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

"Xiao Yao, how's your new album coming along? When is it going to be released?" Zhang Liangying asked casually.

"It's not even close to happening yet."

Xu Yao sighed. His first album had to be meticulously crafted to solidify his status as a popular new singer in the music scene.

However, in order to secure all the copyrights for the song's release, preparations can only begin after the contract is terminated; otherwise, it would be like doing all the work for someone else.

Jane Zhang smiled politely and said, "If you release an album in the future, I'll help you share it."

Xu Yao immediately smiled gratefully: "Then I'll thank you in advance, Sister Liangying."

But he knew in his heart that there were some things he wouldn't say to Zhang Liangying tonight.

Because some opinions are better kept in your heart than spoken aloud.

He said quite a bit about "The Seventh Sense," but those were all things that could be said openly.

Rhythm, arrangement, production team, and public listening habits.

There are some things that are truly unspeakable, heartfelt words.

In 2026, Zhang Liangying and Deng Ziqi were both called rising stars, but the gap between these two rising stars is much larger than it appears on the surface.

Deng Ziqi is a top-tier singer-songwriter of the new generation. Each of her albums has highly popular representative works, her concerts break box office records every time, her young fans are extremely loyal, and she is constantly in the spotlight on social media.

And what about Jane Zhang?

Her singing skills remain top-notch, and her reputation in the industry remains good, but she is becoming increasingly unremarkable to the general public.

Apart from "Painting Heart" and "Finally Waiting for You", she has produced almost no new songs that have been sung by the whole nation since 2014.

The gap didn't widen overnight; it started with the album "The Seventh Sense." One wrong step led to another.

29 years old, the golden age of a female singer's career.

Her singing skills are at their peak, her vocal cords have not yet declined, her popularity is still there, her national recognition is still there, and she still has access to mainstream resources.

At this age, one should be frantically accumulating timeless masterpieces, releasing one or two hit OSTs every year, and a catchy and emotionally rich ballad album every two years, piling up a repertoire of hit songs from three to six, eight, or even ten.

But she chose this particular moment to create a niche experimental album.

The song's popularity has waned, and it has become less memorable to the general public.

The style was elevated, but ultimately the international path failed, pleasing neither side.

The international benefits that Sony promised back then—overseas film releases, access to European and American circles, and international fashion events—all ultimately failed to materialize.

No matter how sophisticated an album is, without widespread popularity, it won't have a broad appeal.

Listening to this album again in 2026, it will certainly not be outdated, and it might even outperform many mass-produced products.

But it was too late.

Those golden years that we missed will never come back.

Xu Yao was thinking about something else.

How good was the hand Zhang Liangying was dealt in 2014?

Her singing skills are far superior; she is undoubtedly the best female singer of her generation in terms of vocal ability.

With three national hit songs as its foundation, including "Painting Heart," "If This Is Love," and "Finally Waiting for You," it has a huge following among casual listeners and appeals to all ages.

It's safe to have it on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala; it has maximum mainstream acceptance.

She debuted with a landslide victory from the Super Girl competition, and her fan base was among the top in her generation.

What about their competitors from the same period?

As Jolin Tsai's peak approached, she began transitioning to a more niche image.

Sun Yanzi has semi-retired, Elva Hsiao has faded out of the spotlight due to injuries, and Amy Chang's musical style has become wilder, limiting her audience.

Nayoung leans towards the loud, mainland-style ballads, resulting in a relatively limited style.

Looking at the entire Chinese music scene, Zhang Liangying had almost no competitors of similar stature in 2014.

Although Li Yuchun is a top-tier celebrity, she pursues a career as a singer.

If she had given up on "The Seventh Sense" in 2014, ignored Sony's rhetoric about internationalizing R&B, and simply followed her own most successful path.

Every two years, we release a catchy, emotionally rich ballad album, consistently partnering with hit TV dramas and producing three to five timeless OST hits. We retain our signature dolphin-like high notes and powerful vocals, avoiding niche rhythm experiments and maintaining mainstream aesthetics. We are neither avant-garde nor elitist.

Following this trajectory, the number of hit songs will double. The total number of hit songs will directly rival that of Nayoung and Jang Hye-mi.

The audience base won't experience a sharp decline, and there won't be the awkward situation of "being hailed as a legend in the industry but forgotten by the general public." It appeals to all ages, with both the elderly and children recognizing it, perfectly matching the national dominance that a diva must possess.

Mainstream resources are overwhelmingly dominant.

