Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 429 The Golden Road
The awards ceremony officially began at 8 p.m.

The singer in charge of the opening performance was Lizzo.

Her "Truth Hurts" was number one last year.

This black woman, like Li Nacha, became famous through TikTok, but her talent is just as great as her weight.

Neither of them should be underestimated!
Following that, this year's host, Gunslinger, took the stage to offer her remembrance and remarks regarding Kobe's passing.

When the live stream camera focused on him, Shen Juan's expression was solemn.

Although he also made a big joke, it was impossible for him to really want to see such an outstanding, great, and influential basketball player pass away. Therefore, in such a solemn occasion and moment, he had to show the respect due to the deceased.

Then Gunner played the piano on stage and performed her adapted version of "Someone You Loved".

"Hot Rosalind, Beyonce takes us on a trip, we're obsessed with BTS, Her and Lewis Capaldi, the Jonas Brothers are back, Billie and Finneas, Ariana likes Alex calling her Senorita and doesn't want to say thank you to him, next up."

This special way of introducing all the celebrities and big names who are present tonight is a way of introducing them all.

The atmosphere at the scene became increasingly heated.

Alovers around the world, who were watching the Grammy Awards ceremony live through various means, couldn't contain their excitement and flooded the screen with comments to express their feelings.

Although the crucial moment to decide who gets the award has not yet arrived.

But they were already getting nervous.

They were even more nervous than Shen Juan himself!
After the Jonas brothers' performance ended, the live broadcast of the gala had been going on for half an hour, and the first winner of this year's Grammy Awards was finally about to be announced.

The first award presented was the Best Pop Single Performance Award, which is also known as Best Pop Artist (the translations differ).

"Welcome four-time Grammy winner Keith Urban, and Grammy, Tony, and Emmy winner, now with two Oscar nominations, Cynthia Erivo!"

As the music played, a middle-aged white man with long flowing hair and a bald black woman walked hand in hand onto the stage, holding envelopes containing the results, ready to reveal the suspense.

Cynthia, with her strikingly dark face, said, “The first award to be presented tonight is the Pop Music Individual Performance Award. As a woman named Aretha Franklin said, being a singer is a natural talent, which means I want to make the most of the gifts God has given me.”

Keith followed up with, "That's right, these five talented singers, like this Oscar nominee, have made the most of their vocal talents, and they are nominated for Best Pop Single Performance."

Short videos of each nominee began playing on the big screen.

Beyoncé's "Spirit".

Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy".

Ariana Grande's "7 Rings".

Lizzo's "Truth Hurts".

Shen Juan's "Blinding Lights".

After the nomination video finished playing, the presenter did not linger and immediately opened the envelope in his hand.

"The Grammy Award winner is..."

The room fell silent instantly, and the director quickly projected the live reactions of the five nominees onto the big screen.

Beyoncé didn't come; Billie Eilish chewed on a lollipop, seemingly absent-minded, but only she knew her true feelings; Ariana Grande looked nervous and serious; Lizzo closed her eyes and was praying to heaven, this Grammy trophy was very important to her; Shen Juan sat upright and calm.

At this moment, countless Alovers around the world are praying for Shen Juan, hoping he can achieve a winning start tonight.

“Alex Shennn!!!”

As Keith finished speaking, the chorus of "Blind Light" immediately started playing, and the Staples Center instantly erupted in cheers!

Almost all the guests applauded.

Even some people, such as Li Nacha and Ariana Grande, took the lead and stood up to offer their respects.

The fans in the stands screamed continuously.

There weren't many big stars tonight, and most of the stands were occupied by Alovers holding up red support items.

"Aaaaaaaaaa!!!"

Congratulations, Alex!

"I must offer you my sincerest respect!"

"Blinding Lights, truly deserving of the title!"

"I have a feeling you're going to kill the game tonight!"

Amidst the cheers and screams of the fans and the congratulations from his colleagues, Shen Juan stood up from his seat and hugged Ariana Grande, as well as Li Nacha, Maoshua, Pa Jie, and others who had come from afar to offer their blessings.

