The song "The Actor" at the beginning stunned me with its portrayal of the aloof school be

When the words "Guofeng" (traditional Chinese style) were mentioned, the mentors' panel fell silent.

This silence speaks volumes more than any murmur from the audience.

The host also noticed the subtle atmosphere and simply handed the microphone to the mentors' seat.

"Teachers, judging from your expressions, this traditional Chinese style piece seems to be making you a little worried?"

Qin Lie, who was sitting in the center, took the microphone.

This legendary singer-songwriter in the Chinese music scene has won numerous Golden Melody Awards for Best Composer and Best Lyricist over his 20-year career.

He is always sparing with words, but when he speaks, he is very frank.

"I've been making music for twenty years, and I still don't dare to touch the subject of traditional Chinese style lightly."

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

Even Qin Lie doesn't dare to touch him?

Qin Lie waved his hand, signaling everyone to listen to him finish.

"The difficulty in creating traditional Chinese style lies in simultaneously establishing four key elements."

"Lyrics, music, artistic conception, and cultural heritage."

"These four things are all essential; you can't be missing any one of them, and they must fit together perfectly."

He counted on his fingers, explaining each item one by one.

"The melody should have an ancient feel, but if it's too ancient, it can easily become dull, and if it's dull, it won't grab people's attention."

"If you want it to be catchy and trendy, you lose the classic feel and it immediately becomes a hodgepodge."

"Pronunciation is a pitfall, instrumentation is a pitfall, even where to leave blank space and how long to leave blank space are pitfalls."

"If one line isn't handled well, the whole song will fall apart like a half-cooked meal."

Qin Lie thought for a moment and then added another example.

"I've heard quite a few works that claim to be in the traditional Chinese style."

"The lyrics are full of obscure characters, and the instrumentation is crammed with guzheng and pipa, making it sound flashy."

"But the essence of the melody is still the same old thing, and the old-fashioned feel is all just on the surface."

"Anyone in the know can spot something like that in a second."

As he spoke, his gaze returned to the young man in the center of the stage, and his tone softened slightly.

"Looking at the entire music scene, the number of people who can produce truly outstanding original Chinese-style music can be counted on one hand."

"They are all veterans who have been in this industry for decades."

The meaning of this sentence is already quite clear.

He recognized Jiang Che's talent; he had listened to both the song "The Actor" for the school anniversary celebration and the song "The Wind Rises" for the audition.

But that's what's popular.

Traditional Chinese culture is another mountain.

……

Shen Yan, who was sitting on the left, also spoke up.

This top-tier producer in China has produced countless number one albums and has a keen eye for talent.

He wasn't as direct as Qin Lie, but his words carried just as much weight.

"Among the singers I've supported, quite a few have excellent singing skills."

"There aren't many who truly dare to touch upon traditional Chinese style."

"Because the problems exposed by traditional Chinese style cannot be hidden."

"If the technique is slightly inferior and the aesthetics are a bit lacking, those in the know will notice it immediately."

He looked at Jiang Che with a scrutinizing gaze.

"I acknowledge Xiao Jiang's talent, but his focus on traditional Chinese style is too heavy."

"I'm not sure if someone this age can shoulder this responsibility."

He paused, then added.

"Popular writing is good because of its skill. Traditional Chinese writing is solid because of its foundation."

"You can't lie about the fundamentals."

National diva Cheng Xue, sitting on the right, also nodded.

She is widely recognized for her live performance skills and singing ability, and she understands best what a traditional Chinese style song means to a singer.

"Just in terms of pronunciation and breath control, the requirements of traditional Chinese style are a level higher than those of popular style."

"It's about that kind of flavor that comes from the very core of your being; you can't fake it."

I really liked both the songs I sang for the school anniversary celebration and the audition.

"But people who can sing popular songs well may not be able to handle traditional Chinese music."

"These two things are two different sets of skills."

None of the three mentors spoke definitively.

But the three people's caution had already whetted everyone's appetite to its limit.

……

The more cautious the mentor was, the more restless the audience became.

The live stream chat room was already in complete chaos.

The comments section was divided into two distinct factions.

One faction consists of Jiang Che's die-hard loyalists.

"When Jiang Shen makes a move, it's always a masterpiece. What's there to be afraid of!"

"Which of 'The Actor' or 'The Wind Rises' flopped? This time is no different!"

