I was slacking off on a dating reality show when the female guests treated me like a treasure chest.

Chapter 124 Su Xiao's Listening to the Sea

The Sydney Street Music Awards are renowned worldwide and enjoy a high level of recognition and influence within the industry.

Every year when the competition begins, talent scouts and senior executives from numerous entertainment companies gather at the venue. For them, this competition is the cradle of new talents and a perfect stage for discovering promising young musicians.

Indeed, many well-known rock singers at home and abroad today emerged from street music competitions, and this kind of street music culture was once very popular in North America.

After taking her seat in the VIP section, Lin Ran casually picked up the event schedule on the table and browsed through it.

Tonight's final features eight top contestants and five special guest performers. Chen Nian and Su Xiao will perform in the middle of the show, while the opening performance will be handled by two other overseas guests.

The cheers of 50,000 spectators swept through the entire venue, and the atmosphere instantly became boiling. Soon, two powerful North American rock singers took to the stage, officially kicking off the final night.

Backstage, Chen Nian and Su Xiao stood side by side, quietly watching the stage performance.

Su Xiao's eyes were full of excitement and anticipation. For her, this was an invaluable opportunity. Not only would she be able to perform on the same stage as top musicians from around the world, but she would also be able to observe industry veterans on stage up close, which was very rewarding.

Chen Nian caught a glimpse of her excited expression and chuckled, teasing, "I didn't know you had a rock and roll dream?"

Su Xiao smiled shyly and said, "For most of us musicians, our initial passion for music was ignited by rock and roll. Many of our predecessors practically grew up listening to rock and roll."

Chen Nian seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this. Looking at the history of music development at home and abroad, rock and roll has always occupied a crucial and enlightening position.

The rise of rock music in China during the 1970s and 80s gave birth to a large number of classic musicians, stunning an era.

However, as the popularity of rock music gradually faded, overseas rock music adapted and slowly integrated into the rap trend, while domestic rock music failed to achieve a breakthrough. Among these factors, cultural atmosphere and social environment were major influencing factors.

On stage, a powerful rock melody exploded, and the strong rhythm instantly ignited the entire venue. Fifty thousand spectators cheered in unison, and the sound waves reverberated throughout the stadium.

One-fifth of the audience members present tonight were of Chinese descent, which added a sense of familiarity and warmth to this international event.

The opening act featured a classic rock song that Chen Nian had previously heard covered by artists such as Li Tian.

But listening to the original singer's performance now, the difference in stage presence, singing skills, and emotional impact is like night and day. He secretly sighed to himself that there are indeed differences between singers!

The explosive opening performance has come to an end, and tonight's final competition has officially begun.

Each of the eight finalists performed two songs. The program team determined the top four based on their overall scores, and then the final winners were determined through cross-competition.

According to the schedule, after the top four are determined, it will be his and Su Xiao's intermission performance segment, with nearly an hour of preparation time before they go on stage.

Chen Nian stopped crowding at the entrance of the passage and turned back to the backstage rest area to sit down.

The TVs in the rest area broadcast live footage of the match, allowing participants to keep up with the progress of the game without having to stand and wait.

Today, the two of them are also under a lot of strange looks.

Tonight's contestants and the other three special guests are all familiar faces from the European and American music scene. Chen Nian and Su Xiao are the only Asian performers, and there are no Asian musicians among the top eight contestants.

Chen Nian sighed inwardly, realizing that the development of Asian rock music had fallen to such a state.

The Japanese and Korean music scenes have always been strong, yet none of them made it to the final eight. He used to focus on creating music and rarely paid attention to the dynamics of the music industry. Now he realizes that he is not familiar with many aspects of the music scene.

The competition was broadcast live globally, and the number of online viewers that night broke the event record once again. Liu Ting, Tang Xi, Zhou Yu, and others who had already returned to China to rest all stayed in the live broadcast room, paying close attention to the dynamics of the competition.

When the camera panned backstage, everyone was taken aback to see Chen Nian sitting calmly in his seat, taking a nap with his eyes closed, seemingly without any emotion.

This person isn't nervous at all, even though they're on a global live broadcast stage?

Only Chen Nian himself knew the turmoil in his heart. This was the first time he had stood on a top-notch open-air stage in front of 50,000 people, and it was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Even professional singers would feel nervous performing on such a grand stage for the first time, let alone someone who is a behind-the-scenes creator.

However, he was always calm and never showed his emotions. All his tension and anxiety were hidden in his heart, without showing the slightest bit.

A short while later, the band teacher who was accompanying him approached him and asked, "Mr. Chen Nian, when we go on stage later, do we need to coordinate our performance outfits?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Nian opened his eyes, shook his head, and replied, "No need. Just wear clothes that fit the stage and match the music style. There's no need to be too uniform."

The viewers in the live stream finally noticed Chen Nian's look tonight, and the chat instantly went viral.

He wore a pair of red overalls adorned with tiny gold sequins, the subtle shimmer like scattered stars, eye-catching yet understated.

The top is a zippered short-sleeved shirt with fine dragon scale patterns inlaid on both sides, which shimmer and sparkle in the light.

