Huayu 2009: Who should we call the Heavenly King?

If Shen Yan had visited Taiwan in the 8s or 90s, he would have been amazed by the island's prosperity, with its towering buildings and dazzling nightlife.

If it were the year 2000, he would probably be slightly amazed, after all, Taiwan was already quite developed at that time.

But what about 2010?

That's all there is to it.

Aside from some of the newer districts, Taipei left him with the impression of being old and dilapidated, with many old-fashioned tenement buildings and arcade buildings, mottled walls, and retro signs.

It gives you the feeling of a 90s Hong Kong film.

However, Taiwanese girls are really hot.

I spent five days in Taiwan. Besides the announcements, promotions, food, and night markets, what impressed me most were the Taiwanese girls and nightclubs.

Unsurprisingly, photos of him partying with David Tao at a nightclub, surrounded by young models, made headlines in major entertainment news outlets in Taiwan.

but.

He later responded to this on the talk show "Kangxi Lai Le".

To play along.

They didn't take a single one.

Having come all the way to Taiwan, of course I'm going to find my older sister, but Shen Yan doesn't know if he's having a run of bad luck.

The older sister is actually getting back together!

He understood the unspoken meaning.

This is a painful loss for the Taiwan route.

Before leaving, the older sister jokingly said that she would introduce her best friend, Chen Yihan, to him.

Shen Yan did not express his opinion.

I've been quite busy lately, dealing with both Yuanyuan and Xiaotang.

Let's talk about it after Xiao Tang's line breaks!

……

Yanjing Airport.

Congratulations!

Hu Jia, who came to pick him up at the airport, greeted him with a smile and offered his congratulations as soon as they met.

"Congratulations for what?" Shen Yan was a little confused by this question.

"G-MUSIC is ranked second, and only a few percentage points behind Show Lo."

Hu Jia said in surprise.

"Isn't this a good thing?"

"It's just so-so."

Shen Yan waved his hand, saying that he wasn't the champion. However, Show Lo was really working hard to promote his new album; the sheer volume of his appearances was frightening.

It was within Shen Yan's expectations that he couldn't defeat the little pig.

Not only does she have a "household registration certificate," but she has also been in the industry for many years, and last year her starring roles in "Hi My Sweetheart" and "Hot Shot" achieved explosive ratings.

They put in a lot of effort in promotion.

He performed his hip-shaking trick at several autograph sessions, more than 120 times in 30 seconds. Although Shen Yan also has that waist strength, or even more, he would not do it.

That's all a dark history; it'll be dug up sooner or later.

"what?"

Suddenly, two screams rang out from the side. Two girls dressed as college students stared intently at Shen Yan.

"Are you... are you Shen Yan?"

One of the girls, who was wearing glasses, stepped forward. She was a little unsure, after all, Shen Yan was wearing a mask and a hat.

"Right, it must be. Can I get your autograph?"

"no problem."

Most of the time, Shen Yan doesn't refuse to sign autographs or take photos with others.

This signature immediately drew out a large number of people. Because the time spent there was too long, those who hadn't recognized him before, or those who didn't have the courage, all came forward.

However, the scene was not as exaggerated as those of the young heartthrobs of later generations.

It was just signing autographs and taking photos. Everyone behaved properly, no one shouted or yelled, just a little excited at most.

The massive crowds that will be seen in the future are almost always the result of pre-planned events.

When the fan club is short-handed, the fan leader will spend money to hire extras to fill the seats.

Normally, someone like Shen Yan, who can randomly encounter a dozen or so fans asking for his autograph, is considered quite popular.

Yes.

He's very famous now.

That English song had a significant impact.

Even some public intellectuals have started praising him.

It wasn't that Gold Medal Dafeng spent money on public relations; it was public intellectuals who actively promoted it.

Look at him, so real, so manly, just like Western celebrities, he does what he says without hesitation, nothing he's afraid to admit.

Look at the songs they write, they're so good.

The reason these public intellectuals paid attention to Shen Yan was because of a tweet posted by Justin Bieber.

He shared the song "Blank Space" on Twitter with the caption "So Cool".

On January 18th, Justin Timberlake released "Baby," the lead single from his second album, which debuted at number five on Billboard in its first week.

