Chapter 4: Mentor's Comments - Coldy's initial evaluation result was surprisingly...
The mentor lineup for "Shining World" is quite impressive, combining established mentors from the Korean music industry invited by traditional K-pop auditions with mentors of considerable international standing.
First, there are the vocal mentors: one is Shin Yoo-mi, a vocal coach of Korean renown, and the other is Adam Lambert, a Western singer with a recognized strong vocal ability and a certain reputation worldwide.
The dance instructors are also professionals: Choi Young-joon, a professional choreographer from 1 Million, one of South Korea's top dance studios; Baek Gu-young, a veteran choreographer from SM Entertainment who has choreographed for artists such as BoA, TVXQ, Girls' Generation, and EXP; and Kany, a world-class choreographer who has worked with Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande.
The mentor combination of two Asians and one Black man is unusual, but the top choreographers had already exchanged ideas several times before the show started filming and even gave joint lessons.
The rap mentor is Megan Thee, one of the most sought-after female rappers in the Western music scene today. She is usually called "Meigen" or "Ma Dongmei" by Chinese fans. People often confuse her with Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, but their singing styles are all full of power.
The other mentor is BewhY, the legendary champion of SMTM, an "artist" figure in the Korean hip-hop scene, known as the "trustworthy rapper" and the "philosophical rapper." His real name is Lee Byung-yoon.
Finally, there are two unique mentors. One mentor is Gray, a creative mentor responsible for teaching the contestants their creative abilities. He is a top Korean music producer, rapper, and one of the founders of the AOMG label. He is considered to be "half of the Korean entertainment industry" and has created countless hit singles.
Another is CL Lee Chae-rin, the leader of the girl group 2NE1, who is a mentor with outstanding overall strength, a good reputation, and whose significance lies in being regarded by trainees as a role model for female idols.
In other words, Jiang Tinghan is performing a rendition of the original singer's performance.
This is a double-edged sword. Because the original singer was on the show and could act as a medium to communicate with the copyright holder, it was so easy for her to apply for adaptation. But if she doesn't perform well, it would be a disaster.
She's socially awkward, and her advisor is going to be incredibly embarrassed.
Jiang Tinghan glanced furtively at CL on the judges' panel. Although he was usually calm, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous at this moment.
She felt that her performance today was pretty good. She could smoothly perform the wave that she usually stumbles over, without going off-key or making any major mistakes...
She was so focused on the performance that she seemed to be gazing at the mentors behind the camera with her affectionate eyes, but in reality, they were all blurry and indistinct to her, and she didn't notice CL's expression at all.
But it seems like CL is smiling?
There should be a B or C, right?
In short, just looking at the list of mentors is enough to make the contestants' bodies tremble.
These are not only mentors; if you can gain their favor, it may also become a future connection, but the prerequisite is to make them remember you first.
Gray placed his hand on the A4 paper with Jiang Tinghan's information printed on it, a smile of interest playing on his lips, his eyes fixed on Jiang Tinghan on the stage, who was clearly out of breath but whose expression remained calm.
The first half of the performance was pure, while the second half was spicy, creating an extreme contrast. Regardless of how well the singing or dancing was done, the stage presence was still top-notch.
While this adaptation of "I Don't Care" is rough, it is quite ingenious. Don't forget, this is a complete newcomer who had to learn the song and dance in a month, as well as design the stage and adapt the accompaniment and lyrics.
The changes were so interesting and seamless. In Gray's mind, Jiang Tinghan's performance was already a perfect score, even higher than the performances of some impeccably strong contestants, because the performance was very memorable and left a deep impression on him.
Although it was a clever trick, it caught the mentor's eye, who valued talent. The worst thing for creative people is not having any interesting ideas.
He raised the microphone first: "This is CLxi's song, right? Then CLxi should go first?"
CL readily agreed, "Okay, then I'll go first."
The production team provided each contestant and international mentor with translation headsets, but high technology hasn't advanced to the point where all contestants can be translated into their respective languages. They could only be translated into a uniform English, so contestants who weren't good at English had to fend for themselves.
Fortunately, Jiang Tinghan is fluent in both Korean and English; otherwise, we could only hope that Tencent would exert its influence and force everyone to learn Chinese in a month, or pray that the whole world would speak Chinese.
Meanwhile, a teleprompter above the stage will display the original lyrics and translations in a timely manner, allowing everyone to grasp the deeper meaning of the lyrics.
