Chapter 86 Chapter 86 The second album is released (2 in 1)...
[Chapter 86, New Album Release]
In late October, everyone had mastered the dances for the five-member version of "Why" and the title song "Nirvana", and had also rehearsed several times with Yan Chi's dance troupe. The next period of time would be reserved for filming the MV.
Mo Xun asked Director Qi, who was very familiar with him, to shoot the MV.
The song "Nirvana" written by Fang Yinnian tells the story of the phoenix's rebirth - going through hardships and being reborn from the ashes. It is very close to FTM's experience and can make people empathize with it.
Since the lyrics are about the ancient mythical beast Phoenix, Director Qi’s idea is that the MV should have the same grand and epic feel as the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which requires a lot of animation special effects in post-production.
The five people cooperated with the director's arrangement and put on specially customized black and red ancient-style costumes.
They had to shoot for three consecutive days in a specially built studio.
Fang Yinnian also tried wire hanging for the first time.
The wires of the wire are tied around the waist to lift the person into the air. The actor needs to control his body balance and have strong core strength. Otherwise, when flying or descending, the body will toss from side to side and the shot will look ugly.
Mo Xun has a lot of experience in filming action scenes, and hanging on wires is a common occurrence for him. His postures in the air are particularly handsome, as if he was born with martial arts skills.
The remaining four people had no experience in wire suspension and, under the guidance of the staff, they adjusted repeatedly several times before they mastered the range of motion for controlling their bodies.
"Wire act ready, 1, 2, 3, go." Director Qi was directing from the side, and the Lavia staff immediately took action, and five people flew into the air together.
"Xiao Fei's hair is covering his eyes. Do it again."
"Look ahead, Yinnian. Don't look at the camera. I want to take a side profile shot."
"Tang Che, your face looks too cold. Adjust it a little."
Director Qi had very high requirements. This scene of five people flying was shot over 30 times. Fang Yinnian took off and landed from time to time, and was suspended by the wire, and his waist was almost broken.
He suddenly felt sorry for Mo Xun.
Mo Xun's recent films, such as "The Wind Rises in Chang'an" and "The Strange Cases of Qingzhou", have a large number of ancient costume fighting scenes. He shoots fighting scenes on the set, suspended on wires, and sometimes it takes a whole day to shoot.
He must have worked countless times harder than he does today.
Being an actor is not easy, especially for someone as serious as Mo Xun. He never uses a stunt double for fighting scenes and does everything himself... He must be very tired, right?
Fang Yinnian gritted his teeth, stood up and continued filming with everyone.
Because Mo Xun set an example, several teammates became more motivated and were too embarrassed to give up.
Mo Xun also taught them some wire-hanging techniques, such as how to straighten their legs when flying and how to stretch their arms when descending, so that the images would look best.
He has accumulated a lot of experience in the past few years and is almost becoming a half-martial arts director.
The five people studied hard and worked together to overcome difficulties. The original shooting schedule was three days, but it ended in two and a half days.
Director Qi praised: "You learn really fast."
Xu Baichuan took the initiative to shake hands with the director and said with a smile: "Director Qi, the post-production of the MV is relying on you. Please take care of it personally. There is no upper limit to the budget."
Director Qi's eyes lit up: "No limit? Then I have to find a first-class special effects company in the industry, right?"
Xu Baichuan said: "No problem, you can do it according to the standards of the movie."
Director Qi was extremely happy. He liked such a party with "sufficient funding" so that he could let loose and produce the results that satisfied him the most. This is his first time shooting a music video, and the final product must not disappoint.
***
An album with only one MV would seem perfunctory. After discussion, everyone decided to shoot another MV for a ballad song, and finally chose the ballad "Distance".
The tone of this song written by Yinnian is a bit sad, telling the story of a secret love that ended without any result.
The MV for the ballad song had to be in a modern and fresh style, so Tan Junwen asked a director with whom he had a good relationship to help. The MV was very simple to shoot, and if done quickly it could be completed in a day or two, and he would get paid anyway, so the director agreed as he happened to have time.
