Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 422 Rule Begins at the Start of the Year

After watching the fireworks and celebrating the New Year, Shen Juan spent the entire New Year's Day in Chongqing, stopping and starting. Then, on the 2nd, he ended his holiday early and set off for Thailand—he was about to hold his first concert in Southeast Asia in Bangkok.

This is not only an important part of his efforts to give back to his fans in Southeast Asia and expand his popularity and influence, but also his first contact with entertainment capital in Thailand and even the whole of Southeast Asia, so he naturally needs to make sufficient preparations in advance.

On the private jet bound for Bangkok, Shen Juan was browsing trending news about himself to pass the time.

#ShenJuanChongqingConcert#
#Tian Xiwei's New Year's Eve in Chongqing#
#Cheng Xiao's Instagram update shows she's in Chongqing#
As one of the most prominent and high-profile celebrities in China today, Shi Nan's complicated private life has always been a focus of public attention.

Add to that his model-like physique (almost 1.9 meters tall with shoes on) and superstar aura, and the odd combination of one man and three women all wearing masks, and it's hard not to attract attention on the street.

So, when Shen Juan accompanied BIG3 to celebrate the New Year in Chongqing yesterday and the day before, he was indeed recognized by sharp-eyed passersby.

As a result, these videos and photos of "encountering" Shen Juan and his three companions at various famous scenic spots and streets in Chongqing were posted online and quickly became a hot topic, attracting many fans and netizens to discuss them.

[No wonder I didn't see Shen Juan on the list of performers for New Year's Eve concerts announced by various TV stations recently. Turns out he wasn't busy preparing for his own concert, but rather busy dating his girlfriends for New Year's Eve. No wonder the Tencent Video All Star Awards gave Yang Mi the cold shoulder; she really wasn't good enough for them!]

However, judging from these videos and photos, the chemistry between these individuals seems quite good.

[If I remember correctly, Chongqing is Tian Jie and Zhou Ye's hometown, right? Wow! They really know how to have fun! How romantic!]

[Haha, it's already been clarified. That person wasn't Juanjuan; it's someone who likes to cosplay as Juanjuan. He himself said so. The other three aren't Tian Jie, Cheng Xiao, or Zhou Ye either; they're his friends. I'm speechless. Do those people who threaten to unfollow him even know Shen Juan?]

[Whatever, if it's true, it's true! Some people shouldn't hate me so much. Every time there's a relationship scandal, they rush to judge my private life. But I just want to ask, what's wrong with dating? Does it affect his work and career? Does it prevent him from becoming the world's number one male and bringing glory to the country? If you're so capable, why don't you try dating multiple people?]

[Shen Juan, holding Cheng Xiao in the night view of Nanshan, is such a manga-like man! That profile shot is killing me a million times! If there were a few more shots of him, and a few more clear shots, I could swoon forever! I'm so envious of the wives! I want to date a man like that too! I feel like my whole life would be carefree!]

[The contestants from contestant number 101 are too strong, hindering contestant number 202 from getting ahead. Let's weaken them.]

[One man and three women? I'm seriously speechless. Shen Juan has really mastered the art of managing a fishpond, hasn't he? He's got his cake and eating it too! So, is he secretly saying "I like you," "I miss you," and "I love you" while simultaneously hugging and cuddling with other women? His scumbag nature is showing through, isn't it? Are all his female fans brainless? Shen Juan's existence is the biggest blow and harm to independent women of the new era! Have you bunch of Ding Bao fans completely disregarded the dignity and interests of the entire female population?]

Once their idols, whom fans have supported with money, time, and energy, achieve financial and social freedom, they will only focus on seeking true love. This is why many fans of initially popular celebrities later prefer lesser-known, hardworking idols. Rather than supporting a scumbag, they'd rather support their idol, Xiao Zhan.

[God Jin! All your achievements in ten lifetimes combined wouldn't reach Shen Juan's level. So what if you're dating? I'm not one of you dreamers who fantasize about marrying and dating your idols every day. You'll never understand the emotional bond and connection between us and Shen Juan!]

