Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 117 She Came to My Concert
[Ear Emperor (Red V)]
发布于2018年5月4日0点27分03秒

[I never expected to hear such a sincere work this year. Gu Jingyi brought us such a great stage on her first appearance at the gala.]

This song features newly written lyrics for "The Sea of ​​Stars," and with the addition of a string orchestra and Gu Jingyi's skillful live performance, it has become a great live rendition.

To be honest, I think the lyrics and arrangement of "A Century of Journey" are much better than the original version that Gu Jingyi sang on the final night of "Idol Producer".

The song "Starry Sea" may not be considered a particularly musical work, but its explosive popularity proves that viral short video songs that spread everywhere are not necessarily easy songs with melodies that must be within an octave for the general public to sing along to. It highly fits the current trend of challenging short videos, thus promoting the spread of the work.

Secondly, the career development potential of technically skilled original vocal singers is unmatched by other singers. Why did the contestants from the phenomenal "Idol Producer" group gain fans at a slower pace after the show aired? Because it's difficult for them to have an original representative work that is familiar to the public after leaving the variety show. However, Gu Jingyi was able to have a song that was widely known and spread through other channels and methods outside of the variety show.

This is rare, and these two points are worth reflecting on for vocal singers of this era. Don't always say that the Chinese music scene is declining; we can learn a way to break through from Gu Jingyi's example. I know that some people will ask this question: Why should traditional singers learn from an idol? Quite the opposite. Gu Jingyi is an idol disguised as a singer, while Hua Hua is a singer disguised as an idol.

Gu Jingyi, a graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music, combines academic technique with pop music expressiveness. The first version of "Starry Sea" can be called "the technical declaration of a post-95s diva." The last person whose vocal cord function amazed me this much was Zhang Jie.

I haven't followed Gu Jingyi for a month since his debut on "Idol Producer." But judging from yesterday's performance, it seems he's changed his singing style?
In this version of "A Century of Journey," Gu Jingyi leans more towards "head resonance." From the opening line "You are a star in my heart" to the chorus "Crossing the sea of ​​stars," the vocal range is concentrated between B4 and D5. He spent more time maintaining high-position resonance and used a strong mixed voice technique in the high register above D5. He blended the two techniques very well, without any breath instability.

Emotional expression goes without saying; it remains one of Gu Jingyi's strengths. From the lyrical narrative of the verses to the explosive expression of the chorus, his singing style progresses from soft mixed voice to strong mixed voice and then to head voice resonance.

When he sings "The journey of a century has not been smooth sailing," he uses a soft mixed voice to create a narrative feel, telling the story in a gentle and detailed way. Then, in the chorus "Walking towards you with youth," he switches to a strong mixed voice, showcasing the power of his male voice. Towards the end of the chorus, in the extremely high register of "I rush towards you," he uses head voice resonance, demonstrating excellent technique and layering.

Gu Jingyi's lyrics this time are exceptionally well-written, and the song strikes a balance between the grand narrative of a century of pride and the personalized expression of a pure and passionate heart. The song's epic feel avoids excessive technical embellishment.

Gu Jingyi's academic style is fully showcased through the use of orchestral music. He deliberately removed electronic effects from the arrangement and incorporated a string quartet and trumpet. This echoes the timpani rhythm in the chorus, further enhancing the grand and majestic feel.

He can compose and write songs, possesses solid fundamental skills, and has an exceptionally high level of vocal ability. He truly is a new generation singer who combines all the strengths of his craft, and my expectations for Gu Jingyi go beyond that.

If we're talking about when a new trend will emerge in the Chinese music scene, I think it will originate with Gu Jingyi.

He is the most recommended singer of the new generation, the only regret is that Gu Jingyi is just too versatile. He also has an acting career, which prevents Gu Jingyi from focusing all his energy on music.

I will continue to follow Gu Jingyi's musical works and wonder how far his musical journey will go. Like you, who are reading this review, I share his curiosity and anticipation.
This music review was discovered as soon as it was posted by fans who regularly search for Gu Jingyi's name on Weibo's main page.

This post was quickly shared to various fan groups, and soon "Jingfei" fans started controlling the comments on Weibo.

