After offending capital, my songs became more and more popular.

Chapter 289 Home, only by your side!

"I hope... I can help you find it!"

"The lost eternity!"

When I speak, you remain silent; all that's left is a dream!!!

……

In a piece of music, the bridge, or the key segment, is always the most captivating part.

In this clip, you can see the "diversity" of a song, and you can hear the parts that are most likely to amaze you and give you goosebumps.

At the very end of the second chorus, Shen Ming'en put down his violin, grabbed the microphone, and sang with veins bulging, which already created a great stage presence. The moment his voice resonated out, it truly got all the audiences, both online and offline, into a frenzy!

"Ahhhh!!!"

Several men and women at the scene seemed to lose control of their emotions and started shouting wildly.

Many things are actually influenced by the "bandwagon effect." Under normal circumstances, if no one starts it, most people, even if they are emotionally agitated, may not express it clearly...

But once someone takes the lead, others will follow suit.

The Chinese people have their own unique feelings about homesickness...

In poetry, there are lines like "I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, then lower it to think of my hometown," and "Alone in a foreign land, I am a stranger; on every festive occasion, I miss my family even more." For international students, this feeling is even stronger.

For international students, "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" is not just a simple ballad, but a song that expresses the "unspoken longings" of life abroad in a concrete way. Every lyric in the song can accurately hit the delicate pain points of being alone in a foreign land.

"Far from home, I can't help but sigh, joy turns into autumn leaves," a lyric that perfectly captures the "seasonal homesickness" of overseas students. While it's the Spring Festival, a time for family reunions in China, it might be late autumn with cold rain abroad; while their social media feeds are filled with the warmth of home, they're cooking a bowl of instant noodles in their empty apartment. This "emotional gap caused by physical distance" is instantly amplified by the image of "turning into autumn leaves," which is even more poignant than simply saying "I miss home."

Actually, the phrase "fallen leaves" is a very apt metaphor. "Fallen leaves" is essentially the state of those who have stayed abroad. Like oysters, they adapt to unfamiliar languages ​​and cultures, learn to survive in foreign rules, and "drift" like fallen leaves.

"Roots" are not just physical hometowns, but also cultural habits instilled from childhood, the concern of family members, even the taste of a bowl of dishes cooked by mom, and even the "dumplings" that you're tired of eating at home!
No matter how glamorous life is abroad, when faced with cultural barriers and academic pressure, the thought of "returning to one's roots" will emerge.

This is not escapism, but rather finding spiritual support in "who I am".

In fact, the song "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" mentions "you" more than once. For international students, "you" actually means family. It could be parents saying "Just tell me if you need more money" during a video call, it could be siblings sharing little things about family, it could be caring people who reply instantly even though there's a time difference...

When facing difficulties overseas, whether it's illness or academic pressure, hearing these lyrics about "you" will instantly remind me of the support from my family.

This concern is what gives international students the courage to "venture" into an unfamiliar world.

Ultimately, the moving aspect of the song "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" lies in its avoidance of slogan-like expressions of "patriotism" or "homesickness." Instead, it weaves the "vulnerability," "longing," and "dependence" of overseas students into the melody, making everyone overseas feel as if they've been gently patted on the shoulder and told:
"Your homesickness is understood!"
Perhaps the international students present couldn't fully grasp or even articulate all of the above, but Shen Ming'en had already broken down and woven these emotions into the melody, lyrics, and vocals, conveying them to the hearts of these international students through his voice and rhythm...

So……

That's why the international students at the scene reacted so strongly.

A funny thing happened at the time. Apparently, a group of international students came to see the performance together, and some of them started crying while listening. The people next to them were also about to cry, but when they heard these people crying, they couldn't hold back their tears either. However, they were afraid of crying and feeling embarrassed, so they shouted in a fit of embarrassment:

"Why are you crying? What's wrong with you that you're crying..."