Then he steadily climbed the steps, walked onto the stage that was so close, and took his first phonograph from Cynthia. He held the first phonograph in his own hands and felt its weight, rather than having someone else accept the phonograph trophy on his behalf.

Shen Juan gripped the trophy tightly, his gaze sweeping over the still cheering audience in the stands. Trying to calm his excitement, he slowly walked to the standing microphone and began his acceptance speech: "To be honest, it feels like a dream. This feeling is wonderful! It's hard to describe the emotions I have right now."

“I remember three years ago at this time, I was in Seoul, South Korea, practicing desperately for that elusive chance of debuting. My dream at the time was to debut. Two years ago at this time, I sat in the audience watching superstars who usually only appeared on TV news go up on stage to receive awards and enjoy the cheers of the crowd. My dream at that time was to get a Grammy nomination. Last year at this time, I went home empty-handed and became a disappointment. So my dream became going up on stage to receive an award again.”

"And then today, and now, I am finally standing on the Grammy stage of my dreams, not as a performer, but holding a real trophy, giving my acceptance speech to fans and audiences all over the world, in front of everyone."

"This is absolutely incredible! Thank you Recording Academy, thank you Alovers, thank you all!"

The live stream camera then focused on Li Na and Ariana Grande, who were sitting in the audience, both of whom were very emotional and had tears in their eyes.

Not only did it make countless fans shout "Long live friendship!", but it also made them marvel at Shen Juan's legendary golden three years.

[The Grammys! The Grammys that every singer in the world dreams of! He wrote miracles with his sweat, his passionate and pure heart, and he will create even more miracles in the future! No matter when, no matter how far, I believe Alex and Alovers' hearts will always be connected.]

[It is because of his perseverance, growth, and passion over the years that he deserves his current glory and honor.]

Even as his dream became a reality, his original aspirations remained unchanged.

He's incredibly career-driven, especially evident when he first debuted. Every glance seems to say, "Look at me, love me!" Seeing him always gets me fired up! He knows exactly what he wants, what he needs to do, and how to do it. It's impossible not to love a man like that!

I remember Shen Juan saying something like this in a media interview three years ago: "I want to be someone remembered by the world, by everyone, and by society." Thinking about it now, it's truly touching. The young man at that time stood at the end of his life, looking back, the rugged path had long since blossomed into a beautiful landscape.

[Even though it's a scene that's appeared countless times in my dreams, why does it make me want to cry so much when it actually comes to life? But no matter what, I only know that liking him gives me something to look forward to every day, and he taught me the importance of loving myself before loving anyone else.]

[Our Juan Juan has grown to the point where he can overcome all resentment, prejudice, and opposition to step onto his own stage! All the previous neglect and malice have become fuel for him to soar into the universe! My youth and passion are all embodied in a person named Shen Juan!]

Everyone says Shen Juan became an overnight sensation, his rise to fame too sudden. He's a privileged individual, a resourceful figure, a lucky one. But only he knows the slander, the insults, and the dark lows in his life. Only true Alovers can see it. The world is eager to hear stories of young success, and someone will always join that ranks through talent and hard work. Our Shen Juan was never an overnight sensation; it's just that you happened to meet him that one night.

From trainee to idol in talent shows, from idol in talent shows to rapper, from rapper to pop singer, from pop singer to pop king, and now he has completely overshadowed The Bonsai, Justin Bieber, and others, making him the undisputed number one man in the world!

He steadily forged his own golden path, step by step, without arrogance or impatience, without discouragement or dissatisfaction!
Perhaps his path to success cannot be replicated.

Perhaps his philosophy of success is too profound.

But as long as you have some understanding of him, you will definitely be able to gain something and learn something from his story and experiences.

And that is precisely the key to becoming an icon of our time.

You first need to bring something to others that transcends material things, such as something spiritual, so that they can personally feel the values ​​and philosophy of life you are conveying, recognize your actions, and then intervene to influence and change their lives, ultimately becoming a symbolic figure of this era!
After giving a brief acceptance speech, Shen Juan handed the trophy to a staff member and then returned to his seat.

