A band, or a battleground?

Page 37

Ning Qianyu blushed and fell silent.

Qi Yuan knew this girl was good at offense but weak at defense, so he didn't tease her anymore. He just continued, "Perfect timing, the prize money from the first round of the group stage has arrived. This time it's a full 30,000 yuan. Let's not rush to divide it up. Let's use it to buy clothes first, and we can buy musical instruments later. We haven't signed with a company yet, so we may have to cover some costs ourselves. This will be good for the team expenses."

The girls nodded in agreement, without any objection.

At this moment, Qiu Mengxue suddenly asked:

"By the way, didn't the lead singer of Star Elements say that Tianhua Entertainment wanted to sign us? Haven't they contacted you again?"

Qi Yuan smiled and shook his head: "Don't forget, we'll be going on stage in a couple of days, directly competing against Tianhua Entertainment's Star Elements. It's normal for them to want to wait and see at this point. If I were Su Muluo, I wouldn't want to see my company colluding with the opponent before the big battle even begins."

At this moment, the car stopped at a red light.

Teacher Su Wan turned her head and glanced around. Her gaze moved from Qi Yuan to the three girls in the back row. She didn't notice any pre-competition tension, nor did she see the other contestants' desire for fame and fortune.

She smiled with relief.

Aside from talent and diligent practice, this mindset is perhaps the most valuable thing.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

066 Ancient Style and Aesthetics

On the stage of "Tomorrow's Band", dazzling lights swept across the entire venue, illuminating the host He Dong in the center of the stage.

"Welcome to the third round of the 'Tomorrow's Band' style competition! Thanks to the enthusiastic voting from netizens, the three themed tracks for this round have been finalized. Tonight's first track is the most anticipated by netizens: the ancient Chinese style. How will the bands that performed exceptionally well in the first two rounds respond to this special theme? Let's wait and see!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers immediately erupted from the audience.

He Dong paused briefly, then announced loudly, "Next, please welcome the first band to take the stage. They will be performing a brand new original song. Please welcome the Star Elements Band and their 'Moonlit Song'!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a unified cheer erupted from the left side of the front row audience. These were members of the fan club that Tianhua Entertainment had organized well in advance. More than twenty young girls not only sang their hearts out, but also held up glowing light boards or light sticks.

However, in the middle of a 500-seat audience, if the camera hadn't specifically focused on them, these twenty-odd girls would have looked rather outnumbered.

The stage lights dimmed, and the curtain slowly rose.

Dry ice created a mist that spread around the edge of the stage. When the lights came on again, the three members of Star Element were already in position.

They were using slightly different instruments today. Sumulo, who played guitar, and his bassist remained the same, but the drummer was sitting at a low table. On the table were several disc-shaped metal instruments, including ethereal drums.

The drummer picked up a mallet and struck the ethereal drum.

The ethereal drums produced a crisp, resonant sound, truly possessing a touch of otherworldly elegance. Immediately following, Su Muluo's guitar joined in with chords, and the bass laid out in unison.

"Fallen blossoms from the trees, the shadows of swords dappled."

"Who in this mortal world listens to this long song..."

Su Muluo leaned closer to the microphone and began to sing in a slightly breathy tone.

For those in the know, just listening to the verses is enough to give them a general idea of what this song is like—it's a mass-produced work that Tianhua Entertainment bought.

The lyrics and music use the pentatonic scale commonly found in traditional Chinese music, and the lyrics are filled with common traditional Chinese words such as "falling flowers," "sword shadow," and "mortal world." In terms of arrangement, it is also the most common formula on the market, using ethereal drums as a timbre gimmick, but the foundation is still a conventional pop framework.

The song wasn't unpleasant to listen to, or rather, for someone who doesn't listen to much music, it was actually quite good. Su Muluo's performance didn't include any off-key or cracked notes. As an idol band, being able to perform this song smoothly on stage is quite commendable.

After the song ended, the fans in the audience erupted in enthusiastic screams, and most of the other audience members also gave applause.

The three mentors then began their routine feedback session.

Liang Fei smiled and said, "I can see that you have made a lot of preparations for this ancient style track. Changing the drum kit to an ethereal drum is a very clever idea, and the overall stage presentation is very complete."