The director found two college students from the Film Academy to be the protagonists of the MV.
The two actors are handsome and beautiful, and they are a perfect match. Although their acting skills are immature, they can be trained. As the leading actor in the MV, there is no need to find a big-name actor, it is enough if the image fits the role.
The five members of FTM sang about this unrequited love from the perspective of an observer.
The script is about a boy who has been in love with a girl since childhood, but later, the girl found another guy in the class as her boyfriend. The childhood sweetheart ultimately failed to win over the man who came from the sky, and the boy's secret love hidden in his heart could never be expressed.
This kind of ballad song full of sourness will definitely make a group of people cry.
The director hired by Patrick Tam is also very skilled and has filmed a large number of campus dramas. This summer's hit idol drama "Midsummer" was filmed by him. The two have a good relationship, so the director gave FTM the face to shoot the MV.
After the MVs for the two songs were shot, Fu Fei couldn't help but sigh: "Brother Mo and Brother Junwen both invited famous directors who had worked with them to shoot our MVs. This is definitely the most luxurious MV in the music industry, right?"
Tang Che said calmly: "You two have not spent the past two years in vain, you have a lot of face."
Tan Junwen said with a smile: "It's OK. The main reason is that our FTM is very famous now, and this is the first album after the comeback, so the popularity must be high. That's why directors are willing to come over to give them face. If it was a small and obscure group shooting a MV, the big directors would not bother to pay attention."
This circle has always been like this.
Once you become famous, more and more good people will be around you.
Director Qi has always admired Mo Xun and has worked with Mo Xun on two dramas. Mo Xun invited him sincerely, so he simply came over to help when he had time. Director Chen also did not expect that "Midsummer" would become a big hit in the summer season. This was inseparable from the temperament and acting skills of the male lead, Patrick Tam, so he also gave Patrick Tam face and spent a day to help shoot the MV.
The connections within these circles are accumulated slowly.
They debuted as an obscure group, but have finally made a name for themselves now - they can invite well-known people in the industry to help with makeup, directing, and photography, to further improve the quality of their MVs.
Of course, the MV is just the icing on the cake.
The key is that they can sing well and dance well, otherwise no matter how much money you spend, it will be in vain.
***
The post-production of the MVs for the two songs takes time.
In early November, they finished recording the audio for an entire album, but the five of them did not leave the base and continued to stay to practice group dances for the other two songs.
After FTM was reorganized, many brands approached us.
Yinlan's management team carefully investigated and selected several endorsements.
The first one is an international first-line brand specializing in the production of music equipment. It was also the manufacturer of their custom-made microphones back then. It is very professional in making microphones, Bluetooth headsets, speakers and other equipment.
The title given to them by the brand is “Asia Pacific Brand Ambassador”.
This is also the first time that the brand has found an Asian celebrity to endorse it.
For manufacturers of music equipment, choosing "Yintuan" as their spokesperson is in line with their brand image. They want to use the popularity of Yintuan to further build their reputation in China, so the treatment they offer is particularly good - first-tier price in the circle, endorsement fee of 20 million, and extensive promotional space in CBD commercial centers, subway stations, and airports across the country.
Everyone had a lot of fun shooting the commercial. After all, they liked this brand very much. They had used this brand’s microphone before, and the sound quality of their headphones and speakers was also very good.
As brand ambassadors, they also received a big gift package from the brand - including the latest noise-canceling headphones, Bluetooth speakers, and a brand new custom microphone engraved with the FTM name.
At that time, Xu Baichuan bought them custom microphones, each costing 300,000 yuan. Everyone was very careful when performing with the custom microphones, for fear that they would be broken.
Now manufacturers promise: you are the spokesperson, and you can have as many microphones as you want.
The brand gave each person three microphones first: black, white, and red. The metallic texture of the microphones is particularly beautiful, and the three colors of microphones can also be matched with different colors of performance costumes.
Fu Fei held three microphones and smiled: "Brand Boss is so good to us!"