I've been a fan of Shen Juan for almost three years, and following him all this way has been quite moving. Not being a fan myself, it's really hard to imagine the immense pressure and obstacles he faced on his journey. I'm not trying to elicit sympathy or pity; I just feel he truly has had a tough time. Every pioneer who steps out of their comfort zone to pave the way for younger generations and work for the benefit of the entire group faces significant challenges. So, rather than calling this a celebrity romance scandal, it's more like a New Year's Eve escape for four ordinary people. Perhaps true happiness and joy lie in experiencing the ordinary yet passionate moments with loved ones outside the spotlight.

Ignore the comments from brainless haters and low-IQ netizens.

Judging from the comments of normal fans and netizens, it can be roughly seen that although the outside world's acceptance of Shen Juan's one-to-many relationship is not very high, the mainstream traditional thinking in society is still one-to-one, and this will never change.

Moreover, Guo Jia would not let things develop unchecked; he would often take direct action to suppress the heat of events.

After all, if women are objectified as resources, then all the best women will easily be concentrated in the upper echelons.

This is very detrimental to the current policies that encourage childbirth.

But at least the vast majority of people are already aware of and have initially accepted the fact that Shen Juan is raising fish globally.

Aside from a very small number of extreme groups and moral exemplars targeting Shen Juan, generally no one will hold this matter against him.

Because everyone has double standards.

Shen Juan is not an ordinary celebrity, so the public's standards and opinions about him will naturally be different.

So to put it bluntly, many people nowadays maintain a "none of my business" attitude towards Shen Juan's private life. They might make a few jokes when something happens, and then treat these revelations as gossip fodder, discussing Shen Juan in the same way they discuss their elder brother Cheng's romantic affairs.

From initially rejecting and refusing to accept Shen Juan as just an ordinary popular young idol, to later having mixed opinions after learning how popular Shen Juan was overseas, and now to the indifferent and amused mentality after Leviathan swept and dominated the global pop music scene, helping Shen Juan achieve the title of "World's Number One Male Artist".

The shift in public opinion precisely reflects the height of Shen Juan's career development and his gradually rising status within the industry.

Then there's the matter on the Japanese side.

Shen Juan's pre-recorded performance of "Monster's Flower Song" for the Red and White Song Festival received very positive feedback after it aired.

Many people have said that Shen Juan actually performed quite well on the Red and White Song Festival stage last year.

At the time, "Pretender," which was already popular all over the island, broke through its niche and entered the working class with this stage.

This not only greatly increased Shen Juan's popularity in Japan, but also laid a solid foundation for his album Leviathan released this year and his subsequent world tour.

But it seems he is still making progress.

People still haven't seen where his potential lies.

He's incredibly handsome on stage!
He was incredibly steady on stage, like he'd taken a CD!

Without a doubt, his singing skills have reached a new level through a year of honing them!
then
Fans became increasingly supportive and devoted to him, and began to spontaneously increase their promotion of him on various online forums.

As casual listeners and fans increasingly recognized his talent, a habitual mindset began to form where they were willing to buy his albums and spend money on him.

Then more and more people of different ages became fans of his for various reasons.

This directly led to a resurgence in the popularity and attention surrounding Morpho butterflies, as well as a rebound in their sales growth rate, which had been gradually slowing down and stabilizing.

To date, in just two weeks, Morpho has successfully surpassed the two million sales mark in Japan.

In addition, through various marketing methods and word-of-mouth promotion, "Dried Flowers" gradually became popular on the Japanese internet.

And "I LOVE," which has been confirmed as the theme song for the TBS television drama "Love Continues Forever" (a popular drama with good ratings and online popularity).

This album, *Morpho*, may or may not be able to break one long-standing record after another in Japan like Leviathan did in the North American music scene, becoming a super album that marks an era.

Given ample time for development and sales, surpassing Arashi's 20th anniversary album in terms of quantifiable commercial success should be no problem.

It can only be said that this is probably the result of a top-tier global celebrity's massive fan base (initial sales), coupled with a diverse range of styles, catering to the market as comprehensively as possible, and appealing to a broad audience of all ages (long-term potential).