[Thank you, Ear Emperor, for the praise of Gu Jingyi. Our Jingyi is just getting started on his musical journey. The young man is setting sail; the future is bright.]
[Thank you, Ear Emperor! We're both fans ecstatic! Jingyi has been working hard all along; his dedication to music is evident in his work.]
Moreover, Gu Jingyi's fans trended on the hashtag "Erdi comments on Gu Jingyi".

They also started using accounts with high authority to dominate Weibo's main page with trending topics related to Gu Jingyi.

A well-known fan of Gu Jingyi, [@顾璟奕的甜甜圈], has once again gone viral on social media with a set of pictures.

(Image caption: Stage lighting and shadows at the gala, and black and white film reels from the market)
"Gu Jingyi has made his own popularity the 'grammar' of the main theme. While his teammates are still holding fan meetings in various places to fleece fans, Gu Jingyi is seriously planning his future path. He does not take short-term routes but only long-term routes. It's like that little figure who used to stand in the market with his classmates and teachers a long time ago."

Years later, Gu Jingyi stood on the stage of the gala. Before a national audience, he sang a line reflecting on a century of change: "Look at this prosperous age, is it as you wished?"

As soon as Tian Xiwei posted this blog post, it was quickly topped by a flood of fans.

Aside from fans, even some passersby saved the video after seeing it.

When Gu Jingyi performed at the May Fourth Gala, the peak viewership rating on the national network was nearly 3.89%, surpassing Wang Junkai's performance at the same time by 187%.

Given the large number of people who have seen Gu Jingyi's performance, he has left a deep impression on them.

They were currently completely infatuated with Gu Jingyi, and when they came across Tian Xiwei's blog post, they casually liked it. Each like pushed Tian Xiwei's Weibo account higher and higher.

After noticing the shift in public opinion, Huace, which had been monitoring the situation, continued to release press releases about Gu Jingyi while the situation was favorable.

"Gu Jingyi's Stage Performance Ignites the Entire Internet"

Articles titled "A Century of Journey Lands on YouTube, Gu Jingyi's Stage Performance Receives High Praise from Foreign Media" were published one after another. Gu Jingyi's stage performances became known to more casual viewers, and many became fans after watching his performances.

Evening arrived quickly, and Tian Xiwei and her roommates gathered together.

The party was a bit odd, though, as the table was covered in fried chicken and barbecue.

While her other roommates were enjoying their meals, Tian Xiwei had no appetite whatsoever.

She squatted on the ground, hugging her knees, and stared anxiously at the tablet.

With only a few minutes left before TV5's news broadcast, Tien Hei-wai felt like each day was an eternity.

As a veteran fan site administrator for Gu Jingyi, although she wasn't a paid fan herself, Huace would always use Tian Xiwei's fan site account to release information.

Because of their accurate information, quick release of information, fast output of images, and seniority, they are always at the forefront when fighting with rivals.

"Gu Jingyi's Donuts" has a lot of prestige among fans and is a kind of "big sister" figure.

"?"

Another roommate, who had been sitting on the floor smiling and looking at everyone, turned to look at Tian Xiwei beside her and found her reaction strange. Of all the roommates, she was the only one who didn't fit in.

Everyone was laughing and gossiping. Why was she the only one with no expression? Something's not right.

"Weiwei, what's wrong with you?"

"Me? Nothing, I was thinking about something else and didn't pay attention to what I was saying."

Tian Xiwei was taken aback by the sudden question. Her gaze faltered for a moment, and she gave a casual reply.

"Wait, Vivi, are you in love?"

My roommate squinted slightly, looking confident and assured.

"What?" Tian Xiwei chuckled. "I've already said that I have very high standards for relationships. So far, there hasn't been anyone at school who has given me that kind of feeling."

In a girls' dormitory, nothing interests them more than topics like romance. Seeing that Tian Xiwei didn't avoid the topic but instead continued the conversation,...

The other roommates' eyes lit up instantly. "Impossible! Wu, a senior from the screenwriting department, is also a great talent. He joined Yu Zheng's studio before even graduating."

