Huayu 2009: Who should we call the Heavenly King?

Around 6 p.m., despite the howling wind, the area outside the Huanglong Sports Center was bustling with activity as fans from all directions surged into the ticket gates like a tidal wave.

A large portion of them are from the local area or the province, but there are also fans from all over the country.

Lao Huang is an entertainment reporter for Southern Metropolis Daily. He started working in the 90s. In his youth, he fell in love with rock music because of Cui Jian.

Later, Tang Dynasty, Black Panther, the Magic Rock Three (Dou Wei, Zhang Chu, He Yong), Zheng Jun, No. 43 Baojia Street, Xu Wei, The Flowers, Reincarnation, Dada, Overload, New Pants...

Etc., etc.

He knows domestic rock music like the back of his hand.

Although many people think that the domestic rock music scene is unsophisticated and technically inadequate, he believes it's not a problem with the people.

Rock music has been developing overseas for 60-70 years.

When rock music swept the globe in the 60s and 70s, what was the situation in China?

With such a large gap and less development, isn't that normal?

of course.

There are many problems in the domestic rock scene, such as smoking weed, promiscuity, and plagiarism. But it's not all that bad; there are still people who stick to their principles.

Old Huang came to Hangzhou today for both business and personal reasons; he was invited by Gold Typhoon.

They want to promote a new singer.

A mainland Chinese student at the Beijing Film Academy's School of Music, Lao Huang initially thought he had misheard the group when he first heard about it.

A student majoring in acting goes and tries to sing?

As we all know, there are many cases of singers crossing over to become actors, and there are quite a few successful cases. There are also many cases of actors crossing over to become singers, but most of them are just trying to make money.

Ten years ago, Lao Huang wouldn't have taken this kind of case, but reporters also need to make a living.

They not only covered the cost of food and lodging, but also provided ample transportation expenses.

Then he came.

Even if this newcomer isn't good, watching Xu Wei's concert is still worthwhile. He happened to be away on a business trip and missed the concert in Guangzhou at the end of August this year.

Soon after, Lao Huang entered the venue. Gold Typhoon had given him two tickets to the inner field. He had originally brought his apprentice with him for this interview.

But not long ago, that guy suddenly resigned.

The new owner is Matt Culture, a company specializing in film marketing. Its founder, Chen Lizhi, is also a former sports and entertainment journalist.

He was the producer of Enlight Media's "Entertainment Live" and Sohu Video's "Dapeng Debade".

Later, Chen Lizhi started his own business, and the marketing and promotion of "The Message," which won a great victory at the Golden Horse Awards this year, was his doing.

He's a capable person, and this is a good career path for him.

In the past few years, many of my colleagues at the newspaper have moved to the internet and new media, but I have no such plans.

However, he was well aware that the era of print media was over.

He only wanted two things for working at Southern Metropolis Daily: it was close to home and it was a stable job.

Occasionally, there's extra income.

For example, this time, he sold that inner-field ticket to a scalper.

2000 yuan.

An additional fifth of the travel expenses were incurred.

While I was pondering, a cheer suddenly erupted around me. Upon closer listening, I recognized the familiar prelude.

Blue lotus!

Before we knew it, the concert had begun.

Xu Wei sang three songs in a row, getting into the groove. The fans at the scene were thrilled, and Lao Huang also showed a smile.

This is what a concert should be like!

Some concerts in China are just ridiculous; they don't even have live accompaniment, they just play a backing track and start singing.

Some people go even further, lip-syncing at ticketed concerts.

Going to a concert is not as good as listening to CDs at home.

Xu Wei's concert was very sincere, not only with live accompaniment, but also with newly arranged versions.

Singing live?

There's no need to praise it; what's so praiseworthy about the standard features?

If a rock singer lip-syncs or uses extensive backing tracks, even without outsiders saying anything, people in the industry will look down on him.

Time ticked by, and cheers erupted one after another. When Xu Wei finished singing "Travel," the stage lights suddenly went out.

"Next up, please welcome our guest performer, Shen Yan!"

Xu Wei's words echoed throughout the stadium from the speakers.

Immediately afterwards, the lights came on, and a beam of light shone on the left side of the center of the stage.

A boy in a black shirt sat in front of a piano, his fingertips lightly strumming the strings.

The prelude begins.

The image on the large screen above the stage was also focused on Shen Yan.

"Who is this?"

"Didn't Xu Wei say it would be guest performer Shen Yan?"

"He's kind of handsome, about as good as me."

"..."

Hearing the whispers around him, Old Huang smiled.

He was indeed handsome, but I wondered how well he sang. After a brief piano prelude, a clean and clear voice came through.

"Once by accident, he and she fell in love."

In an era where there is no hesitation

Thinking I understood, I loved wholeheartedly…

Only the piano was present; the bass, guitar, and drums were all absent. Upon hearing this, Lao Huang raised an eyebrow.

Surprisingly, it's pretty good?

The timbre is nice, the voice is very infectious, and there is a sincere sense of narrative, as if telling a story about youth, regrets, and growth.

"Your care is always with me..."

Guitar, bass, drums, and harmonies entered almost simultaneously, yet there was no sense of chaos whatsoever.