Fang Yinnian was holding the latest pair of headphones given by the brand, feeling very emotional.
They really made it.
Nowadays, brand endorsements are treated like first-line celebrities in the circle. In the future, you don’t have to buy headphones, microphones, and speakers yourself. You can earn endorsement fees while saving a lot of expenses. This endorsement is worth it.
The second endorsement that Xu Gongzhong, Hao Gaoleng, Taotao and Baichuan got for them was a well-known domestic sportswear brand. The five members of FTM all have long legs and are handsome, and they can wear sportswear in a classy and good-looking way.
The brand was impressed by their image and popularity, and the cooperation was very pleasant.
In the future, they can wear more comfortable sportswear when going to the airport or practice room. The brand has given them a wardrobe of new clothes according to their size so they can wear whatever they want.
When celebrities wear clothing from the brands they endorse, they can also help promote the manufacturers' products. The clothes of this brand are of good quality, and people are not averse to wearing them as private clothes.
On the day of filming the commercial, the five of them returned to the base wearing sportswear.
The third one is food endorsement, which is also a first-line brand snack that can enter supermarkets across the country.
In fact, there are still many brands of daily necessities, cosmetics, toiletries, etc. queuing up, and Xu Baichuan is not in a hurry to accept them. If he starts to promote endorsements crazily right after his comeback, people will think that they are taking advantage of their fans.
Advertise one per month, be steady and take it slow.
After the scandal of top singer Tao Yizhou, he terminated contracts with many brands. Xu Baichuan seized the opportunity to contact the international luxury brand that had a vacant Chinese spokesperson, hoping to get a high-end luxury endorsement for FTM.
High-end luxury endorsements are a symbol of status. Even popular celebrities in the entertainment industry must also maintain a stable position in the fashion field. After taking on high-end luxury brands, the brands will be promoted globally. Not only will they be able to make their mark all over the world, but they will also be able to appear on the covers of many international first-line magazines.
Of course, the competition for high-end luxury endorsements is extremely fierce, and many celebrity teams are trying to get a piece of this pie. Xu Baichuan is in contact with the brand, and the brand also wants to examine FTM's popularity after the reorganization.
We are currently negotiating, and whether the deal can be concluded will depend on the sales of the new album.
***
Under Xu Baichuan's arrangement, the work after FTM's reorganization proceeded in an orderly manner.
Time flies and it is already mid-November.
FTM Studio has finally started warming up for the new album!
First, the behind-the-scenes clips of the recording studio and dance practice room were released on all platforms. As soon as these clips were released, fans, passers-by, and haters all rushed to click in to watch.
The five people danced in perfect unison.
Fans left excited comments: "Great, the chemistry is just as good as it was back then!"
"We've been apart for more than two years, but you guys haven't given up dancing? I can't imagine we can still dance in such unison."
"Mo Ge's dancing is always awesome, Junwen and Xiaofei are performing steadily, Yinnian and Cheche's dancing has also improved~"
“I’m really looking forward to the full version of the stage.”
The haters were furious.
Why? These five people have been away from the stage for more than two years. How can they still dance so well after coming back?
When can they get back on track?
Being a hater of FTM, seeing them becoming more and more popular, I feel heartache every day.
Since the reviews for the behind-the-scenes preview were very good, many netizens were not satisfied and started urging the studio to release the film.
"Stop squeezing the toothpaste, bring the album over and taste the saltiness."
"If you don't release an album, I will send razor blades to your studio."
"Don't tempt us with tidbits, serve us the real meal if you can."
"Ahhh, can you hurry up and release the new album tomorrow?"
November 20th, 8:00 p.m.
Amid the anticipation of countless people, FTM’s new album "Nirvana" after the reorganization was finally released simultaneously on the entire network.
At the same time, the MVs of the title song "Nirvana" and the sub-title song "Distance" were also released simultaneously on FTM official accounts such as Bilibili, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu.
This album includes two old songs - "Thank You" sung at the fan meeting, and the five-person version of "Why" performed by Fang Yinnian on "Sing Chinese Good Songs", as well as 8 new songs.