In the following time, Shen Juan, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and other guest performers took to the stage one after another to complete their performances.

It's worth mentioning that when Camila Cabello went on stage to perform, the live broadcast director mischievously switched the camera to show Shen Juan.

The male singer, who was "persecuted" the most in the Camila Cabello incident, blatantly rolled his eyes.

This genuine attitude of daring to love and hate has earned him countless fans and the goodwill of onlookers.

During the competition, the Best Hip Hop Album award was ultimately given to Tyler, The Creator, who is known as "Rap Dora".

The Producer of the Year award was given to Finneas.

It can only be said that Billie Eilish's brother is quite capable.

Even with simple equipment, you can still create great music that meets market aesthetics and exudes sophistication while staying in your bedroom.

Time passed and the party came to an end.

Finally, we arrived at the award ceremony for the general category's grand prize.

The award presenters were still a male-female pair.

Grammy legend Smokey Robinson and three-time Grammy winner Little Big Town joined forces to present the Song of the Year award (which prioritizes the songwriter's talent over the singer's performance), followed by the nominations for Song of the Year.

Lana Del Rey's "Norman Fucking Rockwell".

Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy".

"Bring My Flowers Now" by Tanya Tucker.

HER's "Hard Place".

Taylor's "Lover".

Shen Juan's "Blinding Lights".

"Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi.

Lizzo's "Truth Hurts".

"The Grammy Award is presented to..."

The live broadcast camera focused on the seven nominees in the audience.

Taylor did not attend for some reason.

The suspense wasn't maintained for long before the answer was revealed.

"Bad guy, Billie Eilish."

Music and applause immediately followed.

Meanwhile, fans and netizens watching the live stream were flooding the chat with question marks, clearly believing that the Grammys were blatantly cheating and engaging in shady dealings!

They couldn't accept that Blind Light, which was incredibly popular last year and achieved phenomenal commercial success, didn't win the Song of the Year award.

They also couldn't accept that Shen Juan lost to Billie Eilish, who was younger than him and habitually tried to piggyback on his fame, in the first award selection for the four major categories. There must be something fishy going on here! Some angry fans even went to the Grammys' official Weibo account to start ranting!

As for Shen Juan himself?
He was inevitably somewhat disappointed. But "Bad Guy" did deserve an award because it broke away from conventional composition patterns, playing with newer and more innovative ideas. Compared to "Blind Light," which conforms to the golden rules of pop songs and is more suitable for mass singing, it was indeed easier to win the favor of the judges.

In a 50/50 match where no clear advantage was established, it's understandable that the Grammys awarded the prize to one of their own.

Of course, that was the only way he could comfort himself.

After all, there are still the annual production and annual album to be announced, so he can't just leave now, can he?

That would be incredibly tasteless.

So Shen Juan generously stood up and applauded and congratulated the Canadian girl, who was touted as one of the "two prodigies of Generation Z" by media marketing: "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed, but I know you deserve this award, so go and enjoy your moment!"

It's not a pleasant feeling to watch others receive awards.

But this wasn't the first time he'd been a runner-up.

So he has to learn to accept these things happening.

Next, the second award presented tonight in the four major categories, Best Newcomer, was also awarded to the triumphant Billie Eilish.

The audience erupted in applause once again for the talented singer.

This is truly beyond reproach, and well-deserved.

Compared to other nominees like Li Na and Li Zhuo, Billie Eilish's album was a huge hit, giving her a clear advantage.

As a result, the viewers in the live stream, especially Shen Juan's fans whose anger had not yet subsided, started cursing again.

They served up two common dishes to whet the appetite right away; they've already decided that Billie Eilish is the Grammy's rising star this year!
Damn it! Tying Shen Juan together and calling them the Twin Heroes isn't enough!

They even tried to steal his prize!