In the streaming era, where it's crucial to quickly retain listeners, it's not necessary to establish a clear core concept to attract a core audience, nor is it necessary to deliberately create conflict.

Because this would mean creating a framework that locks in the upper limit.

Shen Juan's idea from beginning to end was to attract die-hard fans through all aspects of himself and to open up a casual audience through his songs.

Therefore, what he should really do is to use his inclusive ambition to forge niche aesthetics and popular resonance into an invincible artistic weapon, and to turn as many passersby and fans as possible into his fans and his loyal supporters.

Whether it's songs or movies and TV dramas, they are all sources of nourishment.

After reading the news, Shen Juan then began editing and revising the lyrics of the dozen or so songs from his third English album on his notebook.

【So make the friendship bracelets.
Take the moment and savor it.
You've got no reason to be afraid.
You're on your own, kid.
Yeah, you can face this.

(Song title "You're On Your Own, Kid")
This is the song that Shen Juan previously revealed was inspired by letters from fans around the world, based on their personal stories and current feelings of confusion.

Although Baoqiang (humorously translated as Baoqiang should be self-reliant) did not have a particularly outstanding performance in the original timeline in terms of business achievements.

He ended up with a mediocre Billboard Hot 100 peak ranking of either 7th or 8th.

It's not exactly a hit song.

But Shen Juan still took it.

the reason is simple.

His album already has several singles that are commercially viable enough to ensure he doesn't suffer his first career setback, making Camila Cabello's "prediction come true."

Therefore, rather than pursuing the ultimate commercial attributes like Leviathan, he hopes to take this opportunity to give the work more diverse value and take into account other aspects.

Cultivating a fan culture is an important part of this.

"Baoqiang" is like a key that can effectively unite the emotions of fans around the world, occupy a unique place in their hearts, and become a spiritual bond that belongs exclusively to them.

What's even more interesting is that the lyric "So let's weave a friendship bracelet" perfectly echoes the friendship bracelet merchandise launched during the Leviathan Era tour, creating a more tangible connection between the music and the fans.

So there's nothing to hesitate about anymore.

We pay tribute to and thank the future Taylor.

Then we directly included this song in the album.

After all, sometimes you have to create a few songs specifically for your fans so that they can remember your feelings and continue to love you for a longer and more passionate time.

Then I spent about twenty minutes perfecting the lyrics for "Go Crazy" and "My Ex's Best Friend," two songs that I need to film music videos for after attending the Grammys in Los Angeles at the end of this month. (The former is originally sung by Chris Brown, and the latter by mgk; both are hit songs that are around number 20 on the yearly charts, capable of supporting the mid-level structure of an album's commercial performance.)

Shen Juan closed his laptop, stretched his limbs in his seat, and glanced at Yangyang Jin, who was working on her tablet. He casually asked, "Yangyang, do you think LV will object if I mention other brands in my lyrics?"

"That depends on what brand you mentioned."

Yangyang Jin is helping Shen Juan coordinate his schedule for January: While touring in Australia, Shen Juan also needs to attend the Spring Festival Gala rehearsals in China, as well as some brand events such as the Xiaomi launch event, and the English major's music video shoot, so his schedule is quite tight.

"Gucci and Prada."

“That might raise objections, since these three are competitors. So why did you bring up these two brands? Our cooperation with LV is currently quite pleasant. Other luxury brands can't offer LV such good resources and treatment. You shouldn't have any need to pressure us, right?” Yangyang Jin said, puzzled.

Hermès does have a higher level of prestige than LV.

But Hermès doesn't use brand ambassadors.

Moreover, its sales volume cannot compare with LV.

Therefore, all things considered, LV, with its current incredibly high brand value and prestige, is the most suitable brand for him to endorse.

Would you believe me if I said it was just for the sake of rhyming?

“You singers can make up anything to write lyrics, for example, you often make up stories in your lyrics.”

What Yangyang Jin can't stand the most is that Shen Juan is living the life of a protagonist in a wish-fulfillment novel, yet he likes to play the victim in his lyrics.

What heartbreak, what depression, what deep affection?
For a fish-loving addict like me, is a beaver really writing songs and singing lyrics like these?