The lyrics and music of all 10 songs were written by Fang Yinnian, which surprised countless fans.
The digital album, with 8 new songs and 2 re-recorded old songs, is priced at 25 yuan, which is a very reasonable price.
As soon as this album was released, it immediately entered the new song charts and soaring charts of major music platforms.
Whenever you click on any music platform, the most popular songs on the homepage are all FTM's songs.
With the release of the new album "Nirvana", FTM's first album "Forever FTM" was also dug out and revisited by netizens. As a result, this week's soaring chart was swept by FTM's new and old songs!
Looking at the entire row of the popularity surge list, the top 15 are all FTM songs?
It has been a long time since the domestic entertainment industry has seen such a spectacular dominating scene!
The senior singers were all shocked - isn't this group too popular?
It is said that idol boy band albums are limited to fans, but FTM is completely different.
This group has been singing and dancing with the microphone on since their debut. They have won three consecutive championships in the "Billboard Music" music program, they have participated in "The Voice of China" and assisted the mentors in winning the season championship, they have won the most prestigious "Golden Melody Award of the Year", and Fang Yinnian from their group also won the championship in "Sing My Songs".
Say they are idols?
They are indeed young and good-looking, can sing and dance, and fit the public's impression of idols.
But they are more than just idols.
They are a music group, and they are also professional singers!
FTM's first album released one year after its debut had final sales of 30 million.
Now is the fifth year since their debut. Can the album sales of the group, which reunited after four years, still be strong? Countless people in the industry, fans, and haters are all watching the sales of the second album.
On the day when FTM "Nirvana" was released, a large number of review videos appeared on Bilibili.
The long-lost "good song recommendation" UP host excitedly recommended it overnight.
“I really like this album after FTM reunited!
I didn't expect that Fang Yinnian could write singing and dancing songs so well. The title song "Nirvana" can be said to be the most magnificent song I have heard in the past year.
There is also an adapted five-person version of "Why", with the addition of various double and multi-person harmonies, which is countless times better than the version that Fang Yinnian performed on the Good Songs stage.
The other two singing and dancing songs, "Light and Shadow" and "Going Against the Wind", also have a strong sense of rhythm.
Fang Yinnian writes excellent ballads. The sub-title song "Distance" tells a story of secret love, which makes people sad and heartbroken. When listening to it with the sad MV, I almost shed tears.
There is also "Far Away", which is a very difficult song and a great virtuoso song. FTM's singing skills are fully displayed in this song. The super high pitch and falsetto duet of Tang Che and Fang Yinnian gave me goose bumps!
There are also "Spring Flowers Blooming", "Years Like Songs", "Farewell Under the Stars" and "Thank You", which are also very nice.
There are 10 songs in the whole album, and not a single one of them is bad.
The production of the MV is super awesome. I recommend everyone to watch the MV of "Nirvana". The special effects of the Phoenix Nirvana are not inferior to those of the domestic first-line animated films.
I am so excited! I would like to thank the band for their reunion and return. I will recommend this album to all my relatives and friends. It is a rare and high-quality music album that is worth collecting for everyone! ”
Since the UP host was exaggerating so much, many people in the barrage section were joking.
"Has the UP host's advertising fee been received?"
"You are the water army hired by Yinlan Entertainment, right?"
"The UP host is probably going to become a fan of FTM, hahahaha"
"Your voice was shaking when you were recording the video. I can tell you were really excited~"
"Okay, I'll take the Amway. If it doesn't sound good, come back and scold the UP master [狗头]"
Since the UP host strongly recommended the MV of this album, many people followed her recommendation and clicked on the video released by the official website of B Station, and then they were all shocked.
The MV of this song is so magnificent that it is like a mythological cartoon.
The phoenix fell from the peak to the bottom of the valley, and after going through hardships, it was reborn from the ashes and returned from nirvana.
The moment it spreads its flaming red wings and flies high into the sky, the special effects are so gorgeous that it is hard to believe that this is actually a MV for a song? Isn’t this better than some animated films in theaters?
