A band, or a battleground?

However, ten minutes later, she replied with just two words: "Okay."

I was already in Beijing this morning.

It's another 20 or 30 kilometers from the airport to the recording site. I rushed there, but when I arrived, the audience entrance was already empty, with only one person left.

The fan who shared the ticket is a female college student from Beijing named Zhang Yanyan.

After exchanging a few words of introduction, Zhang Yanyan said, "Wow, I didn't know you were so young, I thought you were the kind of person who..."

"A knowledgeable auntie?" Lin Yan laughed. "But people who like to watch talent shows and bands are usually not that old."

"That's true. Here, this is your ticket. Do you need to use the restroom? We can go to the restroom first."

Lin Yan was a little puzzled: "Has the recording already started? Are we really okay going in so late?"

Zhang Yanyan smiled and waved her hand: "But I've seen today's recording schedule. Chunriying is second to last. As long as we don't go in too late, we'll have plenty of time. As for the bands before us, are you interested?"

Lin Yan suddenly realized: "Oh, I see. It's alright then. It's not a big deal if we don't watch Titans or Katz."

"Titans are getting a lot of flak these days. They used to be considered hardcore, but now they're synonymous with capitalist lackeys. Kaz is doing a bit better, and he's the last one to go on stage. We'll watch Kasuga Kage first..."

The two chatted as they walked inside, and as soon as they sat down, they saw the Titans performing, accompanied by sparse applause.

After discussing the apparent falling out between Titan and their collaborating guest, and watching several more bands perform, finally, just as they were getting impatient, the host announced:

"Next, let's welcome the Spring Shadow Band and guest Shen Yihan to perform their original work, 'In the Name of the Father'!"

Seeing Zhang Yanyan next to her raising her arms and shouting "Spring Shadow! Spring Shadow!", Lin Yan felt a little hesitant.

Then, they all heard the sound of strings, and some unfamiliar language.

Lin Yan muttered, "I understand that the strings are produced by the keyboard, but what is that bassist chanting... it sounds like a prayer?"

Zhang Yanyan, who was standing next to him, asked with a smile, "Big shot, you don't even know what the bassist's name is?"

Lin Yan scratched her head: "There's nothing I can do, she's just too low-key. But this intro is really strange, it feels... kind of like a movie soundtrack?"

Then Qi Yuan started rapping while playing the guitar. After only two lines, Shen Yihan immediately followed along and sang quite well.

Of the five people on stage, Shen Yihan was the only one who didn't hold a musical instrument. Dressed in a black suit and holding a microphone, she attracted everyone's attention.

Zhang Yanyan exclaimed, "Shen Yihan is so beautiful, like a movie heroine, one of those rich heiresses from the mafia..."

Lin Yan slapped her thigh: "That's it! Since Shen Yihan is off-key, let's make her rap! That's a brilliant move!"

They exchanged a glance and saw the amazement in each other's eyes.

Although Shen Yihan is notoriously off-key, I must say, she actually does a pretty good job of rapping...

Non-professional audiences couldn't quite explain the arrangement and performance, but they felt it had a particularly strong atmosphere.

Shen Yihan recited the long rap fluently, until the line, "When vulnerable times come, let's pray together."

Then Qi Yuan began singing the melodic chorus:

"Merciful Father, I have fallen."

"A Country Where Crime Is Invisible"

"Please forgive my arrogance..."

In the audience, Lin Yan's eyes lit up: "I knew it! Even if it's rap, he'll definitely write amazing melodies!"

Zhang Yanyan smiled and said, "The accompaniment also has a melody, and it sounds very nice."

Just as Lin Yan was about to say something, she saw the bassist, whose name she didn't know but who was also very good-looking, start singing into the microphone again. The lyrics were still in an unfamiliar language, but they were very melodious and graceful.

“This melody is great, and—” Zhang Yanyan hadn’t finished speaking when suddenly five gunshots rang out!

At the same time, Shen Yihan and Qi Yuan raised one hand and made a gun gesture pointing straight ahead.

Qi Yuan deliberately turned sideways to face the audience, while Shen Yihan stood behind him. The two stood back to back, like a pair of chivalrous lovers in a movie.