"And then there's Tian, ​​the junior from the directing department; he's been smitten with you since first sight..."

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting more and more lively, Tian Xiwei was also starting to feel overwhelmed.

She made a "shh" gesture. "Stop it. These aren't my type. If it were really possible, I would have been dating them already. You all know my personality."

After thinking about it for a while, everyone felt that what Tian Xiwei said did make a lot of sense.

Given her straightforward personality, if she truly falls for someone, she won't even need to be pursued; Tian Xiwei will take the initiative.

"So, Sweetie, what type of guy do you like?"

A girl wearing glasses tilted her head and asked somewhat seriously.

"I'm a bit materialistic; my aesthetic is all about incredibly handsome men. The kind that leaves you speechless with admiration the first time you meet them. Plus, his career is phenomenal, and he's a considerate person..."

Tian Xiwei was interrupted before she could finish speaking.

"The question is about your ideal type, not asking you to make a wish."

"That's right, Sweetie. Let me tell you, the only characters who fit your criteria are fictional characters. Like those male protagonists in otome games."

"What? I don't play otome games."

Tian Xiwei smiled, then suddenly asked, "What do you guys think of Gu Jingyi?"

Her roommate paused for a moment before realizing that she had just been daydreaming about love.

They all turned their heads away, pretending to be busy and not answering the question.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Tian Xiwei covered her face, laughing until her face was flushed.

"Sweetie, if your crush is Gu Jingyi, your chances are even slimmer. You might as well like a two-dimensional character..."

"That's right, an artist like Gu Jingyi is one in a decade in the industry."

"Dating him is exhausting; he's always surrounded by admirers..."

Her roommates' comments quickly dispelled Tian Xiwei's good mood.

"Alright, stop talking, the news report is about to start, Gu Jingyi will have 30 seconds of screen time."

"Really? No wonder you've been looking so unwell since just now, Oda."

After hearing what Tian Xiwei said, her roommates understood what she had been thinking.

"Dang Dang Dang"

The signature opening sequence began, and the news broadcast officially started.

Tian Xiwei also put away her playful thoughts and set up the camera equipment to aim at the tablet.

"Yesterday, young actor and singer Gu Jingyi perfectly blended electronic and folk music, delivering a performance of 'A Century-Long Journey,' which represents Generation Z's ultimate deconstruction of the mainstream melody."

The host in the studio delivered Gu Jingyi's report in a very formal manner, and Tian Xiwei pressed the "record" button.

About thirty seconds later, the feature report on Gu Jingyi came to an end.

Gu Jingyi's line, "There is no such thing as a peaceful and quiet life," was edited in again, just like his performance, and included in this 30-second clip.

Tian Xiwei was so excited her face turned red. This kind of treatment wasn't just unprecedented among top-tier celebrities, it was probably a record-breaking achievement in the entire industry!

This is Gu Jingyi, the man she will always be proud of and yearn for.

"Your special attention has been posted on Weibo."

The phone vibrated unusually. Tian Xiwei opened Weibo and found that Gu Jingyi had posted a message.

[@顾璟奕]: Behind-the-scenes glimpse, I won't keep this glory to myself. [Images][Images][Images]
He posted some photos from the rehearsal, showing a more vibrant and radiant Gu Jingyi than seen in the broadcast version.

Tian Xiwei stretched the photo with two fingers to enlarge it, and Gu Jingyi, wearing a spring limited edition graffiti denim jacket, looked as lively as a boy.

Every screenshot is a vivid representation of a long-term unrequited love.

……

"Hey, I'm coming closer to you in the next second."

"The dream is ready." With less than a week until their tour return, in the practice room of Century Idol, the members of Milkball Sen earnestly performed their entire "EiEi" stage routine. It's been over a month since their formation. Some members with weaker dance foundations, such as Chen Linong and You Zhangjing, have already improved significantly.

However, I still remember the basic movements, but they are quite different from those I had at the big companies.

The members all wore name tags. For example, Gu Jingyi had a tag that read "Gu Jingyi" on his front, and the other members did the same, with the tags on their waists.

The entire process was rehearsed as if it were a regular performance stage, with a professional VJ from the company filming the whole thing.

