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

"Group 8: Li Wenqi and Xu Yao – 'Vincent'"

Xu Yao began to recall.

The stage of "The Voice of China" has never lacked exceptionally talented singers, such as Li Wenqi.

In 2012, when 14-year-old Li Wenqi stood on the stage of the first season of "The Voice of China" with her guitar, no one could have imagined that this seemingly immature girl could sing Cui Jian's rock classic "Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March" with her own unique fresh and artistic style.

Li Wenqi's voice is as clear as a mountain spring, and her adapted musical style is bold and lively, making the three mentors, Liu Huan, Yang Kun, and Yu Chengqing, turn around without hesitation.

At that moment, everyone thought a new star was about to rise.

But fate played a cruel joke on her – due to the age limit of 16 for participating in the competition, Li Wenqi's amazing performance was banned from broadcast, and she had to leave the music dream stage that had just opened its doors to her with regret.

In 2014, Li Wenqi, who had turned 16, stood on the stage of the third season of "The Voice of China" with a more mature demeanor.

This time, she still chose "Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March," maintaining that refreshing adaptation style, but with an added sense of composure after two years of reflection.

Unfortunately, this time, the mentors did not turn around for her.

However, in the revival competition, Li Wenqi successfully revived by singing "Meteor", joined Yang Kun's group, and eventually entered the top four of Yang Kun's group and the top 16 in the country.

Now, as a result of the chain reaction, Li Wenqi's partner has changed from Ikramu to Xu Yao.

The song is still Don McLean's "Vincent," a quiet and melancholic folk song about Van Gogh.

Xu Yao's gaze swept around the rehearsal hall and landed on a small, thin figure in the corner.

Li Wenqi sat there, knees together, hands on her knees, as quiet as a sapling.

She was wearing a white shirt, her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she had a composure that was beyond her years.

Her gaze met Xu Yao's.

The two looked at each other for a second.

Li Wenqi nodded slightly to him, her lips moving as if to say "hello".

Xu Yao nodded in response.

After reading the last name, Yang Kun placed the list on the piano.

"The group assignments have been finalized. Starting today, you have five days to rehearse. Five days later, stand on stage and sing for your partners, for your mentors, and for the entire nation."

He clapped his hands: "Alright, each group go find your rehearsal room. The vocal coach and the arranger are already waiting for you."

The trainees stood up and dispersed.

When Xu Yao stood up, Li Wenqi had already walked up to him.

She looked up at him. Xu Yao was 1.85 meters tall, while she was only about 1.6 meters tall. Standing in front of him, she looked like a primary school student.

"Brother Xu Yao," she said, her voice clear and quiet, "I'm Li Wenqi. Nice to meet you."

Xu Yao looked at her and suddenly felt a little dazed.

Sixteen years old.

She is one of the youngest contestants on this stage.

But there's something in her voice that many adult singers don't have: a pure, untainted cleanliness, untouched by any technique.

"Hello." Xu Yao extended his hand and shook hands with her. "I also look forward to taking care of you."

Li Wenqi's hands are small and cool, and her grip on his hand is very light.

The two found the room marked "Rehearsal Room 8" and went inside.

There were already two people sitting in the room.

The middle-aged man wearing glasses is Lao Zhou, the vocal music teacher.

There was also a young man with a laptop in front of him; he was a music production assistant.

"Come on, come on," Old Zhou clapped his hands, "Vincent, Don McLean's song. You two try singing it once, I want to hear your vocal range and timbre."

Xu Yao and Li Wenqi each picked up a microphone.

Old Zhou played a few chords on the piano to set the tone.

"Who wants to go first?" Old Zhou asked.

"I'll go first," Li Wenqi said.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The moment he spoke, the entire rehearsal room fell silent.

"Starry, starry night..."

Her voice was as clean as the first drop of dew in the morning, without any impurities or needing any embellishment.

It reminded Xu Yao of the mountain streams and the children's choir in the church.

She continued singing, "Paint your palette blue and gray..."

Each word was pronounced softly; the control of breath was not skillful, but natural.

Old Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't say anything.

After Li Wenqi finished singing the first verse, she opened her eyes and looked at Xu Yao.

"It's your turn," she said.

Xu Yao took a deep breath.

His voice is completely different from Li Wenqi's.

The rich, warm, and slightly grainy mid-bass frequencies are like a radio playing late at night, or jazz music in an old bar.

"Starry, starry night..."

He sang half a beat slower than Li Wenqi, dragging out each syllable as if he were weighing each word in his hand.

The natural reverberation from the chest cavity gives the whole song a sudden sense of weight and time.

Old Zhou tapped his fingers lightly twice on the piano, clearly very satisfied.

After the two finished singing, the rehearsal room was quiet for a few seconds.

"Interesting." Old Zhou took off his glasses, wiped them, and then put them back on. "Your two voices are completely different."

He looked at Xu Yao: "Your voice is deep, warm, and resonant. Like the earth."

Then she looked at Li Wenqi: "Your voice is thin, cold, and rising. Like the sky."

"I think this song could be arranged in the direction of a song about the earth and the sky."

Xu Yao and Li Wenqi exchanged a glance.

Old Zhou turned around and played a few chords on the piano.

"The song 'Vincent' is about Van Gogh. A man misunderstood by the world, he painted the most beautiful starry night in the world."

His voice slowed down a bit.

"What you need to do is not to compete on who sings better, but for one person to sing of the starry sky and the other to sing of the earth. The two voices, when combined, become a Van Gogh painting."

Old Zhou took out several sheet music sheets from his bag and distributed them to the two people.

"Come on, give it a try."

For the next few days, Xu Yao and Li Wenqi spent almost all their time in the rehearsal room.

They arrive at 8 a.m. every morning and don't leave until 11 p.m.

Song selection, key setting, style determination, and adaptation direction were all completed on the first day.

But the real challenge is how to blend two completely different voices together.

Xu Yao's voice is deep and steady, making it suitable for providing support.

Li Wenqi's voice is clear and ethereal, perfect for floating on the air.

The problem is that the melody of this song is continuous and flowing, so how do the two people divide the sections?

Old Zhou and his arrangement assistant discussed for a long time, and the final plan they decided on was...

In the verses, Li Wenqi sang the first verse, and Xu Yao sang the second verse.

In the chorus, the two sing together, but Xu Yao sings the main melody while Li Wenqi sings the harmony an octave higher.

In the Bridge section, the two people take turns speaking, one sentence after another, like a dialogue.

Once you've decided on something, it's all about practicing repeatedly.

On the first day, the two of them familiarized themselves with the melody and lyrics.

The next day, they tried to recreate it, but the rhythm was completely off.

Li Wenqi's rhythm is more free-flowing, while Xu Yao's rhythm is more steady.

The two sang halfway through when they parted ways.

"You have to follow the rhythm," Xu Yao said.

"But I feel this song shouldn't be sung too rigidly," Li Wenqi frowned. "It should be free, like a painting."

The two remained deadlocked for ten minutes before Lao Zhou came in to mediate.

"Listen to me," Lao Zhou said, standing between the two of them. "The original version of this song is in the folk style, and the rhythm is indeed quite free. But freedom doesn't mean doing whatever you want. You need to find a common ground."

He played a few chords on the piano.

"Here's what you'll do: when Li Wenqi is singing, Xu Yao, don't rush in. Wait until the moment her breath settles down before you join in. When you join in, your rhythm should be half a beat slower than hers, so it sounds like you're responding to her."