just simply felt that the night view of New York was many times more beautiful than that of Seoul.

Then all her attention was drawn to Shen Juan, who was sitting opposite her, his eyes reflecting the vast skyline.

Perhaps because of the dim lighting, everything around him seemed boring, except for him who was alive.

Looking at the man in front of her who had no expression on his face but made people feel his vigorous vitality and strong self-confidence, Kim Ji-soo couldn't help but feel an inexplicable throbbing in her heart.

I vaguely remember that when he was recording RM last year, he seemed to have finished the entire show with ease.

So where does his confidence and courage come from?
Is it appearance? Or ability? Or something else?
She was really curious about Shen Juan.

"Isn't the night view of New York beautiful?" Kim Ji-soo finally couldn't help but speak up and broke the silence between the two.

It is not easy to meet someone in a foreign country. She wanted to take the time to look at Shen Juan a few more times and say a few more words to him.

Shen Juan looked at the girl's reflection in the glass. She was looking at him and smiling foolishly, so he smiled and replied, "It's just so-so."

"You call this just average?" Jin Zhixiu frowned and asked in confusion, "Then why are you looking out the window? Is an average night view so attractive?"

Shen Juan turned around and smiled at her, "How do you know I was looking at the night view instead of anything else?"

"What else can be outside the window besides the night view?"

"Can't you see for yourself?"

Although Kim Ji-soo was still confused and didn't understand what it meant, she still obediently turned her head towards the window.

Then it quickly stopped.

She stared at herself in the glass window, smiling like a Pabo. Colorful neon lights appeared in front of her, lighting up her slightly widened eyes. Unconsciously, the curve of the corners of her lips became bigger and bigger, and the silly smile on her face became sweeter and brighter.

"What else is there outside the window besides the night view?" Shen Juan returned the girl's previous question to her without any changes.

Kim Ji-soo fell silent again, but unlike before, her breathing became rapid and her heartbeat quickened. Then she stretched out her hands to hold her little face, staring at Shen Juan's gentle smile reflected in the window.

"Hey, don't forget my question just because the scenery outside the window is so beautiful, Jisu-nim!"

After another 20 seconds of silence, Jin Zhixiu took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. She suddenly turned her head and looked seriously at Shen Juan's beautiful eyes that were smiling mischievously. "Shen Juan, do you know how damaging your words were to a girl with normal sexual orientation?"

"know."

"Then why do you keep saying that?"

"Because you're worth it."

Kim Ji-soo fell silent again.

This was the umpteenth time that night that she was too shy to speak because her heart was racing and her heart was beating fast.

Shen Juan easily penetrated her armor, and every word he spoke caused her "real damage".

She felt like a toy in front of this notorious amateur killer, the East Asian Sea King, and was easily manipulated by him.

He completely controlled the rhythm of the conversation!
But she was just obsessed with the feeling of being pulled back and forth, and being held in the palm of her hand and played with gently and delicately.

She had never met a man who made her feel so good in her life!

So just when she was about to force herself to respond and express her long-hidden feelings, she heard Shen Juan say with a smile: "If Ji Su, you haven't thought of what to say in reply yet, why not kiss for a while!"

"Forehead"

Without giving her any time to think or react, Shen Juan stood up and leaned his upper body in front of Kim Ji-soo, then leaned down to meet the expectations of the girl who was so close to him and had not had time to express them in words.

"Uh-huh."

Witnessed by the overhead chandeliers and the lights of Manhattan, the two kissed, expressing their lust to each other.

(End of this chapter)