Then, among the several international students crying their eyes out nearby, one of them broke down and shouted:

"I don't know why, I just want to cry!"

This guy has a pretty loud voice. Just then, Shen Ming'en's side started playing an interlude, and then almost everyone in the entire venue could hear this guy's voice.

"puff……"

"Hahaha……"

The inexplicable coincidence that led to this "famous scene" truly made many viewers burst into laughter. Even some of the viewers who had been emotionally moved and crying their eyes out couldn't help but laugh along with the others.

Those who bought tickets today probably all have the same feeling right now: "It was worth coming today!"

I came here specifically for Shen Ming'en, and I came expecting to see the song he promised the international students today. It was all worth it!

The overseas Chinese heard the songs dedicated to them, and the children who stayed behind also heard the "popular" kind of "nostalgia" they wanted to hear.

I'm sure today's performance will leave an unforgettable impression on them.

……

"But I am like a fallen leaf returning to its roots..."

"It will stay in your heart!"

A touch of melancholy, loneliness amidst the points, but I'm willing to accept it all.

"My love is like fallen leaves returning to their roots..."

"Home~"

"Only by your side."

……

The captivating performance gradually came to a close as Shen Ming'en's singing faded.

After the performance, Shen Ming'en smiled, put away the violin that was on his shoulder, hugged it to his chest, and then bowed deeply to the audience and the cameras.

next moment……

"Clap clap clap clap..."

A thunderous, overwhelming applause erupted almost simultaneously.

Actually, when Shen Mingen sang many patriotic songs before, after the performance, some people in the audience applauded. They were just following along, and it was even a bit like they had to... applaud.

After all, the "style" of the songs he sings is indeed a bit...too "popular". It's like when the leader finishes speaking and everyone else is clapping, how can you not clap?

At those times, it felt like there was something wrong with you if you didn't clap.

But now...

The moment Shen Ming'en finished singing "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots".

The applause at the scene was truly spontaneous, all "unanimously".

It seemed like it was planned, but it wasn't planned at all.

That's the effect!

It's not that the quality of "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" surpasses any of Shen Ming'en's previous works. There's no difference in quality among his works; they are all good. The main point is that in the current situation, with all Chinese people living abroad, this song is just too "timely."

It's worth mentioning that the little girl who cried at the backstage staff entrance after Shen Ming'en's first performance of "The Yellow River Cantata: Defend the Yellow River" that day is now crying even louder...

"Hey, hey..." Shen Ming'en called out to the little girl upon seeing this:
"You promised you wouldn't cry!"

"Ha ha……"

A burst of laughter immediately erupted at the scene.

She had to pamper her own fans, but the young woman wasn't without her temper; she couldn't help but shout from the audience:

"When you sing a song like this, who can hold back their tears!"

Besides, she's not the only one crying; look how many international students are crying too!
Even if they don't cry their eyes out, there are still glistening tears in the corners of their eyes, and their noses feel slightly sore. Many people may be concerned about saving face or have a high threshold for tears, but that doesn't mean they aren't moved.

At that moment, the "emotion" in the hearts of these young men and women who stayed behind for the first time was the same.

The performance ended, and the band members were packing up their things, but Shen Ming'en wasn't in a hurry to leave the stage. Looking at the group of fans who were deeply moved, he couldn't help but smile and say:

"Alright, stop crying, everyone. In a month or two, you'll all be going back to China, and we'll pack together..."

When he started this, many people in the room smiled knowingly, especially the vast majority of international students.

They laughed heartily, and then, without prior arrangement, they all joined in:

"Make dumplings! Smash them!"

To be honest, the "making dumplings" joke is a really awful one, and young people hate it as much as they want to. In a formal performance, like the Spring Festival Gala, if a performer throws this joke at you, these young people would be lucky if they didn't start swearing or cursing on the spot, let alone accept it...

And that's exactly who they are!

Who would have thought that one day I would actually want to take the joke myself, and even enjoy it so much!

