Chapter 57 All-Round ACE
"Cha" is short for "challenge," meaning a dance challenge.
"Of course I'd love to," Xia Mian said after watching his new hit song's dance. "I want to do the chorus part, it's so cool!"
"You're in Beijing, right? I'm flying to Beijing and Taiwan tonight to record a music variety show. After the performance, come find me backstage."
Xia Mian made an "OK" gesture.
Chang Yixin's newest track is a high-energy dance track. The arrangement is internationally-oriented, and the dance is extremely challenging, reaching professional levels. It's clear that Chang Yixin and his team have ambitious plans for expansion.
Xia Mian enjoys challenging himself with difficult tasks. After watching the performance, he went backstage and, while Chang Yi was being interviewed, he quickly memorized the chorus. Chang Yi was busy promoting his new album and didn't want to take up too much of his time.
So when Chang Yi came back, he took a sip of water and planned to break it down into smaller steps, starting with the most difficult move to teach Xia Mian, but he found that Xia Mian already knew how to jump.
“I finished learning the dance during your interview,” Xia Mian explained.
"...You finished dissecting it in just twenty minutes?"
"More or less, but there are a few details I can't see clearly, so I need you to help me practice."
This dance is the most fragmented, difficult, and intense of Chang Yi's signature dances since her debut.
"Xia, what exactly are your shortcomings?" Chang Yi murmured to himself.
The two worked together seamlessly and were so familiar with each other that they only needed two takes to get it right. Chang Yi sent a copy to Xia Mian, and the two said goodbye outside the radio station.
That evening, Chang Yi posted a video: We promised to dance hip-hop together, and today we did it! @SummerSleep
There are few idols in the Chinese entertainment industry who follow the singing and dancing route. There are no professional music show stages, and apart from large-scale galas, it is difficult for singers and dancers to meet, so they rarely collaborate.
It's been two or three years since Chang Yi last filmed a music video, right after winning the talent show and releasing his first single.
I haven't filmed any more videos since then; this is the first time.
The brother has some rare new content that fans are really looking forward to. However, they are a little hesitant because they found that the brother tagged Xia Mian, fearing that Xia Mian might tarnish the new album.
But ultimately, I couldn't resist the allure of the handsome guy dancing, so I opened the video.
Oh my god, my brother is so handsome! Even the sweat on his face is glistening. His dance is like a baptism for humanity. I feel like I'm seeing an angel.
Hmm... the one next to me looks pretty good too.
I heard that Xia Mian is live-streaming his immersive dance practice every day next door. I didn't know he was such a good dancer!
As a top-tier idol, Chang Yi's video immediately garnered over a million views on TikTok, and it also trended on Weibo.
Seeing the momentum was good, Chang Yi's fans, known as "Wings," immediately began to organize and post on Weibo, determined to create the best data and let everyone see their idol's strength and beauty.
Seeing her name repeatedly mentioned by "Wings", Xia Mian silently wondered: When will I be able to have fans to generate data?
What Xia Mian didn't know was that there were actually a few of his fans mixed in with Lunbo's followers, but the number was too small and there was no organization, so they could only act independently.
The day after he posted this message, Zhang Yuno suddenly tagged him: "New song, for you @Xia Mian".
Because she wanted Xia Mian to sing the song, she released a demo (audio sample).
Although Zhang Yunuo isn't very famous, his songs are really good, and every song he releases becomes a hit, with netizens clicking on them one after another.
Frog Fun, so catchy and captivating. These two... is there something fishy going on?
I didn't hear any ambiguity in the demo, but rather a sense of excitement. I really want to hear the finished product. I hope Xia Mian won't ruin this great song.
Xia Mian listened to it with other netizens, and he immediately found Zhang Yuno on WeChat: [It's so good! When did you write it? Why didn't you tell me?]
Yu Nuo: [I originally wanted to give this to you as a surprise, but Chang Yi beat me to it, so of course I had to follow suit. My studio has pretty good equipment, want to come and play around?]
"I'm going, I'm going right now," Xia Mian immediately bought the nearest plane ticket and landed in Shanghai three hours later.
Zhang Yunuo continued recording "Infinite," and his manager received him. The recording and arrangement teachers were all on duty, ready to adjust the song according to his vocal range and preferences at any time.
The original owner had not received professional vocal training, and her voice was a little tight. Fortunately, the two had similar timbres and their vocal ranges were also good. After Xia Mian warmed up her voice, she gradually got into the zone under the guidance of her vocal teacher.