Back then, Deng Ziqi couldn't even get a ticket to CCTV, the Spring Festival Gala, or any mainstream events.

Zhang Liangying's concert ticket sales will be more stable and reach a wider audience, with a full-age sing-along, giving it more commercial depth than Deng Ziqi's younger venues.

In terms of historical status, she could have been a shoo-in for "Mainland China's No. 1 Little Queen of Pop," and a successor to Na Ying, Faye Wong, and A-mei.

But these are all assumptions.

Many singers are like this: once they rise to the top, they look down on the path they came from.

They think ballads are too corny, OSTs have no artistic value, and dolphin voices are just showing off skills, not music.

I want to elevate my artistic level, prove that I have sophisticated aesthetic taste, and become international.

As a result, they lost touch with the general public and lost the most important thing: goodwill from casual observers.

As for public goodwill, it's something that can be lost silently, and getting it back is harder than climbing to heaven.

Looking at it this way, Zhang Liangying and Liu Yifei's downward spirals, which started in 2014, are strikingly similar.

In the entertainment industry, new talents emerge in every generation, each dominating the scene for centuries.

Only the most outstanding individuals can transcend the cycles of this era's trends.

This is why Xu Yao is determined to do it, and his ultimate goal is to become a king of the music scene.

Xu Yao placed the champagne glass back on the coffee table, the bottom of the glass making a soft sound as it tapped against the glass surface.

Zhang Liangying's lesson is a valuable case study for him.

His first album will definitely not go down this path.

Catchy melodies, rich emotions, catchy tunes, and the ability to accumulate hit songs—that's the direction he should take.

First, build up enough public awareness, then talk about style.

Don't rush to shed the label of being a talent show contestant, and don't rush to prove that you're superior.

First, let more people hear your songs, then you'll have the right to be picky.

This order cannot be reversed.

Even with a few hit songs, one must not forget their original intention to achieve their goal.

Take Dao Lang for example. He's always been consistent. In 2025, he released an album that sent shockwaves through the entire Douyin (TikTok) community.

Even pop diva Nayoung had to avoid her and suspend her concerts.

This was a future fact that no one could believe in 2014.

If all of Deng Ziqi's songs were leaked to Zhang Liangying in advance, would she become a true queen of the music scene?

The idea was interesting, but Xu Yao was just daydreaming.

He couldn't possibly say these things to Zhang Liangying.

Unlike that sleepless night when he kept arguing with Liu Yifei, he wouldn't persuade Zhang Liangying to make any changes.

The first reason is simple.

He was unwilling to expend too much effort on relationships that were not his kinship or acquaintances.

Xu Yao and Liu Yifei can argue until their faces turn red.

That's the bond forged from childhood in a courtyard in Wuhan, a trust built on the foundation of the concept of "family".

But Zhang Liangying is not.

They met for the first time tonight, added each other on WeChat, and she did him a favor by introducing him to a lawyer. He gave her some professional feedback on his album.

It's dignified to stop there.

Saying anything more would be crossing the line.

The second reason is more direct.

Even if he said it, Zhang Liangying wouldn't take it seriously.

She is now a signed artist with Sony Music, has three nationally popular OSTs, and has just released her seventh solo album. She is at a critical juncture in her transformation from a talent show contestant to an "international vocal queen".

What is his identity?

A newcomer who just came out of The Voice of China and is still arguing with his management company.

There was no basis for equal dialogue between the two people.

She politely asked him, "What do you think?" That was a senior's courtesy to a junior, a gesture of goodwill out of respect for Liu Yifei, not a genuine request for strategic advice.

If he were to blurt out all those things, he would only get an awkward smile and a "What you said is quite interesting."

He clearly saw the detours Zhang Liangying took.

He has a clear vision of the path he will take with his first album.

This is enough.

"Sister Liangying, my new album will include a male-female duet. Would you be interested in participating?" Xu Yao extended an invitation, which can be considered as an early preparation for his new album.

"Sure, your new song is out. Send it to me, and my team and I will have a meeting to discuss it," Jane Zhang replied with a smile.

"OK."

Xu Yao gave a brief reply, indicating that his collaboration with Zhang Liangying was now completely over.

Xu Yao would naturally not send the new song to Zhang Liangying and then have her team discuss whether to collaborate based on the quality of the song.

Xu Yao feels incredibly proud of every song he sings.

He was so proud that he considered it a favor to anyone he gave.

Do you really think they're after your popularity?

Those who hesitate are unworthy!