HuaYu97: Starting as a Singer

Chapter 372 [372] He's gone mad! How dare he offend the Grammys?
“The 43rd Grammy Award-winning track, U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’.”

Well deserved, nothing more to say.

U2 is one of the most popular bands in the world, currently at the peak of their careers, and this single is of solid quality.

Domestic listeners consoled themselves, saying there were still three more awards to go. The "Production of the Year" award is a major prize, and Qi Yuan is a newcomer in the Western music scene, so it's normal that she doesn't win it.

A dozen minutes later, Song of the Year was announced, and U2's "Beautiful Day" won again.

It's rare for a song to win both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammys.

U2 is really strong this year.

The most anticipated album of the year went to American band Stili Dan, while the popular Eminem lost to this underdog band.

Holding a grudge, Eminem was very dissatisfied, and Qi Yuan caught a glimpse of Eminem's displeased expression.

Eminem now only dares to diss his fellow singers, and at most writes songs to criticize homosexuals and other groups. He doesn't have the guts to attack the Grammys.

Years later, he came out and criticized the Grammys, saying that the voting mechanism was fake and there was no fairness to speak of.

Instead of Album of the Year, the Grammys awarded Eminem two trophies: Best Rap Album and Best Rap Artist, which made Eminem's expression improve.

This did nothing to quell Eminem's anger.

Album of the Year is a general award, while Best Rap Album is a category award; they are not on the same level.

The Best Newcomer Award went to American singer Sherby Lin, which had nothing to do with Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan was a little nervous. He hadn't won any of the three major awards, and he hoped that the worst one, Best Pop Male Singer, wouldn't be given to him either.

He's waiting for the Grammys to discriminate against him so he can use that as a reason to attack them next year and get them to give him a big award.

If the Grammys deviate from their usual practice and award him this prize, it could actually be detrimental to his chances of winning awards next year.

Fortunately, the performance of those old guys at the Grammys did not disappoint Qi Yuan. He had nothing to do with the Best Pop Solo Artist award and was a runner-up throughout the competition.

Cool!
At this moment, Qi Yuan's feelings can only be described as 'awesome'; next year's Grammys are a sure thing.

His English album's promotion and charting in the US are already halfway done.

……

domestic.

Upon learning that Qi Yuan had been a runner-up throughout the entire competition, failing to even win the Best Pop Male Singer award, the worst of the four nominees, fans and netizens were outraged!
Damn it! There's something fishy going on, there's definitely something fishy going on.

Why can't our Qi Yuan win even one award?

Those media outlets that Qi Yuan had sued were happier than if it were Chinese New Year.

Let you sue us, you've finally gotten what you deserve. Your music isn't even recognized by the Grammys. We can't do anything to you, but surely the foreigners can?

Mainland media reports.

[Even in defeat, there is honor! A nomination is a victory!]

[It's heartbreaking to see him perpetually nominated for a Grammy; in our hearts, he is the 'uncrowned king']

Four nominations, zero wins? A deep dive into the Grammys' overlooked gems and biases over the years!

Hong Kong and Taiwan media.

[A runner-up finishes with nothing to show for it! A strong contender becomes a mere participant, Qi Yuan returns home empty-handed]

[Four nominations, all empty-handed; losing awards and losing popularity]

[I hope we can't break the curse of Asian singers at the Grammys!]

……

The United States. Those media outlets that Qi Yuan had criticized also retaliated fiercely.

The Los Angeles Times: "The Grammys remain a stronghold of the American music scene, and Chris's breakthrough fell short!"

Forbes Music Review: "Chris's music can't withstand the scrutiny of a Grammy; it's destined to be a zero-win!"

Some tabloids even went so far as to tell Qi Yuan to stop, return to China to train for a few more years, and then come back.

The American media is mocking Qi Yuan, which suits Qi Yuan's wishes perfectly.

Warner's publicity and marketing teams got to work.

Articles implying that the Grammys discriminate against Asian singers have appeared in several well-known American newspapers and magazines.

[The fact that they wouldn't even give out a "consolation prize" for Best Male Pop Artist is more shocking than any overt discrimination!]

What's wrong with the Grammys? Have you become insecure? Are you trying to suppress musicians from the East in this way?

The Grammy judges have demonstrated through their actions that while music may transcend borders, the Grammy awards have clear and unwavering cultural boundaries.

……

The release of these Grammy Awards press releases caused an uproar throughout the North American music scene! The North American internet exploded too!

Is there really something fishy about the Grammys? Was Kris Jenner really discriminated against by the Grammy judges?

Qi Yuan released an EP last year, which sold exceptionally well in the North American market, with over a third of the sales coming from North America. He has a fan base.

These fans stood up and criticized the Grammys with righteous indignation.

"Shit! I knew there was something fishy about Chris not winning the award. He didn't even get Best Pop Male Vocal Performance. This discrimination is too obvious."

“I really like Chris’s music. He never expected that the Grammys’ prejudice against Asian artists would reach this level.”

"How can an artist with a number-one single and multiple platinum records go home empty-handed? The Grammys should answer that!"

At first, the arrogant Grammys completely ignored outside opinions. Only today do they realize we have regional discrimination? Don't they understand that winning an award requires public relations? Do they really think a good album is enough to win an award?
There have been artists who received four nominations but won nothing before, so what's the big deal?

To the Grammys' surprise, the controversy surrounding discrimination against Asian artists escalated, with even some media outlets in Japan and South Korea speaking out.

It was only then that the Grammys realized that this matter seemed to have become quite serious, and had already stirred up a media storm.

People outside the industry may not know, but those inside can tell that this is Warner's doing.

The Grammys and artists in the Western music scene were shocked!

Has Warner Bros. gone mad?
Has Chris Qi gone mad?
Dare to offend the Grammys? Aren't you afraid of being blacklisted by the Grammys and never being able to win a Grammy Award again?

The arrival of foreign singers like Shakira and Avril Lavigne to make their mark in the American music scene was even more shocking!
Singers from South America, Canada, the UK, and other countries still face discrimination when they come to the US. The American music scene is xenophobic, even if you are white.

Singers from these countries who come to the United States to develop their careers must abide by the rules of the American music scene, and there are countless examples of them being left out in the running.

If you're a runner-up this time, be more humble, release a good album next time, and do a better job with your public relations. Then we at the Grammys will give you an award, right? If we still don't give you one, you should look at your own problems. We Grammy judges have a tough job.

Most foreign singers do this; even though they know they are being discriminated against, they can only grit their teeth and endure it.

How dare this Christian from the East be so defiant? Does he really consider the Grammys worthless?
This is what makes Qi Yuan different from other handsome singers like Shakira and Avril Lavigne.

The Grammys are icing on the cake for him; he can use public relations to win them, but he respects the rules here.

There's no way he'd kneel down to accept an award; he'd rather not have a Grammy than not earn dollars from his albums.

His core business will always be in China. Once the domestic economy develops, he can go back and thrive in the Chinese-speaking and Asian markets.

As the controversy surrounding discrimination reached its peak, on February 27th, Qi Yuan's new album "23" released the song "Unstoppable" on radio stations across North America, beginning its pre-release promotion on the charts.

(End of this chapter)