Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 531 Living Legend

In early autumn, the daytime temperature in Hengdian remains around 30 degrees Celsius, and the evening breeze still carries the heat of late summer.

Niu Ma Hu Lianxin, a junior about to graduate who no longer wanted to waste her time at school, had just arrived in Hengdian when her best friends Sun Zhenni and Lin Boyang, who were working and filming there, dragged her to their usual Korean BBQ restaurant. The sizzling sound of grilling meat mixed with the laughter of diners created a lively and bustling atmosphere.

I had barbecue tonight.

So what did Juanjuan eat tonight?

While waiting for her food, Hu Lianxin couldn't help but think of Shen Juan, who was far away in Shanghai, as she smelled the aroma of barbecue wafting around her.

They were filming with me just last month.

This month, the replacement was immediately Wang Churan.

This is clearly a seamless transition into a romantic relationship!

So, between her and me, which one does the senior like more?
Ugh, so annoying!

I really want to have my senior all to myself!
Unfortunately, such things can only happen in dreams.

I wish I were the world's number one female champion.

I wish my senior was my little fan.

In that case
I guess I'll be able to have my senior all to myself!
Ugh~ I can't even stand the thought of it!
She couldn't help but start to let her mind wander.

She could never help herself when she was with Shen Juan.

However, since she was out in public, she couldn't be as unrestrained and lawless as she was at home. So, in order to distract herself and at least not look like a pervert, she picked up her phone from the table, unlocked the screen, and planned to browse the news to kill time and calm herself down.

As soon as I opened the app, I saw the hashtag #2020BillboardMusicAwardsNominationsAnnounced# prominently displayed at the top of the trending list.

Hu Lianxin paused for a moment, then quickly clicked on the entry.

The most popular related Weibo post was this one.
The full nominations for the 2020 Billboard Music Awards have been announced! Shen Juan leads with 30 nominations (multiple singles nominated for multiple awards), Post Malone leads with 16 nominations, Lil Nas has 13, Billie Eilish and Khalid both have 12 nominations, and Lizzo has 11. The awards ceremony will be held on October 15th (Beijing time).

At this moment, all the sour chicken haters disappeared.

The comments section was almost entirely filled with cheers from Shen Juan's fans.

I'm tired of saying "I'm tired of slaying."

This man is a god!

The king of the billboards has returned to his domain.

[They've already awarded AS3, and they're still giving out awards to AS2! Their achievements are incredible! They're winning awards like it's a wholesale market, they just can't stop!]

[I'm tired of spouting that hypocritical nonsense about nominations equaling recognition. For Shen Juan now, nominations are routine, and winning awards is the norm! So give AS2 a good thrashing! I sincerely hope that this year's BBMA, postponed by six months, can give my Lev a perfect ending to his award-winning journey.]

No matter how envious or angry the haters are, it's useless. The overwhelming lead of AS2 and AS3 speaks for itself. Unless they're willing to completely abandon their credibility and authority, mainstream award ceremonies won't unite to boycott IWC. Besides, there are quite a few people on IWC's side in the US. It's not like everyone's kicking me when I'm down.

Am I the only one hoping Billboard will award the Spotlight Award to Juanjuan this year? Only Michael Jackson and Katy Perry have won this award before, and both achieved it with five chart-topping albums. Juanjuan not only had five chart-topping albums with AS2, but even her current album AS3 has achieved five chart-topping albums, hahaha! Wouldn't that be winning it twice?

It's no wonder that fans are excited.

After all, that's a whopping 30 nominations!

It's highly likely that they've broken the previous record again!

Even if the winning rate is low, even if the hit rate is only 33%, it's not difficult to bring back ten trophies!
Moreover, didn't someone say before that Shen Juan had won too many awards and was just a facade cultivated and supported by capital and the government?
Oh, so how should I put it now?

Following this logic, the Americans are also feeding Shen Juan resources, so does that mean Shen Juan is actually a face of the United States?

Shark arm! Brilliant! Brain-dead! Stupid dog! Moron!

Thinking of this, Xiao Hu couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth, proudly puffing out his chest, his heart burning with a sense of honor!
Did you see it?
My husband is the most popular singer in the world!

My husband is awesome! He's amazing!