This is absolutely shameless!
what?
You're saying Alex wasn't nominated for Best Newcomer this year?
It was DuaLipa who defeated him, not Billie Eilish?
I don't care if you're Duallipa or Dilraba, I'm just asking if Alex has won the Grammy for Best New Artist!

Why did Billie Eilish get the award he didn't?
Is Billie Eilish better than him?

But soon, the angry fans quieted down.

Because it's time to award the album of the year.

So they had no choice but to try different methods, such as praying to God or asking Guanyin Bodhisattva for blessings, hoping that Shen Juan could win the most important Grammy Award in history, become the biggest winner tonight, and completely establish his historical status in the music industry through this Grammy album!

The eight nominees this year are:

Bon Iver, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Her, and Alex Shen.

Actually, everyone has been pretty awesome this year.

Whether it's albums released by Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, or Shen Juan, they all deserve to have won awards in previous years.

However, there can only be one winner.

Currently, the most popular candidate to win the championship is clearly Shen Juan, who broke multiple records in the North American music scene with his Leviathan.

Not only did it receive rave reviews, but even if you combined the commercial success of his other seven albums, it wouldn't be as explosive as this one!
Moreover, with the joint marketing efforts of the record company and Shen Juan's team, there was a great deal of attention and discussion about the award's recipients. There were even rumors that if Shen Juan's album of the year wasn't awarded, it would mean that someone on the judging panel was a racist and that the Grammys had completely lost its credibility!
so.
Without further ado, let's reveal the suspense.

"Alex Shen!!!"

"Leviathan!!!"

In the face of absolute strength, there are no underhanded dealings.

The chorus of "Blind Light" plays again.

The Staples Center, which had been quiet for a long time, was once again ablaze with excitement after Shen Juan's failure to win the title of the year's single.

Instead of getting up from his seat, Shen Juan temporarily lost control of his expression and leaned back in his chair to let out a long sigh.

The tension that had been building up in my heart for the past few days suddenly dissipated, turning into an indescribable joy.

His colleagues stood up to offer him their blessings.

After regaining his senses, Shen Juan also stood up, responded to their congratulations, and walked towards the stage.

Ariana Grande said she never thought she could snatch this year's album from Shen Juan, after all, Leviathan is just too insane!

Li Nacha said he's so excited he wants to cry!

HER, who previously worked with Shen Juan on "Best Part," said that if Shen Juan didn't win the award, it must be a conspiracy!

Billie Eilish returned the exact words Shen Juan had given her half an hour earlier, saying that Leviathan was so awesome that no one could even think of competing with him. She could only worship such an amazing album, and then urged him to go on stage and enjoy his moment!

Standing on the stage once again, in front of the standing microphone, holding the phonograph trophy, with a large group of production teams behind him working on the album "Leviathan," Shen Juan inevitably felt a moment of unreal disorientation, but the cheers of the fans pulled him back to the wonderful reality.

They say I'm an opportunist.

They say I'm not a pure singer.

They denied my achievements.

They denied my feelings for my fans.

They said I was ambitious and had impure motives, believing that everything I did was clearly purposeful.

Their verbal attacks against me changed time and again.

But I went further and further, climbed higher and higher, and always stood at a height that they could never reach in their entire lives.

A dream that once seemed unattainable.

Now it's within reach.

All the depression and unease I once felt.

The smoke has now dissipated.

Only now have I realized this.
From 2015 to 2020.

From an unknown trainee to a Grammy winner.

Always by my side
It was me all along!

Shen Juan took a deep breath and began his acceptance speech: "Thank you! Thank you everyone who gave me applause and cheers! Thank you to the recording academy that awarded me this honor! Thank you to my beloved Alovers! Thank you to everyone who has helped me on my journey of growth!"

"At this moment, the world is watching, and you have given me a wonderful, dreamlike experience that I have never had in the first 21 years of my life! As an artist who yearns for, enjoys, and longs for stardom, I think I will never forget the feelings at this moment and the feeling of standing on this stage!"

Applause, cheers, and applause rang out again.

Almost all the guests at the scene stood up to pay their respects to the young singer who had just been crowned king.