After being away from home for a long time, everything back home seems better than I ever have. Everything in China seems so wonderful and beautiful. I'm not kidding!
【Wow……】

In that brief moment when the camera panned across the screen, viewers in the live stream broadcasting simultaneously in China were almost all commenting:

[What an atmosphere!]

I really want to see Shen Ming'en's concert sometime!

Indeed, his stage presence and the atmosphere at his events were quite good...

I feel like any one of his songs, taken individually, could probably spark a massive sing-along!

【nonsense! 】

[Let me start, get ready, me and my motherland~]

We can't be separated even for a moment! (Very loud!!!)

[Loving you, I walk alone through dark alleys... Continuing!]

I love your unwavering spirit!

The red sun rises in the east...

Its main road was bathed in the glow of the setting sun!

No way, how come you all know it?!

[Nonsense, anyone can do that! They've all been brainwashed!]

……

As his popular works become more numerous and abundant, calls for Shen Ming'en to "hold a concert" have gradually grown louder.

In fact, the best criterion for determining whether a singer can hold a concert is simply the number of their representative works...

After all, a concert usually has at least 10 or 20 songs, and at least half of them should be original. It's impossible to only sing one or two of your own songs and sing the rest of other people's songs. If people want to listen to other people's songs, they might as well go to someone else's concert.

It's ridiculous! Those internet celebrities who just sing other people's songs at their concerts... let's not even talk about them...

Looking at the entire Chinese entertainment industry today, Shen Ming'en is definitely among the male singers with the most hit representative works!
Since his time on "Chinese Music Center", almost every song of his has been a hit, widely sung and deeply permeated every age group, from uncles and aunts in their seventies and eighties to students who have just started kindergarten or primary school, there is basically no one who can't sing it.

A singer of his caliber should have already started holding concerts.

The reason he didn't hold the concert is actually quite easy for everyone to guess. On the one hand, it must be because of the "contract" issue with his current agency, Ruixing Entertainment. Generally, large-scale commercial performances like concerts are definitely handled by the agency. Since Shen Ming'en is at odds with his agency, it would be strange if the agency could even organize it.

On the other hand, it might be due to some "copyright issues"...

What are Shen Ming'en's songs?

Main theme!
Each song is more popular than the last!
Some of his songs were handed over to the state, and some were not, but most of them were songs praising the motherland, honoring soldiers, expressing gratitude to predecessors, and so on.

To put it bluntly, you can't just sing any song casually, and you can't just take any song to a commercial performance.

Otherwise, some people will accuse me of "profiteering" again...

So, when will we be able to see Shen Mingen perform at a commercial event? This has naturally become something that this year's audience is eagerly anticipating.

……

The performance came to a close amidst cheers.

As expected, when Shen Ming'en stepped off the stage, he was greeted with congratulations from all the backstage staff and cast members.

Especially the cast and crew members, to be honest, these people should be the ones who admire Shen Ming'en the most on site. After all, laymen watch the show but experts see the details. They are the ones who know best the value of Shen Ming'en's two works, "My Chinese Heart" and "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots".

As expected, after tonight's performance, Shen Ming'en will once again top the trending charts on various platforms and dominate the charts of new songs, popular songs, and rising stars on various music platforms.

This is Shen Ming'en...

This is the oppressive feeling of being a "red song spokesperson"!
Shen Mingen is now truly at the height of his popularity.

Young, handsome, and popular—Shen Mingen's qualities are truly enviable!

Shen Ming'en responded to everyone one by one, and finally made it back to the lounge through the crowd. He was just about to change his clothes...

"Ding-a-ling-a-ling, jingle-a-ling-a-ling..."

The phone rang.

When I picked it up, the caller ID showed: Feng Yucan.

Shen Ming'en raised an eyebrow. He knew all too well what kind of nonsense this guy was going to spout when he called at this time.

……

(End of this chapter)