Of course, Shen Juan was already in a lot of control.

At least those songs filled with bitterness and hatred will not appear in his music library, no matter how good they are.

For example, with the song "Some You Loved," he simply couldn't imagine himself singing it.

Moreover, he has always been very clear-headed and rational.

"It's normal to make up stories for songwriting. After all, songwriting is like making a movie. Songs that focus on self-expression often fail to resonate with the public and generally do not achieve good commercial success. So, only by finding the right angle and writing lyrics that cater to the public's emotions can one achieve success."

Many artists with personal aspirations like to write an album that expresses their attitude after achieving success.

This is cool.

The problem is that they often fail miserably, and some even fail to the point of affecting their entire career development.

Perhaps the fans are happy.

But passersby didn't buy it at all. Why should we pay money to listen to your sentimentality and feel your melancholy?
It's fair to say that not everyone can write so many popular songs like Taylor Swift, drawing upon her rich emotional experiences and a deeply emotional inner world. In a sense, it's not entirely wrong for American media to praise her as one of the greatest lyricists of the 21st century.

After all, it's not about mindlessly piling up words; writing lyrics like prose poems doesn't mean the lyrics are well-written and beautiful.

The key is sincerity.

If you can express emotions that move people, what does it matter if you express them in a simple and unadorned way?

But speaking of Taylor
Shen Juan did indeed have a conversation with Taylor during this period.

Taylor plans to launch a global tour for her new album Lover this year and asked Shen Juan if he had time to come and visit.

She also mentioned that she plans to release a new album in the second half of this year and wants to continue her collaboration with Shen Juan from last year. Both of their singles from last year, whether it was "ME!" led by Taylor Swift or "Lover" with Shen Juan as the creative core, achieved fairly good commercial success.

Therefore, the Republic also wants their top male and female stars to continue their cooperation, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results together!
Shen Juan replied almost without thinking, "Taylor, you know we're friends. Whenever and wherever you need me, I'll be there. I value friendship and emotional connection a lot, so as long as we don't have any conflicts, I'll always stand by your side and support you."

These words deeply moved Taylor!
I never expected that ordinary friends with whom I had only had a few musical collaborations would act so loyal and sincere!
Are all Chinese people this sincere?
No wonder Ariana, who is not dating Shen Juan, always speaks highly of him in front of the media and her friends!
Alex is indeed a very outstanding man!

This greatly increased her affection for Shen Juan, elevating her from an ordinary friend to a close friend.

But for Shen Juan, it was actually not so bad.

Because he knew there would be a sense of obligation this year, and Taylor wouldn't be able to hold a tour, he could easily make promises that didn't need to be kept.

Another very important reason is that Taylor Kanye's complete phone recording will be released to the public by hackers in March. When the truth comes out, coupled with the re-recording of the album, Taylor will usher in the second spring of her career. More than ten years of hard work will suddenly explode, and her rise will be unstoppable.

Moreover, he knew that he, as an outsider from China, could not truly and continuously dominate the American popular market.

Whether to save face or for other reasons, they will always find someone to stand up to him.

Therefore, cultivating a good relationship with Taylor, the future "Queen of the World" from whom there are not many conflicts of interest at present, will be of great benefit to his future development and public opinion management.

After all, it's much better to generate buzz with friends you know than to be paired with strangers and called "two stars"!

(Wajuan also has a similar divine image taken in Shanghai, which has become a concrete representation of the Chinese dream in the hearts of countless Southeast Asian fans.)
After landing in Bangkok, he began to systematically accept interviews from major media outlets and meet with senior executives of major capital firms.

Although Shen Juan's concert in Thailand can definitely be considered a targeted poverty alleviation effort, he aims to win the love of fans all over the world and become an idol of the times. Naturally, he will not show an arrogant attitude or act like a big shot like Allen Iverson did when he came to China to attend an event, and he will not treat the love from local fans perfunctorily.

So the main focus is sincerity.

The main principle is to treat everyone equally.

Whether you're a fan of American or Thai culture, you're still a fan!
He would give 100% enthusiasm to their selfless support and pure affection.