Upon hearing the words coming through their earpieces, the international mentors immediately realized that the song belonged to their colleague.
CL smiled slightly: "You have a lot of courage to choose this song when the mentor is the original singer."
Jiang Tinghan's heart skipped a beat, and he straightened his back a bit. Almost without thinking, he said, "Teacher, I'm focusing on the song. As soon as I heard this song, a lot of images popped into my head, and I felt it was very suitable for the stage, so I chose 'I Don't Care'."
CL raised an eyebrow slightly, her answer neither humble nor arrogant, demonstrating a pure heart for music, which resonated perfectly with the mentors.
Also, this contestant not only sings Korean songs well, but can she also communicate in Korean? She sounds quite fluent.
CL: "This is the first time I've heard that this song can be adapted in this style. Coldy, is that right? Your personal style is very strong."
"When I saw the first half of the dance, I thought I should practice more. But after watching the second half—I still need to keep practicing the dance." CL dragged out her words, trying to sound mysterious. But when she said the last few words, it didn't sound like a bad review; it sounded more like a joke.
Jiang Tinghan caught a glimpse of the smile in her eyes, and after understanding the context, a huge weight was lifted from his heart.
She gave a slight bow: "I will continue to work hard."
"However, in my opinion, your dancing skills are up to par. I really liked the second half of the adapted dance; it had a powerful, soul-stirring feel to it."
"After listening to your version, I even want to contact my teammates to release another version of 'I Don't Care' in your style."
Jiang Tinghan replied, "Then 2NE1's fans will definitely be very happy."
CL laughed again: "Okay, that's all I wanted to say."
BewhY: "Then I'll do it?"
The other professors did not object.
BewhY, as expected of a rapper, speaks with a certain flair, but without making people feel uncomfortable: "First of all, without a doubt, this is a fantastic stage."
"What you wanted to express was very clear. At least as your mentor, I understood what kind of story you were telling through your performance. However, the line you changed in the middle of the lyrics was made too long, which made it a bit out of sync with the accompaniment and gave the listener a very rushed feeling."
Jiang Tinghan remained humble: "I still have a lot to learn from my mentors in terms of creative work."
BewhY changed the subject: "The information says you've only been practicing for a month?"
Jiang Tinghan: "Yes, I wasn't a trainee before."
BewhY leaned forward, her eyes slightly focused: "Then why did you come to this show?"
Jiang Tinghan: "Because I want to shine the world."
Her words had a double meaning; it referred to both the name of the program and the idea of "shining on the world."
A hint of appreciation appeared on BewhY's face.
What do rappers need most? Confidence.
It's the kind of confidence that allows someone who has only graduated from elementary school to be able to rant and rave about the whole world, to fight without fear, and to look down on everyone.
Jiang Tinghan's answer might have seemed too eloquent and ambiguous to other mentors, but it was exactly what BewhY wanted to hear.
Reading is still very useful; my psychology studies weren't in vain.
Also, what do rappers value most? Getting the crowd hyped up.
At first glance, many of the contestants below were completely captivated, still savoring the performance even after the mentors spoke.
Isn't this exciting? It's incredibly exciting!
BewhY praised him generously: "You are a genius, you are very suitable to be an idol."
"I also hope to see your rap performance in your future shows. The momentum you exude matches your rap perfectly, and I'm really looking forward to it."
Jiang Tinghan gave a polite smile, her eyes curving like two crescent moons: "Thank you."
Gray said humorously, "BewhY has said everything I wanted to say."
BewhY retorted: "Give me your critique from your own perspective, creative mentor—"
Gray: "Okay, your sense of rhythm, musicality, and ability to blend the stage with the music are all excellent. So when I saw your profile, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that you were a first-timer on stage. Your stage presence is like that of a fully-fledged idol who has been in the industry for many years."
Gray's words only expressed his appreciation for Jiang Tinghan's talent, without pointing out any of Jiang Tinghan's shortcomings.
She was like a sun, so bright that it completely blocked out any dark spots, leaving only a golden glow.
"Your arrangement of this piece is very imaginative. Did you come up with this yourself and make these changes?"
Jiang Tinghan: "Yes, because the song 'I Don't Care' sounds light and sweet, but it tells a story about encountering a scumbag. So I wanted to portray a girl who seems to live in a fairy tale world, but actually has a rock spirit, is crazy, and has a bizarre imagination, just like in 'Amélie'."