I really want to run into my senior's arms and cry! I really want to have a continuous, all-day connection with him!
I really want to be the senior's puppy~
"What are you looking at? Why are you laughing so lewdly?"

After Sun Zhenni and Lin Boyang returned to the private room from the restroom, they saw Xiao Hu looking aroused and couldn't help but ask him curiously.

Hu Lianxin's smile immediately brightened, and she explained excitedly and with anticipation, "The complete nominations for this year's Billboard Music Awards are out! Senior's 30 nominations have broken the previous record for the most nominations in a single year, held by Cardi B! I wonder how many trophies he'll bring home in the end!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhenni, who also admired, longed for, and was infatuated with Shen Juan, immediately moved closer to Xiao Hu and looked at the contents of her phone.

"I've basically gotten every nomination I could!"

"More than the second and third place combined!"

"How is this senior so amazing?!"

"I'm used to it. After all, as long as you don't wear colored glasses or go blind, you can see the gap between the two albums of my senior and the commercial achievements of others. Everyone says that data is easy to fake, but data is actually the most direct manifestation of the gap."

Lin Boyang, on the other hand, seemed relatively calm and normal.

But just thinking about the wonderful experience that night still makes me uncontrollably secrete large amounts of hormones and saliva.

Then his right hand instinctively reached down.

Question Xiao Hu, understand Xiao Hu, become Xiao Hu.

As it turns out, Xiao Hu was right.

We all misunderstood Xiao Hu back then.

She is the industry pioneer and the answer!
After a while, all the ingredients were served.

The three chatted about recent fun stories from the film crew and their interesting past campus experiences while enjoying iced cola.

The atmosphere in the private room became increasingly lively!
When most of the plates on the table were empty, the group of people, having eaten and drunk their fill, put down their chopsticks and wiped their mouths with great self-control. Seeing that the time was right, Hu Lianxin cleared her throat and got straight to the point: "By the way, I came to see you this time because I have something very important to discuss and confirm with you in person."

"Why not just create a group call on WeChat and say it? What could be so important?" Lin Boyang asked, puzzled.

“What do you mean by talking in person? I think you just want to find an excuse to skip class.” Sun Zhenni rubbed her stomach, thinking to herself how long she should exercise to burn off all the calories she had consumed that night. “But we’re juniors now, it doesn’t matter whether we go to school or not, we can just ask our advisor for leave.”

Although Xiao Hu was very dissatisfied with her two best friends' reactions, she had nothing to say. After all, they were too close. They had known each other for so long, had whispered so many secrets, and had seen and known all sorts of embarrassing photos and dark histories. They knew each other's little secrets perfectly well, so there was no question of them playing tricks on each other.

So I could only roll my eyes and explain my purpose: "Juanjuan said he plans to buy a few properties in Beijing under the company's name, and then allocate one to us as a dormitory. I don't have any other work this month except for the upcoming 'Female Push 2', so I can spend some time looking into the property. Do you guys have any ideas?"

"Huh? Senior is going to buy us a house to live in?"

"real or fake?"

"Can we still have a holiday?"

"Any kind of house is fine?"

"He said that as long as you don't stay in the Forbidden City, you should be able to arrange something, but of course, don't go too far. I think you all know what that means."

Xiao Hu was worried that her senior would dislike her for spending money extravagantly like a nouveau riche. Although the house was not given to her directly and she and Jenny were only staying there temporarily, and the whole house was still her senior's property, she would try her best to avoid any behavior that might lower Shen Juan's favor towards her.

"This senior is so rich!"

"What do you think? Juanjuan can easily earn more than 10 million yuan after tax from just one endorsement. And he has more than 30 such endorsements. Buying a house worth tens of millions of yuan is something we can't even dream of, but for him it might be just half a month's income. He can make a decision without hesitation."

"So, what are Xin'er's plans now?" Lin Boyang felt that meeting Shen Juan was definitely the greatest luck of her life!

As for Xiao Hu, who sent her to Shen Juan's room?

"My key requirement is to choose an apartment near the China World Trade Center," Xiao Hu replied without hesitation, giving the answer she had already prepared.

Why does it have to be near the China World Trade Center?

"Because the senior student lives in Guomao now, and Xiao Shen, Bao Bao, and Wan Da also live in the same neighborhood near Guomao."