The styling of the five FTM members is also very innovative. Wearing black and red ancient costumes and with ancient people's long hair, the temperament of the five people in ancient costume is completely different from their modern version. Everyone is flying in the air on wires, following the trajectory of the phoenix, as if they have become witnesses of the ancient legend of the phoenix's nirvana.
Finally, when the phoenix spread its wings and flew high into the sky, blazing flames rose from the earth, and the moment when five people slowly walked out of the flames seemed to represent the rebirth of the music group - its return from Nirvana.
Nirvana, this song by Fang Yinnian is so well written.
The barrage area exploded immediately.
"Damn, this MV is so cool for me, it's like watching an animated movie!"
"This special effect should be charged by the second, right?"
"I took a look at the special effects production company. It's a top animation company in the industry. I really want to spend money on it."
“There is no other more stunning MV in the domestic entertainment industry this year!”
"The director is Qi, the director of "Qingzhou Strange Cases". It's amazing that a great director personally shot the MV. No wonder it's so good."
"See you at the beginning, family. I'm going to review it~"
At the same time, the comment section of the MV of "Distance" has a completely different style.
"The male and female leads are pretty good looking, are they new?"
"This song is so heartbreaking, and it suddenly reminded me of the senior I once had a crush on."
"Fang Yinnian, you are really good at writing. You are killing me with your knife."
"Who hasn't had a crush on someone when they were in school? This song is so relatable."
“A simple MV almost made me cry T_T”
“Why do ballads have to be so sadistic?”
"This is the only song that's the saddest in the whole album. The other ballads aren't sad at all~"
"It was filmed very well. It told the story of a secret love in a concise way in just a few minutes."
"The director of the MV "Nirvana" is Director Qi, and the director of "Distance" is Director Chen. FTM is really well-known. They invited such a luxurious lineup of directors for a MV?"
"No wonder the pictures and lighting are so beautiful, could it be shot by a famous TV director?"
"The director is really professional. These two MVs are definitely worth collecting!"
As more and more people saw the two MVs, the number of MV views on major platforms quickly exceeded 10 million.
When FTM debuted, the UP host "Poisonous Tongue and Sharp Comments" who once commented on their immature singing skills also posted a video today to recommend FTM's new album.
The UP host said: "Have you all listened to FTM's new album? The five people's singing skills have improved a lot, especially the song "Far Away", they handled the high notes and transitions with ease.
What surprised me most was the five-member harmony of FTM.
I recommended this boy band when they first debuted because I thought they were very unique and would definitely become popular, but unfortunately their agency later disbanded the band.
Fortunately, the five voices that fit perfectly together can finally get together again. This is what moves me the most - their friendship, their tacit understanding, and their team spirit are unmatched.
I'm very happy that the five of them have not forgotten their original aspirations after being apart for many years, and are willing to reunite as a music group and present it to the public. Today I want to be a note for a short time, and I would like to recommend FTM's new album "Nirvana".
They truly rose from the ashes like a phoenix.
I hope everyone will support this group, and I hope they can go higher and further. ”
…
FTM already had a strong influence in the music scene back then. Their first album laid a solid fan base. Most of their fans were die-hard fans, and their reputation among passers-by was also very good. Many music review UP hosts on Bilibili were very optimistic about the group back then, and they also felt sorry for FTM's hasty disbandment.
Now that the top-notch group has returned, countless UP hosts, bloggers, and passers-by who have a good impression of them have actively recommended their album. On the day the album was released, data from all major online platforms exploded.
The reading volume of the topic #FTM's new album "Nirvana" is on sale today# on Weibo has exceeded 100 million, followed by the word "explosive".
The number of clicks on the two song MVs on Bilibili ranked first and second on this week's popular list, firmly occupying the homepage.
There are countless Amway videos related to Douyin and Amway posts related to sweet potatoes.
There are several high-rise buildings on the forum speculating on the sales volume, with fans and haters fighting each other.