The hottest young male idol right now!

then.

Many of Justin's female fans and mothers went to listen to the song, and subsequently, the comment section of the "Blank Space" music video on YouTube was bombarded by those fans.

The reason given is that it will corrupt children!

This incident caused quite a stir on Twitter, given that Justin Bieber is a very popular young star.

After the incident blew up, many Chinese netizens went to watch the spectacle, and upon further investigation, they discovered that it even involved domestic celebrities.

The word spread from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and that's how it got back to China.

Some public intellectuals then took another look and thought, "Wow, even the hottest celebrities in Europe and America think it's cool, so why not brag about it and show that we're 'in line with international standards'?"

However, not many netizens are paying attention to this matter.

For some reason, Justin deleted that tweet, and then Shen Yan's rival fans and haters kept harping on it.

slander!

Shen Yan is shameless; he's just trying to ride the coattails of someone else's popularity!

What Twitter screenshot?

It's clearly photoshopped!

English comments at the bottom of YouTube videos?

A classic case of someone orchestrating and acting on their own!

Regardless of the war of words, "Blank Space" has indeed seen a significant increase in views, surpassing 300 million views just yesterday.

The music video garnered over 300 million views in less than a month, which would be considered a second or third tier level in the Western music scene.

Shen Yan checked the backend statistics and found that Asia contributed about half of the views, while Europe, America, Australia and other regions contributed the other half.

Soon after, Shen Yan arrived at the Oasis Recording Studio.

Pushing open the soundproof door, sound engineer Li Jun was already in place. Seeing Shen Yan, he greeted him with a smile.

"You're back! How was your trip to Taiwan?"

"good."

Shen Yan took off his coat and casually hung it on the back of the chair.

"Is all the equipment set up and ready? Has anyone arrived?"

"Everything's OK, Shishi is doing a sound check."

Li Jun pointed to the back of the soundproof glass window.

Shen Yan turned his head and saw Liu Shishi wearing a monitoring headset, holding a lyric book in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was preparing her emotions.

She wore a beige sweater today, with her long hair flowing down her shoulders, which suited her temperament very well.

"The beauty fades,

Despite the changing times,

"Only this love remains unchanged..."

Shen Yan put on his headphones and, upon hearing the voice inside, shook his head slightly. The voice sounded strained, probably from nervousness.

Shen Yan originally planned to sing the song "The Beauty of the Past" himself, but after careful consideration, he felt that the lyrics were too feminine.

change?

Traditional Chinese style is not his forte, and making major changes would be too troublesome.

When will the flames of war cease? The victors and vanquished are all swept away by the eastward flow of history. "I can bear to part, yet I must. I entrust my heart to the wild geese flying south, but where will it find solace?"

These lyrics resonate with the perspective of a princess from a fallen kingdom.

Then he suggested that the blind woman sing.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Shen Yan pressed the call button: "Liu Shishi, classmate?"

The sudden sound from the earpiece made Sister Xia's shoulders twitch. She turned her head, glared at Shen Yan, and said irritably.

"You startled me, I could hear you."

"Hmm, you're in good shape."

Shen Yan unleashed his infant care techniques.

"Come on, let's record it once, singing it from beginning to end."

"it is good."

Liu Shishi took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and began to sing again as the accompaniment started.

"The west wind blows through the cold mountain rain at night."

My homeland is but a faint memory in my dreams…

"Brother Jun, there's no need to record." Seeing Li Jun operating the program, Shen Yan stopped him: "Let her get into the swing of things."

"it is good."

Upon hearing this, Li Jun stopped what he was doing.

Listening to the accompaniment in his headphones, Li Jun nodded slightly.

The arrangement is excellent, creating a desolate and tragic atmosphere.

That's the kind of singing I'm going to get. Sigh, looks like it's going to be another tough job.

"How is it?"

After a while, Liu Shishi finished singing once, took off her headphones, and looked up outside.

"Hmm, the voice is clear and the pronunciation is distinct."

After offering a few words of praise, Shen Yan pointed out her flaws.

"However, Shishi, we're recording a song, not reading a text. Your voice is too thin, which is a disadvantage, so don't worry about the techniques."