Sun Zhenni understood immediately.

Shen Juan and BIG3 live in Guomao.

Those female fans also live in the CBD.

So it turns out the final round was at the China World Trade Center!
So it turns out that the final battle version of "Sister-in-law 202" after so many rounds of performances and extra rounds is the showdown at the top of the China World Trade Center!
Then we really should find a means of transportation to escape the poison gas!
We should indeed find a base nearby so that we don't suffer from geographical disadvantages or commuting time to the battlefield!
Moreover, I heard that Xiao Hu has also established connections with his female fans and initially formed a strategic alliance for joint defense.

Therefore, if necessary, our two forces can form a pincer movement to attack Bao Tian located in Fanyue 108!
The advantage is in my hands!

As for whether you can win?

It's too early to say. After all, the battlefield situation changes rapidly, and often requires extremely high micro-management skills to determine the outcome of a war.

Moreover, the stories and unverified legends surrounding Sister Tian in the fan community are a bit too infamous and notorious.

Even a top star like Yang Mi and Dilraba isn't intimidated by her.

He's quick to criticize, quick to lock up, quick to dismiss, and quick to dismiss. He's nothing like a minor celebrity with only tens of thousands of check-ins.

It seems that the continuous cyberbullying from the senior's fans is quite a test of character; only monsters can crawl out of this hellish place!

But no matter how brutal that woman is, they must fight with their spirit and determination! Let the senior see their fighting will and their unwavering attitude! In short, she is ready to follow the exemplary and virtuous General Whitet Tagore and continue the fight!

Staring at Shen Juan, whom she had set as her phone's screensaver, Sun Zhenni let out a long sigh, her eyes immediately becoming incredibly determined.

Now that the chance to win the championship is right in front of me, I have to consider whether this might be my only chance in this lifetime.

It is our inescapable duty to restore the glory of Nortel!
Just as she was lost in her daydreams, the three cell phones on the table suddenly vibrated at the same time, instantly pulling Sun Zhenni back to reality.

They had previously joined the same fan group while keeping their identities hidden, and then simultaneously received a message from the administrator tagging everyone.

Rolling Stones has released its new list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time! All three of Jonathan Wong's albums made the list! @All Members

The three of them looked up and exchanged a knowing glance.

The excitement and anticipation in each other's eyes were crystal clear.

So I quickly clicked on Weibo's trending topics to take a look.

Rolling Stone, a highly authoritative American magazine focusing on popular culture and music, released its 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time on the 22nd. Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, *What's Going On*, topped the list! Furthermore, all three of Chinese singer Shen Juan's English albums to date made the list, with *Leviathan* even breaking into the top 100 at number 33. Congratulations to Shen Juan! We look forward to more excellent works from this icon in the future! We also look forward to the mysterious AS4 bringing more enjoyment to listeners worldwide!

Several pictures are attached below.

There is a screenshot of the top 50 rankings.

All three of them were somewhat confused.

I do know the Beatles and Prince.

But who is Marvin Gay, who is ranked first?
Is Michael Jackson's wildly acclaimed pop masterpiece "Thriller" only ranked number 12?

Holy crap! What's going on? Why are there so few albums released after the millennium, especially after 2010, making the charts?
Of the top 50, besides Shen Juan's "Leviathan" released in 2019, there are only Beyoncé's "Lemonade" released in 2016, Lama's "To Pimp a Butterfly" released in 2015, and Kanye's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" released in 2010.

All told, he has only released four albums: two hip-hop albums, one R&B album, and one album that is half R&B and half pop.

Hip-hop and R&B are really making a comeback now!

Then they clicked on screenshots of Shen Juan's three albums' official websites, which contained detailed information and descriptions of the albums.

(This kind of page)

First up is AS1's "Underrated," which Rolling Stone cleverly placed at number 500 to generate buzz and traffic.

Shen Juan had already become a pop star in China and had a large number of fans. However, after going to the other side of the ocean to access a wider market, his music reached a new level. He successfully opened the door to the North American pop music scene with his first album and announced the arrival of a new pop king to the world.

He broke away from the framework of traditional pop music, drawing inspiration from the vast fields of pop and R&B, blending various musical styles, and reshaping all the timbres he touched, successfully creating an imaginative album, thus proving himself to be the most talented and imaginative musical genius among singers of his time.