On the back of the short-sleeved shirt, a five-clawed golden dragon is meticulously printed, and the three-dimensional shoulder flower design on the right shoulder adds to its noble aura.

The entire outfit was bold and stylish, with excellent quality, which made him look tall and slender with an outstanding temperament.

"Help! Chen Nian is so handsome tonight! He has the aura of a superstar!"

"With that look and that charisma, if he debuted, he'd definitely be a fan favorite!"

"No wonder so many female guests were attracted; who could resist such conditions!"

Liu Ting, Zhou Yu, and Tang Xi, watching Chen Nian exuding confidence and charisma on screen, couldn't help but marvel. His appearance and demeanor were indeed dazzling.

On stage, the competition progressed rapidly. After a fierce battle between a North American singer and a Sydney local singer, the final four of the competition were officially announced.

The host walked onto the stage amidst enthusiastic applause and announced in an upbeat tone, "Next, please welcome our special guest for tonight's intermission, who will bring us a wonderful performance!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a soothing and expansive prelude melody flowed out, and the ethereal and gentle tune instantly calmed the previous heat in the arena, making the atmosphere suddenly quiet.

At the entrance of the passage, Su Xiao turned around upon hearing the sound, glanced at Chen Nian who had come to her side, nodded slightly, and then slowly walked towards the center of the stage.

Tonight, she wore a pure white fitted long dress with a light and graceful hem that accentuated her slender and gentle figure. Her long, black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and she paired it with simple high heels, exuding elegance, poise, and a cool yet gentle charm.

The moment Su Xiao appeared under the spotlight, the entire audience was instantly captivated and couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

Tens of thousands of Chinese audience members in the audience were the first to stand up and cheer, giving the warmest applause to support the guests who had traveled from afar.

Su Xiao stood in the center of the stage and bowed slightly in greeting.

As the applause subsided, she slowly began to speak. Her clear and resonant voice filled the entire venue through the sound system, gentle yet powerful, piercing through the noise and lingering in everyone's ears.

The vast majority of foreign audience members at the scene did not understand Chinese, but they were still deeply attracted by the melodious tune of "Listen to the Sea".

The ethereal arrangement and lingering melody, carrying a unique Eastern poetic and expansive quality, naturally calm the mind.

The Chinese audience section below the stage was already in a frenzy, with tens of thousands of spectators waving their glow sticks. The tiny lights gathered into a dazzling sea of ​​stars, and the orderly applause and cheers rose and fell, inspiring the surrounding foreign audience to follow suit. The atmosphere throughout the venue was both gentle and enthusiastic.

Su Xiao's fingers trembled slightly as she held the microphone, and a faint glimmer appeared in her eyes.

This is the stage she has always dreamed of, the scene she has longed for since she entered the music scene.

Surrounded by spotlights, the songs resounded throughout the venue, and the melody of home and country floated in the night sky of a foreign land. At this moment, all the perseverance and hard work had meaning.

In domestic live streaming rooms, tens of millions of viewers were simultaneously immersed in the song, with many softly singing along to the melody. The screen was filled with comments, expressing emotion and pride.

"Listen, the sound of the sea crying, lamenting who has been heartbroken yet remains unaware."

"It definitely wasn't me, at least I'm very calm."

"But even tears don't believe it."

"Listen, the sound of the sea crying. This sea is far too sentimental, weeping until dawn."

Write me a letter, consider it our final agreement.

"Tell me when you left me,"

"What kind of feeling is that?"

Su Xiao's voice is clean and clear, combining gentleness and penetrating power. Her low notes are soothing and lingering, while her high notes are clear and bright. Every word is heartfelt and every sentence resonates with the listener.

Many viewers in the live stream had heard Chen Nian sing this song a cappella, but they never expected that Su Xiao's version would be even more powerful.

Chen Nian smiled, a sense of satisfaction on his face. So this is what it feels like to have your songs recognized!

The breath control, transitions, and pauses in the final notes are all handled perfectly, and paired with the melodious accompaniment, they bring out the emotions in the song to the fullest.

The stage's LED screen simultaneously displayed beautiful images of the sea, with surging waves, a gentle evening breeze, and a high-hanging star and moon, perfectly complementing the singing. This dual feast for the eyes and ears completely captivated the 50,000 audience members.

The once noisy stadium fell completely silent as everyone listened attentively to the song performed by a guest from China.

There was no noise or restlessness. Although the foreign audience did not understand the deeper meaning of the lyrics, they could feel the unique romance and profoundness of Chinese music from the melody and singing.

In the VIP seats, Lin Ran put down her coffee, her gaze fixed on the stage, her eyes filled with amazement.

She had already anticipated that the song would be of top quality, but she hadn't expected the live performance to be so stunning. Su Xiao's voice was a perfect match for the song, and it seems that Xinghe is about to produce another promising talent.

As the song drew to a close, the final melody slowly faded away, its lingering notes echoing long under the Sydney night sky.

After two seconds of silence, the entire venue erupted in deafening applause and cheers that resounded throughout the stadium and lasted for a long time. After thanking the audience, Su Xiao stepped off the stage.

Immediately afterwards, the host's voice rang out, and Chen Nian's name echoed throughout the entire stadium.