Meanwhile, Shen Juan and Ariana Grande's collaboration on "Rain On Me," following their previous hit "Senorita," was finally released on major music platforms after a week of intensive pre-release promotion across the United States. Many fans naturally ordered and started listening to it on iTunes as soon as possible.

Many YouTubers also started live streaming to share their immediate reactions while watching the music videos with their fans.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the viewers in the live stream, they hummed along softly to the melody of the song or started swaying to it.

Because it's really addictive.

Although the two didn't present the same exaggerated sexual tension as in "Senorita" in the music video, it was still just as good to listen to and watch!
This also led many fans who listened to the song and watched the music video to leave their comments on various social media platforms.

[Alexana is real! Alex and Ari are kicking off the third decade of the 21st century together, and this drives me crazy!]

[The collaboration between the porcelain-breasted boy with a captivating face and the black-skinned, white-bodied girl with a neon-sounding name has left my stomach churning. God, please forgive my blasphemy and transgression against this incredibly charming Asian boy through the screen. Love comes from Brazil.]

[It's much better than the new single "Yummy" released on the same day by the other artist next door. That song is truly a piece of trash that pollutes my ears.]

[Alex said in his last song that he wanted to save your tears for other more valuable things, but immediately in the ROM he used the heavy rain to cover up his frantic crying, turning the world upside down for love. It just goes to show that all men in the world are the same, they are all fickle. Alexa and Na are teaming up again, the music charts are in danger.]

In an interview, Alex stated that men also have the right to cry and revealed that he deeply sympathized with everything Ari had gone through. "Rain On Me" is a celebration of tears; although it has a strong dance rhythm, the message it conveys is one of suffering a devastating blow. He explained that the song was originally scheduled for release on the third anniversary of the May 5.22nd Manchester terrorist attacks, but Ari was brave enough to use all her courage to sing it to everyone as a gentle, spring-like tear. Therefore, she ultimately chose to release it in early 2020, heralding a new beginning.

[The stadium in the background corresponds to Manchester! (crying) So this song is a healing single that Alex wrote especially for Ari? No wonder Ari said recently that meeting Alex was the luckiest thing that ever happened to her, and she will never forget the touching moments Alex brought her. Alex is so warm-hearted!]

[Those two years were truly tragic and heartbreaking for Ari. Her concert was the victim of a terrorist attack that resulted in the deaths of 22 fans and injuries to 116 others. She suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and even considered retiring from the music industry. Not long after, her ex-ex-boyfriend suddenly passed away, and then her ex-boyfriend abruptly called off their engagement. It's remarkable that she didn't break down after such a series of blows. Fortunately, she later met Alex. Even though they aren't a couple and even though they both have their own lives, I hope they can remain lifelong friends!]

Initial reviews and sales figures were excellent.

If ROM really manages to win the championship this week, it will be very important news for both parties involved in the partnership.

Ariana Grande will achieve her fourth number-one single, and all of them will be undefeated, which is enough to prove her current popularity!

Shen Juan will also achieve his eighth Billboard number one single, surpassing Justin Bieber's seven, and tying with Mars for the most number one singles among the new generation/super generation of singers. Even if female singers are included, he is second only to Rihanna and Katy Perry!
Such outstanding achievements will help him further consolidate and maintain his dominant position as the "world's number one man in the streaming era".

Therefore, facts prove that:
Despite numerous setbacks and negative events over the past year, Alexana has remained steadfast.

In some ways, contractual relationships like these are actually more stable than real couples who have invested genuine feelings in each other.

Because real couples are very likely to have friction and conflicts over all sorts of small things, which can lead to a breakup.

But contractual partners won't.

They only teamed up to make money and generate traffic, so when conflicts arise, they will naturally consider the bigger picture and compromise.

Furthermore, their development paths do not have irreconcilable conflicts, and there is no possibility of a complete break at the moment.

So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this well-known fake CP relationship should continue for a very long time, until someone falls behind, turning this relationship into a one-sided charity. Otherwise, neither Ariana Grande nor Shen Juan would have any reason to give up such a substantial source of popularity.

(The MV's styling resembles that of a Balala the Fairies)
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(End of this chapter)