This footage was filmed to be submitted to the tour's production team, whose director and VJs will use it to set up camera positions. Furthermore, during the concert recording, the filming will follow the flow outlined in the footage.

This step is absolutely necessary. Without it, production teams in various locations during the tour wouldn't know how the stage camera work is designed or what special arrangements there are. They'd be completely clueless about when to shoot the center position, when to cut to a close-up, and when to shoot group dances. The final result would be that close-ups aren't used when they're needed, and the venue is too big to shoot wide shots of the members from a distance…

This kind of shooting style is typical of just taking pictures randomly based on one's own experience and preferences...

Therefore, to prevent this, Century Idol specially arranged for the members of "Milk Foam Forest" to gather a week in advance to start rehearsals.

In order to achieve the desired stage camera movement effect, everyone wore name tags so that the post-production teams at various concert venues could quickly identify who was who in the video.

After all, there are nine members in Milkball, and people who don't follow idols might not be able to recognize each one.

Currently, Gu Jingyi is more well-known than the rest of the group, which is a result of his acting career.

If this video hadn't been filmed, it's highly likely that only his camera movement would have been flawless.

Of course, the world's top idols wouldn't let this "one-man show" situation continue, especially since these kinds of videos could be edited into the Blu-ray disc of "Milk Bubble Forest Tour".

There are always female fans willing to pay for this, so this move by the idol can be considered "two birds with one stone".

After performing the theme song in its entirety, the members of "Milk Foam Forest" were all a bit tired.

However, there was no time to rest. They had only just sat down to rest for a short while when the staff immediately woke them up again to watch the footage of the process they had just filmed.

The theme song stage is the "beginning of a dream" for most fans, being the first stage of the tour. It serves as an introduction and a powerful first impression, and the overall effect is quite important.

"Well, those who are good at jumping will always jump well. Those with weak foundations will always look out of place in the overall picture."

After reviewing it, the planning teacher expressed his opinion in a somewhat tactful way.

The manager of Century Idol nodded and said seriously, "Chen Linong and You Changjing need to practice more. Your dancing is not as good as it was during the previous auditions."

"it is good"

Both of them nodded without objecting.

After discussing the matter with the company's stage planner, manager Chen Yu clapped his hands and gave instructions: "Kids, hurry up and change your clothes and get ready. We're going to the studio to shoot a VCR right away. They're already waiting over there. Good luck, everyone!"

"Ok."

The group of people who were still drinking water on the ground quickly responded, took off their name tags, changed their clothes, went downstairs, got into their van, and headed to the filming location.

This is also the opening video that idol groups design for every concert.

It's actually quite awkward, but fans just love it.

The afternoon's short film shoot went very smoothly, making it a very easy and enjoyable experience for Gu Jingyi.

After filming, he returned to the dormitory arranged by Century Idol to rest.

Actually, long before the show ended, Century Idol specially arranged a dormitory for "Milk Foam Forest".

Although it's not a particularly luxurious villa, the two-story apartment building's living conditions are already the envy of many.

In his previous life, after Gu Jingyi debuted in South Korea, he lived in a "villa" that had not been renovated for a long time.

Compared to that place, the conditions in the Chinese entertainment industry are so good that it's impossible to find fault with them.

For four or five days straight, Gu Jingyi spent all his time in the practice room.

"here we go!"

The lead choreographer clapped his hands after confirming that everyone present was accounted for. He then clapped to the Nine Percent members who were chatting and laughing on the side.

"coming"

Upon hearing that it was time to begin, the group of people who had been chatting stopped talking. They all stood up and began to quiet down to prepare for the rehearsal.

"The opening dance mainly focuses on positioning."

"Pay attention to the path you're on, and remember to keep an eye on your teammates out of the corner of your eye."

The dance instructor that Century Idol invited this time has many years of experience as a concert dance director, and he is very professional in taking charge of this part.

"one two three four"

"Five, six, seven, eight!"

Music filled the practice room as the teacher counted the beats, clapped, and gave instructions, his gaze sweeping across the room from the mirror.

Gu Jingyi changed his position in time with the music, making sure to keep a safe distance between himself and the music.