When the recording actually started, the arranger looked at the score and couldn't believe it.
—Wasn't the original demo in a female key? The chorus was quite high, yet Xia Mian sang it without needing to lower the key?
Actually, the arranger had already prepared a lower-key accompaniment, so it seems we won't need it.
What was even more unexpected was that Xia Mian not only had a good voice, but also had a high level of singing skills and emotional intelligence. She was more like a professionally trained singer than an actress.
Actually, when he was practicing, Xia Mian's favorite subject was vocal music. He loved singing and, like all singers, dreamed of releasing his own album and holding his own concert.
The recording was completed much faster than I expected, and it was finished in about half a day.
After post-production was completed, the studio pieced together the entire song and some behind-the-scenes footage from the recording into a clip, which was then released by the studio's official account.
Netizens were shocked again.
My goodness, the voice is so clear and full of stories, is this really summer hibernation!
Listen to that clear and beautiful high note! He can actually sing so well? In a boy band, he'd be at least a main vocalist, right?
Some netizens recalled Chang Yi's post from a couple of days ago and realized that the two seem to be the same person.
She can sing and dance, oh my, she's an Ace! An all-around Ace!
Moreover, the song has a very good meaning. There is no ambiguity in the whole song. It is more about the helplessness and struggle in the face of cruel reality.
Finally, he sang in the song: "Please continue to be yourself, let me lift my head and look up in the mud, and still believe that there is light in the world."
Everyone has a light in their life, perhaps it's their parents, their lover, or their idol. When you encounter difficulties and want to give up, just think of that light, and you can grit your teeth, stand up, and continue to move forward with determination.
These are lyrics that Zhang Yuno wrote for Xia Mian.
Because his gaze was always open and fearless, like a shining star undisturbed by any factors.
Zhang Yuno came from humble beginnings and had a life full of hardships and difficulties. He had never met such a genuine and fearless person.
Even a second-generation star like Zhu Ziqi has to establish a persona when necessary and bow his head when required.
Zhang Yuno suddenly felt that it was quite nice to know this person.
When you're stuck in the mud and feel like you can't find your way back, look up and you'll still see that fearless, radiant light.
So that day in the elevator, Zhang Yuno mustered all her courage and said to Xia Mian, "Please, you must continue to be yourself."
Because of you, people can truly gain so much strength.
The song quickly sparked widespread discussion among netizens, and its listenership and download numbers soared, soon reaching the top of the trending charts.
Netizens exclaimed that they had unearthed a new treasure.
After countless years of silence, the boy who was once timid and self-conscious, surrounded by the "love of eating car wheels" and the "Darwin effect," seems to have truly been reborn like a phoenix rising from the ashes, becoming a more radiant and dazzling version of himself.
And with that kind of talent and looks, it would be a shame not to become a fan of hers – it would be a disservice to those dark circles from staying up all night surfing the web!
[Xia Mian, I'm a huge fan of yours! I hope you focus on your career and don't cause any more scandals!]
Thanks to Chang Yi and Zhang Yuno's efforts, Xia Mian's fan base grew to over 3 million, nearly 4 million overnight.
Xia Mian had already returned to Beijing by then. He called Zhang Yuno to thank him right after Zhang Yuno finished recording "Infinite".
Zhang Yuno smiled and agreed, then said, "Xia, my agent, Fei Ge—whom you've been in contact with—wants to sign you. Are you interested?"
Wow, he's become a hot commodity. Xia Mian had a pretty good impression of Fei Ge, but Fei Ge mainly focused on training singers, so Xia Mian said, "I need to think about it carefully."
Zhang Yuno then spoke a few good words for the agent, such as that the management here is relatively free and relaxed, and that artists are not forced to accept schedules, etc.
Xia Mian could also tell that a good recording device costs several million yuan. If there were no human touch, why would they let him use it?
After ending the call, Xia Mian took out paper and pen again. By now, all the companies that had expressed interest in cooperation should have contacted him, and it was time to make a decision.
He opened his email, intending to review these companies again, and then saw two new emails.
One letter was from Oriental Entertainment, and the other from Changhai Century, both inviting him to meet for a detailed discussion.
These are... the two leading entertainment companies Chang Yi mentioned. He'd even seen one of them somewhere before.
Summer's heart pounded wildly, and without hesitation, she replied: 【Okay】
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