The live streaming channels were also on the verge of collapse as far as too many fans flooded in to share their excitement.

The annual award is always the most prestigious Grammy Award.

The achievement of his annual special means that Shen Juan has finally made up for the last shortcoming in becoming the leading man in the world of "Hexagonal World".

In the future, the competition will no longer be about the level of "having or not having".

It's not about how much or how much accumulated depth there is.

Therefore, it's hard not to get excited and thrilled by this scene, especially for fans who are inspired by their idols making history!
They bought one of the fastest-growing stocks!

On stage, Shen Juan continued his speech.

“I remember someone asking me before, do you think you are tough enough? I don’t know if I am.”

"Because I didn't quite understand the specific meaning of the word at the time, and I never calmed down to seriously think about these things, but I felt that in order to fight against life and to fight against this crazy world, we have to be tough and strong in order to cope with the hardships in life."

"But as time goes by and I experience more and more, I have a deeper understanding of this word. Humans are very fragile and soft. They don't need weapons. A single finger can leave bruises and scars on our bodies. But this world is also very sharp."

"If we continue to deal with the world with the same soft attitude as before, the consequences are predictable."

"So I think that so-called toughness is just a way to cover up one's vulnerability, sensitivity, fear and anxiety."

"Romain Rolland once said, 'There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it.' So I think when we realize that our lives are not happy, not free, not smooth, but we can still persevere; when we have more and more wounds, when the calluses that form after our wounds heal become thicker and thicker, when our bodies become stronger and more resilient, we will not be moved in the face of bigger and more dangerous storms."

"I think that's what strength is."

"So I hope that all my friends who are in trouble and suffering, whether it is to make your own life better or to protect your family and friends, even if it is a pretense, will become strong, because only in this way can you minimize the harm from this world to the people you love and the people who love you, as well as to yourself."

The audience erupted in applause, and the live stream was filled with tears.

Countless fellow singers, celebrities from all walks of life around the world, and countless music industry professionals looked at the Chinese singer on the awards stage, holding a trophy, speaking eloquently and seemingly radiating brilliance, and their eyes were filled with admiration and satisfaction.

To be honest, they haven't seen a male singer with such a strong superstar aura and such abundant star power in a long time.

Based on what they saw and heard at the Grammys today, the image of Shen Juan in their minds has been perfected.

Many people have gained a completely new understanding of this recently popular Chinese singer through this opportunity.

Gifted, talented, spirited, and in the prime of his life! And he also has a captivating superstar face!
so.
Perhaps he is not just a fleeting meteor; perhaps he truly has the potential to achieve something remarkable!
This world ultimately belongs to these young people.

"Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to say to all the Chinese fans and viewers who are watching the live broadcast: I know that many of you are not in a good situation right now because of loyalty and friendship, but that's how the world is, we never know which will come first, tomorrow or an accident."

Shen Juan paused for a moment, his eyes full of sincerity, "So I want to share a simple little story with everyone."

"In Greek mythology, there is a man named Sisyphus who angered Zeus and was punished by being forced to push a boulder up a mountain endlessly. However, every time he approached the top, the boulder would roll back to its original position. He was punished to continuously do something absurd, and we also live in an absurd world. But should we give up living just because the world is absurd? No, we should not surrender to absurdity. We should give meaning to ourselves in this meaningless world! Therefore, we must imagine that Sisyphus is happy, because that is the motivation that allows us to continue living."

"Thank you for bringing me this historic moment!"

"I also hope that each of you can persevere in fighting against life and try your best to find meaning in life."

"Thank you."

Under the lights, the trophy was raised high.

Applause and screams came like a tidal wave.

The spirited young man left his own historic night on the highly anticipated Grammy stage, a night destined to be remembered by fans and the world for many, many decades.

　Thank you all for your votes, monthly passes, and subscriptions!
　　Thank you Cheng Xiaoxiaoxiaoxiaoxiaoxiaoli for the 1000 points reward for the character Liu Haocun!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)