"Chengcheng, pay attention, watch the movement, and speed up."

“Cai Xukun, you’re jumping too fast. You can take a look at Gu Jingyi to your side out of the corner of your eye; his rhythm is much better.”

"Justin, smile even wider. You're the youngest member of Nine Percent, so you're in charge of being the cutest."

Training is extremely physically demanding, and concerts usually last three or four hours. The high-intensity dancing quickly depletes energy, and for a while, the only sound in the practice room is the scraping of the floor and the stomping of feet.

"This part, and so on."

The teacher clapped his hands, signaling everyone to stop and rest for a while.

"You Changjing and Chen Linong"

Everyone else stood still to rest, but the two who were suddenly called out caught their breath. They looked at each other, both feeling a sense of shared misfortune.

They are both quite good at dance, but they are also a bit intimidated by this kind of high-intensity dance training.

Being singled out by the dance teacher made them even more panicked.

"You guys almost bumped into each other just now, be careful! Someone must have jumped out of bounds just now, don't make such a basic mistake during the actual performance. You can watch Gu Jingyi more, or Cai Xukun. Their movements are the most standard."

"Let's take a break first. Everyone has had a long day without much rest. That's all for today. There are still three days until the concert. Everyone should take a break and rest properly."

The teacher spoke crisply and decisively, and seeing that the overall situation was roughly correct, he immediately announced the end of the session.

Both Gu Jingyi and Cai Xukun have experience in boy bands, especially Gu Jingyi, who was a member of a top Asian boy band in his previous life. He has performed many shows on Asian tours and is very familiar with all the procedures.

I spent most of the morning working with the team and getting to know each other better.

Fortunately, with the extra practice in the studio these past few days, You Changjing and Chen Linong have made rapid progress. They're not much different from when they were recording "Idol Producer," so they're not dragging the team down.

Upon learning that they could leave work on time, the two brothers, both in dire straits, breathed a sigh of relief.
The members got up in twos and threes, packed their things and left.

Soon, only Gu Jingyi remained in the practice room.

He hated the feeling of sweat sticking to his body and had just taken a shower.

In addition to the tickets sold to the public, Nine Percnet also reserved a portion of their concert tickets as internal bonuses. Aside from management personnel in various departments, each member received a few to give to their friends in the industry or outside of it – a small perk, in a way.

These internal tickets are inner-circle tickets that are closer to the stage, offering better seats than the tickets that have been released.

In addition to the complimentary tickets, Century Idol also prepared the best rows of seats in the inner field for the first day of the concert. They also specially invited the parents and relatives of all the members to attend, allowing them to see their children's first solo concert up close.

For most of the members, this was the most dazzling period of their entertainment careers.

Limited-time talent show groups always seem to have an inescapable fate of "peaking at the start," with only a handful of top members managing to break through after the group disbands.

Being able to reach the pinnacle of one's career alongside one's parents is a very meaningful thing for players in the lower ranks.

However, these tickets are not very meaningful to Gu Jingyi, as he will definitely have a solo tour next year.

It would only be meaningful to let parents witness it at that time.

Besides, my parents are currently on their honeymoon in Australia and definitely won't be coming.

My younger sister is always unreliable and acts on a whim.

If I gave her the ticket, she'd probably just use it to brag.

As for close friends, Gu Jingyi didn't have any.

He has very poor relationships with men, but is quite popular with women.

Should we give Li Yitong and Dilraba free tickets?
Gu Jingyi had just had this thought when he quickly dismissed it.

The inner field tickets are all front row seats, offering the best view of the "parade floats".

Celebrities are all physically attractive, especially these two actresses who are famous for their looks.

If they were to be included, even if they were completely covered up, fans would still recognize them.

Gu Jingyi didn't want to end up like Joshua, bringing his "sister-in-law" to the concert.

It's more entertaining to see someone else being boycotted by fans renting a truck.

While I was drying my hair, the phone rang.

Gu Jingyi picked up his phone and answered it quickly.

"Gu Jingyi, do you have any extra concert tickets?"

The girl's voice was hesitant to speak; this was the first time she had bothered Gu Jingyi for such a reason…

(End of this chapter)