Gray grinned broadly and concluded, "I believe in you!"
When it was dance instructor Kany's turn, she smiled, and her white teeth stood out clearly on her dark face, giving off an infectious enthusiasm.
"Oh, girl, you're so beautiful!"
"I can honestly say that I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you in my entire life. You have a face that can captivate all of us."
Jiang Tinghan actually found it hard to resist such enthusiastic words and was a little unaccustomed to it, but she didn't show her timidity. She just smiled and joked, "Many people say that."
"But I guess beauty is my floor, not my ceiling."
The mentors were slightly surprised. Judging from the speed of Jiang Tinghan's reply, she must have understood the English and responded directly. Her language skills were indeed quite good.
What she said literally translates to, "I guess beauty is my floor, not my ceiling."
Let me translate this again: "I guess beauty is my foundation, not my limit."
He is very confident and flamboyant, but also humorous and cultured.
Even though these words sound arrogant to the point of being unpleasant, when paired with Jiang Tinghan's light, hook-like tone and her just-exact performance, one can't help but nod in agreement, as if bewitched.
Why aren't these advantages mentioned on the profile card? Just looking at the profile card, it seems like a bookworm who has studied for a long time is participating in a talent show. It's hard to imagine that he is such a vibrant and charming contestant.
Is it a deliberate attempt to hide their true abilities? A deliberate lowering of expectations so they can stun everyone with their debut performance?
The mentors thought to themselves, "This contestant is incredibly clever; he plans every step with such precision."
Kany laughed and said, "Girl, you are right. Those who praise you have good taste, just like me."
“But—”
Kany also knows the Chinese traditional intangible cultural heritage art of face changing. His smile disappeared in a second, and he became serious and professional: "I know that your dance at the beginning was too soft to create a contrast with the later part, but this makes the beginning look a bit worse. There is a difference between being soft and flexible. You wanted to express the angelic style at the beginning, but you can still express a sense of power. Girl, unfortunately, your dance skills still need to be improved."
Another vocal coach, Adam Lambert, also pointed out Jiang Tinghan's vocal problems incisively. They all wanted to truly help Jiang Tinghan solve these problems and help her continue to improve.
In just one month, she has already delivered such a performance. The mentors are very much looking forward to seeing what kind of performance Jiang Tinghan will give when she has made even more progress. They are sure to be impressed by her performance once again!
With limited recording time allocated to each contestant and a large mentor group, even though others were eager to speak, they ultimately resisted the urge to work overtime until dawn.
However, judging from their expressions, it was clear that they were satisfied with the performance.
Finally, the mentors muted themselves and discussed the results together to give a rating.
They whispered something to each other, then handed the results to the host, Lee Seung-gi, and looked at Jiang Tinghan with a smile.
Holding the microphone, Lee Seung-gi announced loudly, "The preliminary ranking result for contestant number 88, Coldy, is—"
"S!"
Stage presence trumps everything! Snake King ultimately received an "S" rating!
"Chukahamida! Congratulations!!!"
Jiang Tinghan was so shocked by the result that he was completely stunned:
"--well???"
A note from the author:
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I forgot to enable the comments section, but I've enabled it now, hehe!!! Please look at the character card! W(World)pop's number one female ghost, Tangtang, is here! The composition doesn't have any particular meaning; I just think this pose is kind of crazy and kind of cute, hehe.
Seeing CL among the mentors makes me feel like I'm seeing someone I know and want to laugh, but I don't feel safe without anyone I know. I chose the mentors according to the show's format, and I don't have any favorite idols besides Long (a popular streamer) lol. All the mentor introductions came from Baidu.
The stage might feature a lot of songs with a sense of redemption and heartbreak, because I don't usually listen to upbeat girl group songs, I prefer these kinds of emo hits~ Of course, I'll try my best to cover a variety of styles, I've wanted to write about sweet girl Xiaohan for a long time (laughs)
Leave a comment below if you have any favorite idols! Also, leave a comment if you'd like to see any specific stage performances! If it's suitable, I can invite them as guest stars for a collaborative performance~ [droopy-eared bunny head][droopy-eared bunny head]
Seoul Encore! Seoul Encore! I'm here! I'm here! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers] Just this line alone is enough to make me crave the Seoul encore concert held by G-Dragon in winter.
But why is Galaxy, that deadbeat company, always so strict about issuing invoices? Be careful, you might make money but not live to spend it (seriously).
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