The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhang Yanyan asked in a low voice, "Was that a gunshot just now?"

Lin Yan nodded vigorously: "I understand, they really are gangsters! And not just street thugs, but big family bosses from Sicily!"

"Once this episode airs, Shen Yihan's fans will definitely start making a fuss again, saying things like..."

Before Zhang Yanyan could finish her rant, some of Shen Yihan's fans couldn't help but shout:

"Sister is so cool!"

"So cool!"

Zhang Yanyan shrugged: "See, just as I expected. I never imagined how many people online would praise Shen Yihan so much when it aired."

Lin Yan asked with a smile, "Didn't you think they looked handsome just now?"

Zhang Yanyan hesitated for a moment, but still had to nod and admit, "He is indeed handsome, but that's because Qi Yuan is a good mentor!"

The performance continued unaffected by the audience seating.

After a dazzling interlude, Shen Yihan continued her rap:

He lowered his head and kissed my left hand.

"In exchange for a promise of forgiveness"

An old pipe organ sits in the corner.

"The accompaniment will keep going and going..."

Lin Yan stared intently at the stage, trying to glean more information from the sounds she heard.

Then she murmured, "It's a revenge story, a bloody feud between families, but the bloodshed is hidden behind a dark curtain, it feels..."

Zhang Yanyan agreed, saying, "It's completely different from the rappers that are popular now. They're so cultured!"

As Shen Yihan rapped, the instrumental accompaniment continued, and then a gunshot rang out. Finally, at the end, Qi Yuan's harmonies joined in.

Until the very end...

"No noise, only tranquility surrounds you."

I slowly drifted off to sleep.

"The sky is just beginning to brighten."

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.

089 is really grateful to him

After the song ended, the audience was silent for a short while.

Shen Yihan snapped out of her performance mode, her eyes showing a hint of hesitation. She turned to Qi Yuan, put down the microphone, and asked softly, "They won't dislike it, will they?"

Qi Yuan smiled slightly: "Don't worry, the performance was perfect."

Of course, compared to the original work from the previous life, it's not perfect. The arrangement was somewhat compromised, and Shen Yihan's rap lacked the original's cold, hard texture. However, compared to the previous bands, and especially to the performances of the guests, this stage was quite outstanding.

After a brief silence, applause erupted, no less enthusiastic than during the previous round of "Hair Like Snow".

Amid the applause, there were also many screams: "Sister is so cool!"

"My sister has proven herself!"

"She didn't sing off-key!"

Shen Yihan's lips twitched slightly. Did these fans expect her to sing off-key on stage?

Qi Yuan then looked at Jiang Yi and said in a low voice, "Your performance was great. I didn't expect you to sing so well."

The girl lowered her head and smoothed her bangs, seemingly unconcerned about Qi Yuan's praise, still maintaining a cool demeanor.

However, when Qi Yuan's gaze shifted elsewhere, Jiang Yi quietly raised her head and stared at him, her eyes gleaming with an unusually bright light.

However, no one noticed Jiang Yi's gaze, because the mentor's comments had already begun.

Liang Fei said first, "Wow, you guys really surprised me. Rock, pop, traditional Chinese style, rap, is there anything you can't do? Qi Yuan, I really want to know, did you write this original rap song all by yourself in just one week?"

Qi Yuan picked up the microphone and replied, "It's not exactly a week. I had this idea when I was watching movies before, but the song only really came to fruition in the last few days."

Liang Fei blinked and looked at the two mentors beside her: "Why do I feel like I've heard this before?"

Chen Jiashu continued, "Of course, we now know that Qi Yuan has a wealth of inspiration. However, the most difficult part of this song is not the lyrics and music, but the arrangement, which is really rich and amazing."

Qi Yuan thought to himself, "Of course, the arrangement of this song was also famously awesome in my previous life."

Zhou Taishan suddenly coughed twice and said, "If you could see the names in the arrangement section, you would know that it's Qi Yuan and me."

The two judges were immediately filled with respect.

Chen Jiashu said, "So it was Brother Zhou who helped with the arrangement, no wonder it's so amazing!"

Zhou Taishan's hand, adjusting his glasses, trembled slightly—did he count as 'helping' during the arrangement process? Or was he being treated like a subcontractor by this brat?

