Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

The recording of Yang Kun's team's 8-to-4 elimination round has begun.

It rained lightly in Jiaxing on the day of the recording.

The curtains in the waiting area were drawn, the lights were dim, and the top eight contestants sat in silence on folding chairs.

Some people were looking down at the lyrics, some were practicing their voices in a corner, and some were taking deep breaths with their eyes closed.

The atmosphere was much more somber than when it was the round of 16 to 8.

Last time it was a round of 16 to 8, eliminating half of them.

This time it's eight to four, and half of them will be eliminated.

Everyone has paid a heavy price to get here, and no one wants to stop here.

There was a small TV in a corner of the waiting area, showing the situation on stage.

The first pair to perform were Mo Haijing and Chen Yongxin.

The door to the waiting area was pushed open, and Chen Yongxin walked in, wearing a white dress, her hair loose over her shoulders, and she looked quieter than usual.

She walked up to Xu Yao and stopped.

"Brother Yao," she called out.

"You're about to go to the battlefield, are you still nervous?" Xu Yao asked with a smile.

"Actually, a little bit," Chen Yongxin smiled, "but it's much easier than before. I practiced that 'treat the microphone like a friend and confide in it' trick you taught me last time a lot."

Xu Yao nodded encouragingly: "Go for it, you'll shine like a star."

"Uh-huh."

Chen Yongxin looked up at him, nodded, and turned to walk towards the stage aisle.

On the small TV screen in the waiting area, Mo Haijing sang first, choosing Wang Leehom's "You're Not Here".

Mo Haijing is a postgraduate student in the Musical Theatre Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 2010, she represented the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in the National Vocal Competition and was ranked among the top 20 in the country, demonstrating her exceptional talent.

But tonight she abandoned her preferred classical singing style and chose this pop song.

Every note was impeccably accurate, technically flawless, but Xu Yao always felt something was missing. It wasn't that it sounded bad, but rather that it didn't stay with him after he finished listening.

After her hit show "Good Voice," Mo Haijing participated in many variety shows and musicals, but she never really broke out of the mainstream.

A graduate student from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, with impeccable singing skills and a good appearance, just lacking a bit of luck.

Xu Yao sometimes wonders if things would have been different if she had chosen a song that suited her better on "The Voice of China" back then.

But there are no "what ifs" in this world.

That's how the stage is; if you don't step on the right track and don't have a hit song, you might never have another chance.

When it was Chen Yongxin's turn, she chose A-Lin's "I'm Very Busy".

When the intro started, the waiting area fell silent.

Chen Yongxin's voice came from the screen, as clean as the morning dew.

When she sang the chorus line "Just grit your teeth and say I'm busy," she didn't force the high notes, but instead sang into the microphone in a confessional style, just like Xu Yao taught her.

Her voice wasn't pushed outwards, but rather pulled back inwards, as if she were apologizing to someone, but that person could no longer hear her.

Na-young was the first to speak from the mentors' panel: "In terms of vocal control and how comfortable it is for us to listen to, Chen Yongxin's control, and the way her voice blends with the band, creates a sense of gradual progression that I find very comfortable."

Hsiao Ching-teng also said, "Yung-hsin is more natural."

Yang Kun concluded by saying, "Yongxin's voice is very ethereal and her timbre is beautiful. She may not need any effects to create a certain effect on her own. I chose her based on the idea of ​​letting the emotions flow naturally."

As expected, Chen Yongxin advanced.

When the door to the waiting area was pushed open, Chen Yongxin walked in with tears in her eyes and ran towards Xu Yao with a joyful smile.

"Brother Yao, I advanced!" Her voice was a little choked up.

"Congratulations." Xu Yao was happy for her too.

Chen Yongxin nodded, walked to the chair next to her, sat down, lowered her head, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

She cries easily, as always.

The second group to perform were Robynn & Kendy and Yu Feng.

On the small TV screen in the waiting area, Robynn & Kendy sang first, choosing David Tao's "Find Yourself".

Two girls stood on the stage with guitars in their arms. Their harmonies were exquisitely arranged, and their voices were clean and clear, filling the entire stage with a youthful and healing aura.

Ye Qingqing was wearing a white shirt, her short hair was neat, and her eyes crinkled when she smiled.

Xu Yao looked at the screen and recalled the background of the short-haired girl.

After the blind auditions aired, netizens uncovered Robynn's true identity... She graduated from Northwestern University with a major in psychology and previously worked as a speech therapist at an autism training center.