The Chinese music scene is as lively as the Chinese New Year.
Reporters in the industry couldn't help but sigh: "Isn't FTM too popular?!"
When other boy bands release an album, it is limited to their fan circles and only their fans pay attention to it. When FTM released an album, it became a hit on the entire internet, and even passers-by were discussing it. This is the real “national boy band”.
***
The next evening, someone suddenly posted on the forum: "FTM's Nirvana sales have exceeded 30 million!"
Everyone who saw the post was shocked.
"What the hell?! It took four months for the last album to sell over 30 million copies, and it's only been one day?"
"Don't scare me, OP. Over 30 million in one day? [terrified][sweating]"
"If you look at the data from major music platforms, you will know that the number of collectors of this album has exceeded one million. Assuming that all collectors have purchased it, and each person pays 25 yuan, that would be 25 million. There are also some people who directly purchased and downloaded it without adding it to their collections, so the data is consistent."
"The music group has a very good reputation among passers-by, so there must be a lot of passers-by coming in."
"30 million a day, it's so scary, the subsequent sales can still increase."
"There are quite a lot of singers releasing albums this year. 30 million is already good enough to be in the top three of the year, right?"
“Looking forward to the sales statistics for one month, I hope FTM can take first place this time!”
Being in the top three in one day, even Xu Baichuan was very surprised by such a result.
FTM's popularity is much higher than he expected.
Since singers release albums at different times, some in the first half of the year and some in the second half of the year, the album sales statistics of the Golden Melody Awards at the end of the year are calculated based on one month from the release date.
If FTM's "Nirvana" can win the sales championship this year, then it is also very likely to win the Golden Melody Award for "Best Music Album of the Year".
Although the Golden Melody Awards not only look at sales, but also the quality of the album. But the quality of this album itself is also excellent. The MVs of the two songs are very exquisitely shot, and the harmonies of each song are also very brilliantly adapted.
Fang Yinnian spent a lot of time and energy on revising the song, and his teammates practiced in seclusion day and night, striving to sing every syllable to perfection. An album created with such a serious attitude is absolutely the best of the best.
***
Amid everyone's anticipation, the time has arrived on December 20th.
It’s been a month since FTM’s album “Nirvana” was released, and the sales statistics are finally out.
——60 million. This is double the 30 million on the first day of release.
Breaking the sales record of domestic entertainment digital albums in the past three years!
Ranked in the top five of this year's "Global Music Digital Album Chart"!
The industry was extremely shocked and netizens were extremely excited.
The influence of the group's return is so terrifying. They are no longer just leading the domestic entertainment industry, but have directly entered the annual global rankings? This year's album sales are several million higher than those of the popular Korean boy band BNC, which is popular in Asia.
This band really brings honor to the Chinese music scene!
Netizens were discussing it excitedly.
“Let us congratulate FTM for making it to the global rankings [scatter flowers]”
"It's great that FTM can be reorganized~"
“To be honest, the quality of this album is worthy of its sales.”
"60 million is incredible. Last year's champion only got 40 million."
"Producer Fang Yinnian is awesome, all five members of FTM are awesome, being their fan is such a sure blessing"
“Looking forward to the concert and the live version of Nirvana”
"Ahhh, the album sales are so good, let's get started preparing for the concert, and get the ticket money ready~"
"I want to see the concert too. There aren't many dance moves in the MV, but the live group dance will definitely be more shocking."
As the entire network started to urge the concert, the term #FTMconcert# was actually pushed to the top of the hot searches.
Xu Baichuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and immediately asked the publicity staff to issue a statement using the FTM studio account: "Thank you very much for your support for FTM's second album "Nirvana".
FTM will participate in some TV station activities at the end of the year and in January next year.
The concert is being prepared and will officially start in February, with Jiangzhou as the first stop.
Jiangzhou is the place where FTM originated, so let’s start this national tour from Jiangzhou.
For specific ticket purchasing information, please pay attention to the official FTM accounts on major platforms.
All five members are ready and look forward to meeting you all^^"
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