The lead single, "If I Can't Have You," opens with a catchy electronic beat, paired with his clear yet slightly husky voice, hiding the anxiety of unrequited love within a light and swaying melody; "In My Blood" perfectly interprets the contradiction between vulnerability and resilience; while "Dancing With A Stranger" is a perfect fusion of pop and light R&B, without complicated arrangements, relying solely on a simple rhythmic framework and vocal charm to support each song.

Although the public may have initially been prejudiced against Shen Juan because his audience was relatively young, thinking he was just a teenage idol who sang for children, time and his works will prove that his amazing talent cannot be obscured by these worldly prejudices, and that his talent far exceeds the world's imagination.

He believes he has always been underestimated, and even hopes to remain so forever, because this state of being underestimated allows him to escape external expectations and interference, purely follow his own pace, and then reveal his true colors at the right time, delivering a perfect performance that will amaze everyone.

Next is AS3's "Sisyphus," ranked 130th.

"When the world collapses and crushes me, I will smile and await my fully armed destiny."

Shen Juan, who officially became a pop superstar in 2020, sang this in his heartbreaking yet healing song "Sisyphus".

At a time when the world is facing a crisis of righteousness, he took a huge risk to release this album to forcefully save the market, instantly shocking the world!
This is his most ambitious yet most personal declaration, touching upon the loneliness and pain of licking one's wounds alone in the quiet of the night, and also directly addressing the difficult situation currently faced by people around the world.

Through his creations, he revealed an unprecedented side of himself: feeling sad and distressed about the cracks in his romantic relationship, yet in the rousing trumpet melody of "INDUSTRY BABY" paired with explosive Trap drumbeats, he unrestrainedly vented the anger of those who had been doubting him, crowning himself with glory.

As Shen Juan's first album released after sweeping the Grammy Awards, every part of "Sisyphus" reflects his deeper and more intimate personal emotions, as well as his broader and more complex musical creations. At the same time, he is also using all the musical elements he has mastered to prove himself.

With "Leave The Door Open," he wrote a love letter to 70s soul music; with "Good Days," he completed a self-healing journey in the dead of night; with "HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY," he sang the longing and melancholy of a breakup anniversary with heart-wrenching lyrics; and with "STAY," he reinterpreted and defined the definition of a music creator adapting to the trend of short video platforms in the streaming era and achieving explosive sales.

This bold and unrestrained approach to creation resulted in a more emotionally impactful experience, which clearly resonated strongly: Sisyphus sold over 2000 million copies worldwide and broke many records that were previously considered unbreakable, becoming the new record-breaker after Leviathan.

"Guess who's made a fortune, won several Grammys, and got a platinum-certified hit single. That's a fact. If you have any complaints, swallow them and shut your mouth. This song is dedicated to those champions. I haven't lost a single game since it started. What's interesting is that you said my career is about to end. If that's true, then I'll come back again."

"I am the embodiment of the music industry."

Alex Shen is the music industry.】

Finally, there's "Leviathan," ranked 33rd.

Shen Juan dominated the late 20s and early 20s of the 21st century with an unprecedented and absolutely invincible demeanor. Before him, apart from MJ who dominated the 1980s, no superstar could so thoroughly and so uncontroversially lead an era. Even Elvis Presley and The Beatles could not compare.

"Leviathan" is the core key to his success. He had only been in the industry for two years when he released this album, but this 21-year-old pop singer had already evolved into a multi-talented creative master, a singer, dancer and songwriter, with unparalleled crossover musical intuition.

With his debut solo album "Underrated" released in 2018, he thoroughly understood the aesthetic preferences and trends of the European and American markets in the streaming era, creating a perfect template for his second English album "Leviathan" that was "diverse in style, suitable for all ages, and sweeping across the nation".

In "Blinding Lights," Shen Juan uses pulsed synthesizer melodies paired with crisp drumbeats, giving the retro electronic sound a disco neon feel from the very first note. The catchy chorus is so memorable that it's etched into the listener's DNA after just one loop. In "Sunflower," he collaborates with Post Malone to create a gentle and delightful melody. "Adore You" features upbeat drumbeats wrapped in a sweet and warm guitar melody that makes you smile instantly. "Senorita," with its rich Latin rhythms interwoven with Ariana Grande's vocals, has become another classic duet.