Zhou Taishan leaned back in his chair and gave a more concise critique: "The singing was quite steady, and the emotional expression was also quite good."

They both understood each other implicitly. After all, Star Elements was not only a band in Chen Jiashu's group, but also a band heavily promoted by Tianhua Entertainment, so they had to give them some face.

Then, when it was Chen Jiashu's turn to speak, the real praise began.

"This was a fantastic opening. The fusion of traditional Chinese style and modern band has always been a challenge. But you delivered an excellent performance today. Especially the use of that ethereal drum, I must say, it was a stroke of genius! It instantly elevated the entire song's atmosphere."

The drummer on stage quickly bowed and thanked him.

Chen Jiashu leaned forward, his tone sincere: "And this original song, with its mature melody. Su Muluo, your singing today has impressed me greatly. Your breath control is very steady, and your enunciation has a touch of the free and easy spirit of a wandering swordsman."

Su Mulu flashed her signature sunny smile and bowed repeatedly: "Thank you, Teacher Chen. We still have a lot to improve on, and we will continue to work hard."

Amid cheers from the fans, the Star Elements band stepped off the stage.

With Chen Jiashu's assessment, many audience members were also influenced to believe that the song was indeed quite good.

He Dong stepped onto the stage again.

"Thank you to Star Elements for the wonderful opening. Next, please welcome the second team to enter the ancient style track. They are a young band composed entirely of high school students who brought us an amazing original song in the last round. Today, they have once again chosen to take on the challenge with an original song."

Many viewers have already guessed who it is.

"Haruhi Kage!"

"It must be Kasuga Kage..."

"Holy crap, they can even write in the ancient Chinese style?"

Compared to the uniformity of the previous star element fans, the anticipation for Spring Film was much more diverse and widespread, and could be heard almost everywhere in the audience.

He Dong raised his hand and pointed to the back of the stage: "That's right, please welcome the Spring Shadow Band to perform their original song 'Hair Like Snow'!"

The stage lights went out, and the heavy curtain slowly opened to both sides.

When a beam of cool white light shone down from directly above the stage, illuminating the four people on stage, the real audience reaction rang out once again.

"It's so beautiful..."

"Pretty!"

"They changed their clothes..."

The four members of Chunriying were all dressed in Hanfu-style clothing with white tops and black bottoms, but there were quite a few differences between them.

Qi Yuan, positioned in the center, wore a loose-fitting white cross-collar short-sleeved shirt paired with black trousers tucked into black boots. The combination of loose and fitted elements gave him a dashing and carefree air, like a young swordsman. He stood in front of a standing microphone, holding an acoustic guitar.

The three girls next to them wore Hanfu elements with a youthful and beautiful flair.

Standing on the left, Qiu Mengxue wore a stand-up collar, diagonally buttoned top paired with a short skirt, which made her look even more aloof and elegant.

On the right, Jiang Yi is holding Bess, wearing a modified version of a fitted long dress. The black ribbon around her waist accentuates her slender figure, making her look gentle and quiet.

Then there's Ning Qianyu, sitting behind the drum set, also wearing a short horse-face skirt, but surprisingly, she's paired it with white knee-high socks. Her playful and lively demeanor perfectly embodies that of a junior disciple from a martial arts sect.

Even Liang Fei, one of the mentors, couldn't help but sigh softly, "Her looks are already very good, and her taste is..."

Qi Yuan turned around and glanced at Qiu Mengxue.

The girl nodded slightly, her fingers landing on the black and white keys of the MIDI keyboard.

Clear piano music filled the studio.

It wasn't a guzheng or a pipa, just a piano, and the melody wasn't complicated, yet it had a kind of inexplicable sorrow and coldness.

As soon as the drums and bass joined in, Qi Yuan started singing:

"The crescent moon hangs low, and she appears haggard."

I raise my cup and drink in the wind and snow.

Who overturned the cabinet of past lives?

"Stirring up trouble and disputes..."

067 Ying Wuxie, with a ponytail

"Prosperity flows like three thousand streams eastward."