According to the materials provided by Gold Typhoon, he wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and arranged the music himself?

If that's the case, the future looks promising.

At the backstage entrance, Xu Wei stood with his arms crossed, a smile of approval on his face.

"Sister Jing, this kid is lucky with the typhoon, he should be fine."

"Um."

Huang Weijing's lips curled up. Although she had been confident beforehand, no one knew whether she could manage a crowd of over eight thousand people.

Now?

She breathed a sigh of relief.

The applause and screams from the audience were the best proof.

"Hello everyone, I am Shen Yan. I am honored to be able to sing at Mr. Xu Wei's concert today."

"Did you all like that song, 'Boy'?"

"like!"

"handsome!"

"..."

After a brief exchange, Shen Yan picked up the electric guitar next to him, held it horizontally to his chest, and spoke into the microphone.

"Thank you. Next song, 'Mountains and Seas,' is for everyone."

It's still a lonely prelude; the previous song was based on piano, and this one is based on electric guitar.

After a nearly 30-second solo, the drums and bass began to play.

I looked at my own naive self.

Appeared in a story without me.

Awaiting my response…

The first half was very gentle, but Lao Huang clearly noticed something was wrong. The rhythm was off, gradually getting stronger and stronger.

really.

"He understands, he understands, I can't give him that..."

Shen Yan's voice suddenly rose, carrying a tearing explosive force. At the same time, the split screens on the left and right sides above the stage also changed.

The lyrics, written in capital letters, flash continuously, one verse after another, creating an explosive visual impact.

then.

Guitars, drums, everything's going wild, all of it's going wild.

So he turned and walked into the mountains.

He understood, he understood, I couldn't give it to him...

In the chorus, Shen Yan's roaring vocals struck the hearts of the listeners with every word.

The atmosphere at the scene was instantly ignited.

Holy crap!

"Awesome!"

"This newcomer is amazing!"

"Bunker!"

"..."

Then, a minute-long interlude, especially the arrangement of the drumbeats, made Lao Huang a little emotional.

That drumbeat is awesome!

At this moment, the audience erupted in cheers, and those who were sitting all stood up.

Everywhere you look, you see arms raised.

These people mostly use the same gestures: their thumbs and ring fingers are pressed against their palms, while their thumbs, index fingers, and little fingers are raised high.

In the rock music scene, this gesture means "I love you," representing the audience's approval of the singer.

In the latter half of the song, the entire venue was filled with waving hands.

Many spectators jumped and shook their heads to the rhythm, their screams piercing through the roof and could be heard even dozens of meters away from the venue.

Gu Man was stunned in the audience.

This was completely different from the Shen Yan she remembered. On stage, Shen Yan was like a burning torch, releasing the most primal and abundant energy.

His powerful stage presence and charisma made her heart race and her palms sweat.

Decided!

Decided!

The male protagonist of my next book will be based on this real person.

Handsome!

Charming!

On the other side, Lao Huang was also having a blast.

This song is awesome.

soon.

Just like the intro, the outro of "Mountains and Seas" is also very simple, consisting of a clean electric guitar outro.

The prelude to "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky" suddenly began.

Signature guitar strumming.

"The brightest star in the night sky, can you hear me...?"

Unlike the regret in "Boy" or the screams in "Mountains and Seas", this song is clear, warm, and carries a comforting power.

The simple, beautiful melody, the catchy lyrics, and Shen Yan's clear, bright voice suddenly quieted the audience.

Although the interaction with the audience wasn't as enthusiastic as the previous song, Huang Weijing clenched her fists excitedly backstage.

Take control!

Take control!

Three songs, a perfect triple jump!

From deep affection to rage to warmth, she believes that after singing these three songs, at least a quarter of the more than 8,000 fans in the audience will become fans of Shen Yan.

Even more!

She has excellent singing skills, a steady stage presence, is incredibly talented, and has a face that's even more idol-like than any idol.

He's so strong, it's unbelievable for a newcomer!

Supernova!

It's a pity, a pity. If only he had been born ten years earlier, the record industry is too difficult now.

She figured that once the acquisition was finalized, the big boss wouldn't invest so many resources anymore.

It's just a record deal, and I'm losing money!

At the front desk, as the last note faded and the lights came on, Shen Yan bowed to the audience.

"Thank you everyone, thank you Mr. Xu Wei, and thank you to the seniors in the band."

"Encore!"

"Encore!"

"Encore!"

Below the stage, applause, cheers, and whistles surged like a tide, and thousands of people chanted "Encore" in unison, breaking through the roof of the stadium.

Did everyone enjoy the performance just now?

At this moment, Xu Wei entered the arena.

If he doesn't go on stage soon, he's afraid he won't be able to control the situation. Goodness, this kid's performance has put a lot of pressure on him.

In the audience, Lao Huang quietly took out his notebook and, by the dim light, wrote down his feelings when he first heard the song.

then.

He left.

Exclusive Interview!

He had a premonition that Shen Yan, this rising star, would unleash an extremely powerful shockwave.

He's going to turn the Chinese music scene upside down next year.

I'm actually a little excited about it.

How long has it been since the Chinese music scene has seen such an amazing newcomer?