"Immerse yourself in the emotions; as long as the emotions are there, techniques don't matter."

"it is good."

Liu Shishi nodded obediently.

Well-behaved.jpg.

What can you do when someone is a musical prodigy? You have to listen to them.

"The west wind blows through the cold mountain rain at night, my homeland is but a faint memory in my dreams..."

then.

Once, twice, three times.

"stop!"

After recording for who knows how many takes, Shen Yan called a halt.

"Sister, my dear lady, you're supposed to sing 'I miss you so much, but I can't see you,' a song about a deep, unbearable longing, not 'The cafeteria food is pretty good today.'"

After several more takes, Shen Yan's composure began to crumble.

Infant care?

Yuge der!

This is not childcare at all, it's a tribulation!

"I miss you even more when I can't see you; you must have that feeling of tossing and turning, a feeling that is unforgettable."

"Imagine your loved one is far away on the battlefield, their life hanging in the balance, and you think of them day and night, yet you can't see them. You have to sing out that kind of torment and longing."

"..."

"A broken dream of home and country, just a broken dream. The country is destroyed and the family is gone. You are the last princess, elder sister!"

"..."

"stop!"

"Young Miss, 'enduring separation' is out of helplessness, it is the pain that must be suppressed, not out of resentment."

"..."

"Stop, stop! Why is your tone so high in the second half? The three words 'endure parting' should be deep and steady, with a sigh, not a complaint!"

After giving her comments, Shen Yan imitated her tone and gave an exaggerated version.

Li Jun, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Shen! Yan!" Liu Shishi stomped her foot in anger.

"Aren't I trying to help you?"

Shen Yan looked completely innocent.

"Come on, take a deep breath, don't get excited. If you get too excited, you won't sing well. Think about the script, think about Zhao Jiayi's feelings for Lin Mufei, her unrequited love and inability to be together."

but.

Useless.

It was completely useless.

"Oh, young lady, are you sent by God to torment me?"

During the intermission, as the group sat in the recording studio eating their boxed lunches, Shen Yan sighed.

"You made me sing!" Sister Xia retorted on the spot, speaking with great force and conviction.

"Ugh."

Shen Yan sighed again, realizing that he had to fulfill his promise, even if it meant tears.

So he softened his tone and tried to guide her into the role.

"Imagine a scene of war, with smoke signals rising everywhere and the land shattered. You stand on the city wall, gazing in the direction he has gone."

As he spoke, Shen Yan began to sing.

"To bear parting, yet parting is inevitable..."

"No, I'm getting out of character; I can't get into it anymore."

When the conversation turned to serious matters, Sister Xia became much more serious.

"Then let's do this." Shen Yan changed his approach: "Treat me like Lin Mufeng. I'm about to go to war, and my fate is uncertain. You love me, but your family is with the country, and the Song Dynasty is about to perish. You can only part ways with a heavy heart."

The blind woman stared wide-eyed at Shen Yan, then closed her eyes again after a while, trying hard to imagine.

After a long while, she opened her eyes again, her gaze filled with complex emotions, and watched Shen Yan begin to sing.

"When will the flames of war end? The victors and vanquished are all swept away by the tides of time..."

"Yes, that feels right!"

Shen Yan slapped his thigh.

"Brother Jun, stop eating, let's start recording."

Damn it.

After recording for most of the day, it finally looked decent. Shen Yan couldn't wait to get started, but as soon as he entered the recording studio, Sister Xia lost her composure again.

"Ugh."

Shen Yan sighed heavily.

"Brother Jun, if it's not possible, how about we record it word by word?"

Just as Li Jun was about to agree, a weak voice came through the earpiece.

"Shen Yan, come in. I'll watch you sing so I can get into the mood."

"Well."

Shen Yan stared blankly at the blind woman.

What kind of singing style is this?

but.

He went in anyway.

One last try!

then.

It went so smoothly?

Although there were some minor issues with breath control, pronunciation, and pitch, the emotions conveyed were very strong.

As long as the emotions are right, nothing else matters; just record it a few more times.

As he recorded, Shen Yan noticed that the way Xia Jie looked at him was a little strange, and it was getting more and more strange.

That look in his eyes, it was like he wanted to devour someone!