However, to save face as a senior figure, Zhou Taishan remained reserved and said, "I only helped with a small matter. The most important thing is Qi Yuan's own idea. He has too many ideas, one after another popping up."

Chen Jiashu: "I've listened to a lot of rap, but this one is different from all the rap on the market."

Liang Fei laughed and said, "I've heard that before, it was when you commented on Fa Ruxue last time!"

Chen Jiashu nodded: "Yes, but the structure of 'Hair Like Snow' is relatively conventional, while 'In the Name of the Father' is completely different. Its core key is E minor, and I rarely see minor key songs on talent show stages, especially original songs. The dark atmosphere is created very well. It sounds like experiencing a dark story."

Liang Fei said, "I'm quite interested in the singing part. Besides the rap and Qi Yuan's singing, I discovered that your band's bassist can also sing."

All eyes were on Jiang Yi. In the performances before this round, almost no one had noticed the girl who liked to hide behind others.

At this point, Jiang Yi had no way to hide anymore. She just looked at the mentors and the audience, feeling lost and helpless.

Qi Yuan spoke up for her, saying, "Yes, this is our bassist, Jiang Yi. But I think she also has the ability to be a lead singer."

Liang Fei asked with a smile, "Will we ever hear Jiang Yi sing in the future? Not harmonies, but lead vocals?"

Qi Yuan nodded decisively: "Of course it's possible. No, it's not just possible, she and Qiu Mengxue will definitely sing it."

Jiang Yi was stunned.

She herself never thought about being the lead singer, but Qi Yuan just said it out loud?

Oh right, didn't Qi Yuan write her a very girlish song called "Moonlight"? Although the song wasn't complete, if I could finish it, then...

Liang Fei suddenly reminded her, "Jiang Yi, don't you have anything to say? There's a microphone right in front of you."

Jiang Yi then noticed the microphone stand in front of her. The microphone stand had already been adjusted to a suitable height so that she could play bass and sing harmonies at the same time.

So the girl said, "I want to say... thank you Qi Yuan, thank you to my bandmates."

Qiu Mengxue hid her hands behind her back, in an angle where neither the mentors nor the audience could see, and pointed at Shen Yihan.

Jiang Yi immediately added, "I also want to thank Sister Yihan and the production team for giving us the opportunity to perform. Thank you very much."

Liang Fei teased, "Wow, your wording is so official. But your band is so talented, what about the drummer? Can you sing too?"

Ning Qianyu moved closer to Jiang Yi's microphone stand: "If I sing, then we're doomed."

There was a burst of good-natured laughter both on and off the stage.

Chen Jiashu added, "Actually, what surprised me the most was Ms. Shen Yihan. Rap ​​is not easy, especially this song, which has a fast tempo and changes beats more than once. You probably don't have any rap experience, so how did you find this feeling?"

Shen Yihan raised the microphone: "Because I've really practiced a lot these past few days. And I also want to thank Qi Yuan, he really helped me a lot, he kept correcting me and guiding me. As you all know, I made a fool of myself on stage before. At that time, I was very ignorant and didn't know how complicated music that sounds simple is. But now I understand."

The host, He Dong, also came onto the stage and asked, "So, what kind of impression did our program, and the Spring Shadow Band, leave on you?"

“The production team is great, and…” Shen Yihan thought for a moment, looked at Qi Yuan with sparkling eyes, “The band atmosphere is really great, and he’s great too.”

He Dong was slightly taken aback.

A faint murmur of "Wow!" could be heard from the audience.

Shen Yihan felt that there was only gratitude in her eyes when she looked at Qi Yuan, so why was there any reason to make a fuss?

Even more inexplicably, for some reason, she felt a chilling gaze upon her... but when she turned to look, she saw that the three band girls all had normal smiles on their faces.

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.

090's unexpected withdrawal from the competition

After all twelve bands had finished performing, host He Dong went back on stage to announce the vote count.

Without a doubt, Chunri Ying still takes first place with a whopping 386 votes. Compared to "Hair Like Snow," this song received slightly fewer votes, partly because rap music isn't as widely accepted by the general public, and partly because there were many fans of other celebrities in the audience.