This identity was discovered by the media during the blind audition stage, and the production team was happy to use it as a topic of discussion.

But on this stage, the background is ultimately just the background.

To win her over, Qi Qin revealed that he had autism as a child.

Yang Kun interrupted, claiming he had suffered from depression for seven years—both mentors brought up their mental health histories in an effort to win over a contestant.

In the end, they chose Yang Kun, and netizens exclaimed, "Brother Kun really went all out this time."

The light purple shirt only appeared in the shot for five or six seconds, but it sparked another wave of curiosity among netizens about Ye Zi's family.

But a stage is still a stage.

They are going to lose in the quarterfinals.

Yu Feng has entered the arena.

During the blind auditions, Yu Feng only appeared for forty seconds in a montage segment, singing "How Much Love Can Be Relived." The camera flashed by so quickly that many viewers probably didn't even remember his name.

But he chose Brian McKnight's "Back at One," an R&B love song with a very wide vocal range that requires a high level of breath control.

Yu Feng spoke up.

A clear and bright sound burst forth from the speakers, each note as smooth as silk.

His voice isn't the kind that relies on explosive shouting to blast off the stage, but rather a captivating power that calms you down and compels you to listen.

The production team used this to create a story of creating a dark horse.

A contestant who is forgotten during a blind audition makes a comeback and becomes the champion of the group. This kind of story is more marketable than "being a hot favorite from the start".

Yu Feng first gained recognition from the audience after this competition. Music critics called him the "real-life He Yichen," praising his good looks and well-rounded singing skills, making him the biggest dark horse of that season.

After the performance, Xu Yao couldn't hear Xiao Jingteng's comments very clearly in the waiting area, but Yang Kun chose Yu Feng.

Robynn & Kendy walked off the stage.

Ye Qingqing's expression was calm; she didn't cry or show any resentment. She was simply packing her things.

Xu Yao recalled seeing a Weibo post she made later: "Didn't fall. Gained all the beautiful memories."

The third pair to perform were Xu Jianqiu and Su Qifan.

"Brother Yao, give me a high five and cheer me on," Xu Jianqiu said with a smile.

Xu Yao and Xu Jianqiu high-fived, then clasped hands together: "Let's go up there and rock the whole place!"

"Let's rock the whole place..." Xu Jianqiu roared as he entered the stage.

On the small TV screen in the waiting area, Su Qifan sang first, choosing Chen Shuhua's "When Dreams Awaken".

Su Qifan sang "The Painful Stone" during the blind auditions. His voice was deep and resonant, with a high-quality feel in the mid and low registers. He also had a steady and honest image, which earned him the nickname "Volcano Boy" from the audience.

But tonight, he sang this song steadily, almost to the point of being flat.

When it was Xu Jianqiu's turn, he chose "The Loneliness of Burning Fire".

Shin Band's songs have an extremely wide vocal range, from the low notes of the verses to the high notes of the chorus, requiring exceptional breath control.

Xu Jianqiu's voice is on the thinner side, but his emotional expression is very delicate. The screaming burst in the chorus carries a sense of being driven to the brink of despair, reminding people of the energy he had when he sang "I Miss You" during the blind auditions.

After the performance, Hsiao Ching-teng commented: "Su Chi-fan was very steady today, but a bit too steady. Chien-chiu's emotional investment was stronger. Although one or two notes were not perfect, that imperfection made people feel more sorry for her, which was more suitable for the song's expression."

Yang Kun chose Xu Jianqiu.

As Su Qifan walked off the stage, she stopped in front of Xu Yao and patted him on the shoulder: "Brother Yao, keep it up."

Xu Yao nodded, wanting to say something, but Su Qifan had already turned and left.

Robynn & Kendy are gone, Su Qifan is gone.

When each person who is eliminated leaves, they say "Good luck" and then it's hard to see them again.

The door to the waiting area was pushed open, and Xu Jianqiu walked in, sat down next to Xu Yao.

"Brother Yao, it's your turn."

"Yes, it's finally my turn."

Xu Yao revealed a confident smile: "At this moment that everyone is looking forward to, the production team, who have gone through so much trouble, are you really ready? Are you sure the press releases you prepared in advance won't be wasted?"

The on-set director pushed open the door and came in: "Xu Yao, get ready to go on stage."

Xu Yao was already prepared and full of fighting spirit.