I only take a sip of love to understand.

"I only love the butterfly you transformed into..."

Jiang Yi didn't know how others would react to this, but she felt that, apart from the bass in her hand, all she could see in front of her was that boy.

Qi Yuan was positioned diagonally in front of her, so Jiang Yi could see not only his back but also part of his profile, and he could see his eyes lightly closed, completely immersed in the music.

Other girls might think that serious guys are handsome. But Jiang Yi feels that using the word 'handsome' to describe them is too frivolous and doesn't do justice to the lyrics and melody of the song.

Perhaps 'beauty' would be a more appropriate word.

Jiang Yi thought the song was so beautiful.

Then comes the climax of the chorus.

Your hair, as white as snow, makes our parting all the more poignant.

Whom did my burning of incense move?

"Invite the bright moon, let memories shine."

"Love is perfect under the moonlight..."

In the past, stepping onto such a large stage with five hundred audience members and three top-tier judges would have made Jiang Yi incredibly nervous, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet. But now, her attention was solely focused on the music and the boy, so she felt no nervousness at all.

But why does my heart still race?

Jiang Yi recalled the chaotic speculations she had been having these past few days.

When Qi Yuan wrote "A Thousand Years Later," he explicitly stated that the inspiration came from Ning Qianyu's short science fiction story. The observant Jiang Yi noticed another connection but didn't tell anyone—the song title "A Thousand Years Later" happens to contain the character "千" (qian, meaning thousand) from Ning Qianyu's name.

Even Ning Qianyu herself didn't seem to notice this detail.

Now, this song, "Hair Like Snow," also includes the character "snow" from Qiu Mengxue's name. She finally couldn't help but tell Ning Qianyu about this, but Qianyu clearly didn't care.

In their youth, some people enjoy matchmaking for their male and female friends, while others gossip with a morbid curiosity. However, in certain situations, what should be a gossipy mindset can turn into anxiety and insecurity.

After those songs, especially "Those Flowers" and now "Hair Like Snow," and after spending more than two months together, Jiang Yi still hasn't fully realized how her mindset has changed.

On this stage where everyone was watching, she felt that this song and this performance made her extremely engaged and captivated.

When Qi Yuan sang the last two words of his chorus, Qiu Mengxue's performance began.

Her hands moved nimbly, playing the same melody, but the MIDI keyboard had switched from piano to guzheng. At the same time, she began rapping:

"Your hair is as white as snow, making our parting poignant; I burn incense, but who is moved by my sorrow?"

"Invite the bright moon, let memories shine, and let love be perfect under the moonlight."

Your hair is like snow, fluttering with tears; I wait, but who has grown old in vain?

"Intoxicated by the mortal world, intoxicated by the passing years..."

This section is relatively flat, without any particularly melodious tune; it's rap, yet also sounds like a traditional Chinese recitation. And Qiu Mengxue's voice, when spoken, remains as clear and pleasant as ever.

Jiang Yi suddenly noticed that Meng Xue had tied her hair in a ponytail today.

Of course, Qiu Mengxue usually has this hairstyle, a high ponytail, which not only conforms to the school's dress code and makes her look like a good student, but is also neater and cooler than the ponytails of ordinary girls.

But on the stage of "Tomorrow's Band," Qiu Mengxue wore her long, straight black hair loose the first two times. Why did she tie it up in a ponytail today?

Jiang Yi's thoughts were working slowly, because she couldn't afford to make a mistake with her bass guitar, and also because she was focusing more of her attention on Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan continued singing. It was still a verse, then a chorus, and then the chorus reinforced the repetitive structure.

Your hair is as white as snow, and tears fall like rain.

Whom have I grown old while I wait?

"Intoxicated by the world's pleasures, intoxicated by the passing years."

"With unwavering devotion, I will etch an eternal monument to your love..."

After the chorus is repeated twice, the song introduces something new.

First, Qiu Mengxue's voice sang with a more melodious tune.

Then Qi Yuan hit an even higher note.

And then...

"La la la, la la la, la la la la"

"A bronze mirror reflects innocence, a ponytail is tied."

"If you run wild, I'll keep you company with wine for the rest of my life..."