novelraw Chapter 35: Explosive Popularity! Penguin Music Goes Viral Again!
Chapter 35: Explosive Popularity! Penguin Music Goes Viral Again!
on Monday.
A pop-up notification from Tencent Music—
[Exclusive release of the second episode's song list for "The Voice of China"!]
At this moment, countless fingers clicked the play button for "Red Clown (Live Version)".
The data began to rise at an incredible rate.
30 minutes after going online.
"Red Dress" directly entered the top 20 of Penguin Music's "Rising Chart"!
It was online for 2 hours.
Unstoppable momentum!
"Red Dress" broke through all obstacles and directly entered the top ten of the most prestigious "New Song Chart"!
The number of comments has surpassed 999, and is approaching 1!
It was online for 4 hours.
When many people woke up from their afternoon nap and checked their phones, they were shocked to find that the rankings had completely changed.
New Song Chart - Topped!
Rising Chart – Topped the List!
Hot Songs Chart - Number 10!
Double champion!
Moreover, it achieved this entirely through word-of-mouth without any prior promotion or company buying into the rankings!
Opening the comments section of "Red-Haired Girl" is like witnessing a massive pilgrimage.
Most users come from Weibo, WeChat Moments, and short video platforms.
"Holy crap! It's finally online! Production team, do you know how I've been coping with these past 10+ hours? I'm going to listen to this on repeat until I die!"
"This song is amazing! Lin Zhixing, I'm bowing down in admiration!"
"First listen: Beautiful. Second listen: The opera singing is amazing. Third listen: Though I am of humble status, I dare not forget my country's worries; tears stream down my face."
"This is what real traditional Chinese style is all about! Those flowery, affected ancient-style songs are utter garbage compared to 'Red-Clad Ladies'!"
"Upstairs, although your insults are vulgar, I have to agree. This song has raised the bar for traditional Chinese style music by more than one level."
Among the many comments, one long comment was pushed to the top spot as the "most popular comment," garnering a whopping 10,000 likes.
User [Listener]:
"I'm a Peking Opera enthusiast and a casual fan of Lin Zhixing. To be honest, when I first heard he was going to sing in the Peking Opera style, I was expecting a joke. But after listening, all I can say is: I declare myself a die-hard fan of Lin Zhixing, and you can argue with me if you disagree!"
Damn it, who said he couldn't do traditional Chinese style music? Come out and show yourself! I'm embarrassed for those haters!
……
Meanwhile, on the battlefield of microblogs.
Discussions about "Red Dress" and last night's competition have not cooled down with the passage of time; on the contrary, they have sparked a second wave of discussion as the music was released.
The hashtag #LinZhixingChiLing# remained on the trending topics list for a whole day, still firmly in the top ten.
The topic square is filled with netizens enthusiastically recommending it.
"That's awesome! I can't find any other word to describe it except 'awesome'!"
"Lin Zhixing: Please call me the spokesperson for Chinese style, thank you. I just want to ask, who else?!"
"As soon as that opera singing came out, I got goosebumps all over my body, as if I could really see the actor in the firelight."
"Hahaha, I have to say, Brother Lin really listens to advice! Netizens suggested he do some 'underworld' national treasures,' and he immediately whipped up 'The Red-Haired Girl.' His execution is amazing; I want to be his boss too!"
"Hey upstairs, you might not be qualified to be the boss, but we can still squeeze in as fans."
Of course, where there is praise, there is also controversy.
Despite being the losers last night, Li Ziming's fans are still putting up a stubborn fight.
"My brother Zimo's songs are still the best. 'The Grandeur of Chang'an' is so grand! That 'Red Spirit' song sounds so eerie, I don't understand it at all."
"Exactly, actors are considered lowly, how can they be as noble as the prosperous Tang Dynasty? I don't understand what you're bragging about."
"Lin Zhixing is just an opportunist; Old Jiang must have misjudged him!"
These remarks immediately drew fierce criticism from passersby and Lin Zhixing's fans.
"It's clearly a great song! Haters, get out of here! If you don't understand it, it's because you're uncultured, not because the song is bad!"
"Lower class? The Qing Dynasty is long gone! 'The Red-Haired Girl' is about patriotism! Your brother's is just a pile of fancy words!"
"Hilarious! A loss is a loss, don't make excuses. Old Master Jiang is a leading authority; how could he misjudge someone? Is it so hard to admit someone is excellent?"
"Awesome! A miraculous comeback! This is proof of strength! Lin Zhixing can crush any dissent!"
Just as the two sides were arguing fiercely, a prominent online figure, the well-known history blogger "Discussing History Over Wine," reposted Lin Zhixing's stage performance video and added the following caption:
"This song has a very high theme and excellent lyrics. It doesn't focus on the glorious achievements of emperors and generals, but rather on the fate and struggles of ordinary people in a great era. By integrating opera elements into a pop song, it retains traditional charm while conforming to modern aesthetics. The performance on stage was incredibly moving. If I were there, I would definitely have voted for Lin Zhixing. It was fantastic! This is the kind of culture we need to pass on!"
Public opinion has completely turned in favor of Lin Zhixing.
The voices of the haters were drowned out by the flood of positive reviews.
......
However, the excitement wasn't just for netizens.
Those in the entertainment industry are also closely watching the eye of this storm—Lin Zhixing.
Yanjing, an entertainment company.
An emergency high-level meeting is underway in the spacious conference room.
On the big screen, a video of Lin Zhixing singing "Red-Clad Ladies" was playing.
When the music ended, the conference room fell silent.
The boss, who sat at the head of the table and was a seasoned veteran in the industry for decades, slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his temples.
"This kid... is really good."
The boss exclaimed, "His stage presence, singing skills, and even that Peking Opera-style vocals are all top-notch. What's even more incredible is that he wrote this song himself?"
The artist director next to him immediately nodded, flipping through the documents in his hand: "Yes, boss. Not only this song 'Red-Clad Lament,' but also 'The Lone Warrior' from the previous episode, he wrote both the lyrics and music. We've investigated him; he's extremely talented in songwriting and his style is versatile. From rock to traditional Chinese style, there's nothing he can't handle."
"The most crucial thing is—"
The director paused for a moment, then said, "According to reliable sources, he's currently a free agent! Although Star Entertainment had previously signed him, that contract has been terminated. He's not currently signed with any company!"
"What? There's no contract yet?"
The boss slammed his hand on the table. "Is Xinghuang blind? Pushing such a good talent away?"
"I heard it's because he offended his manager..."
"They're stupid!" the boss interrupted the director. "This isn't an artist; this is a cash cow! A walking archive of hit songs!"
What the music scene lacks now is not good voices, but good works!
A versatile artist who can write and sing, has a built-in fanbase, and can handle multiple styles is simply priceless!
"Dig him up!"
The boss made a decisive move, waving his hand, "No matter the cost, we must take him down!"
"Give us a B-level contract?" the director asked tentatively.
"A B-grade? Are you trying to fob me off?" The boss glared at him. "Other companies are definitely eyeing this kind of talent! Give him an A-grade! No... if necessary, an S-grade is also negotiable! We can offer a higher signing bonus!"
"We must sign him before any other companies! Hurry!"
"Yes! I'll contact them right away!"
This scene isn't limited to this place.
Countless calls were made from the artist departments of various companies, all with the same target.
Lin Zhixing.