Although today it is difficult to separate "Leviathan" from its amazing commercial success (a consecutive week at number one on the Billboard 200, global sales of over 2000 million copies, five number one singles from the album, and a landslide victory in Spotify streaming), as well as the series of controversies surrounding him recently.

But at one time, we only saw Shen Juan as "the Michael Jackson of the new era" and "the next King of Pop".

This album is his crowning achievement.

The comment section below the Weibo post has already exploded!

The screen was filled with the celebration and jubilation of the fans!
[LEVI'm amazing that it debuted at number 33 after only one year! Of course, sisy130 is also great! As for und, does this album even exist? I have absolutely no recollection of it. That's really strange~]

[The comments are absolutely brilliant! The next King of Pop. Is this further confirmation? Those mindless, bandwagon haters can criticize all they want, but it won't affect Shen Juan's musical achievements. What he's gained is permanent, what he's lost is only temporary, and he will take back everything that originally belonged to him.]

Taylor Swift had two albums on the list: "RED" at number 100 and "1989" at number 395. Rihanna had one, Lady Gaga had one, Adele had one, Drake had two, while Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, The Plant, and Ed Sheeran had none. Shen Juan had all three albums on the list! How can this not be considered a new/super-generation powerhouse? Congratulations, Shen Juan!

[Shen Juan, as a still-active and popular Gen Z singer, achieving such a high ranking on the charts and being compared to legendary artists from the past is already quite remarkable! There's no need for anyone to think this ranking is low, because it's almost a given that as time goes on, the quality and ranking of his recent albums will only increase.]

[Rolling Stone's focus is on recognizing those who have made the greatest contribution to contemporary pop music, not on how artistic, avant-garde, or popular they are. The mainstream now is R&B and hip-hop; rock isn't mainstream anymore. Understand this. The biggest problem with the new Rolling Stone rankings is that they excessively promote the new generation and get a bit politically charged. It's impossible to say this ranking is without problems. For example, Shen Juan—while his commercial success is undeniable and his production quality is truly excellent, does he really deserve such a high ranking?]

[Yes, the Beatles' number of greatest hits albums has dropped from 1 to 24. The preferences of the judges definitely differ across eras.]

Personally, I feel indignant about the decline in the rankings of so many great albums. But there's no need to attack Leviathan for being unworthy of the title. Leviathan's commercial performance is historic! Never before has an album produced so many hit singles simultaneously. You can say that its album concept wasn't clear enough, or that the track coherence wasn't very good, but you have to admit that it was incredibly popular! Otherwise, would Shen Juan be considered a leader in the music industry?
Americans are very arrogant; they would never receive such exaggerated praise if it were just a minor victory!

Leviathan can be considered the best template for pop music in the streaming era. Those who think it doesn't deserve to be ranked high can listen to how much of the current synth music wave is influenced by its style, and also learn about the impact Shen Juan has had on the distribution of music in the entire streaming era.

Therefore, whether considering its artistic influence or commercial success, Leviathan is undeniably deserving of the title!

Although he has only been in the industry for three years, there is still a possibility that his next album will be just another flash in the pan, making him another classic example of a short-lived success.

But the possibility is extremely slim.

Shen Juan has proven the consistency of his creative output.

Shen Juan has proven that his greatest strength is victory, so many people are willing to give him unconditional trust.

Just then, Shen Juan updated his Weibo.

There was no content at all, except for this one sentence.
I saw that the green hills are more charming, and I expect that I should see you in Castle Peak.

Xiao Hu felt a shiver run through his body, and immediately felt refreshed!

It feels good, it suits my taste.

Or rather, he came back.

The familiar feeling is back.

Everything is back!
I just love this kind of flamboyant and confident senior!
so.
Living legend.

At this moment, Hu Lianxin could only think of these words to describe the phenomenal achievements Shen Juan had made so far.

His fellow artists compare themselves to this industry icon in every aspect and dimension; fans see him as a source of inspiration; and children look up to him as a role model and a goal to achieve.
While Shen Juan was fighting for honor, he had already become the embodiment of honor and the personification of legend in the eyes of others.

(End of this chapter)