"Don't worry, my brother never fights a battle he's not sure he can win." (This was followed by a tag for "Wang Haoran from Jiangcheng University")

"Even Qin Lie said it was difficult, so wouldn't Jiang Shen's rendition be even more explosive?"

The other side was deeply worried.

"I believe he is talented, but there are just too many predecessors whose traditional Chinese style has backfired."

"How many veteran singers have stumbled because of the rise of traditional Chinese style music? Can young people really withstand it?"

"Don't get carried away. Traditional Chinese style and popular trends are two different things. Be careful."

"The first two songs were truly amazing, but this time, did you take too big a step?"

The two factions went back and forth, neither able to convince the other.

The only consensus is that no one can draw a conclusion now.

Everyone had to wait for Jiang Che to speak.

……

The players inside the arena started discussing it.

Someone in the scrap area whispered that if he really succeeds in mastering the traditional Chinese style, then this episode is a foregone conclusion.

The guy with the buzz cut in the center area pursed his lips.

"Traditional Chinese style songs aren't so easy to sing. I'd like to see how he ends up doing this."

He spoke toughly, but his eyes couldn't help but drift towards the stage.

The contestant sitting next to him didn't respond.

They watched the videos of "The Actor" for the school anniversary celebration and "The Wind Rises" for the audition over and over again.

That little bit of resentment in my heart won't last long.

……

Following Jiang Che was Lin Wei.

She sat in the center of the stage, looking at the figure in the middle announcing the words "Guofeng" (traditional Chinese style), and her heart skipped a beat.

He's going to do something big again.

Lin Wei's fingers unconsciously gripped the armrest of the seat.

She knew better than anyone that every time Jiang Che announced a name that surprised everyone, it would eventually cause an uproar.

This is how the school anniversary celebration is held.

The same applies to the preliminary selection.

But this time is different.

This time it's traditional Chinese style.

Even the mentors dare not guarantee the quality of this traditional Chinese style.

Lin Wei forced herself to remain calm and repeatedly encouraged herself in her mind.

Traditional Chinese culture is so difficult to develop, why should a student like him be able to succeed?

This time, he might be in deep trouble.

The worse the fall, the better.

She even began to look forward to the scene of Jiang Che messing up his singing.

If he fails with this song, the singing god she left behind will fall from his pedestal.

When she appears after him, she will be able to easily take over this wave.

Thinking of this, Lin Wei's tense nerves actually relaxed a little.

She straightened up and leaned back in her chair.

The worse he sings this song, the better.

It's best to see clearly from the whole audience, even the God of Songs can have a mishap in that corner.

By then, no one will be able to criticize her for dumping him.

……

Lin Xier's reaction was different from everyone else's in the guest seats.

Her eyes lit up the moment she heard the words "traditional Chinese style".

Then, that glimmer of light slowly solidified again.

She knew the weight of those two words better than anyone else present.

Her father is the chairman of Tingxian Entertainment, and her family has connections with musicians who make up half of the Chinese music scene.

From childhood to adulthood, she could count the truly excellent original Chinese style music she had ever heard on her fingers.

Behind each song lies decades of hard work.

Now, Jiang Che is about to sing a traditional Chinese style original song that she has never heard before, live on a nationally broadcast event without any warning.

Where does this confidence come from?

The performances of "The Actor" on the night of the school anniversary celebration and "The Wind Rises" during the audition have repeatedly broadened her horizons.

But traditional Chinese culture is another matter.

The criteria it tests are far more stringent than what is popular.

The classical meaning must be authentic, the lyrics must be sound, the artistic conception must be compelling, and the performance must be steady.

If any one of these elements collapses, the entire song will fall apart.

For the first time, her conviction wavered slightly.

Lin Xi'er sat up straight, her gaze fixed on the stage.

She couldn't tell whether she was more looking forward to something or more worried at that moment.

All she knew was that she didn't want to miss a single second.

……

on the stage.

The lights gradually dimmed.

The noisy venue quieted down.

A spotlight landed steadily in the center of the stage.

Jiang Che sat down in front of the musical instrument that had been prepared beforehand and adjusted his posture.

He lowered his eyes, his focused expression making him seem like a completely different person.

At that moment, everyone in the audience held their breath.

More than a thousand pairs of eyes were fixed on the figure shrouded in light.

Success or failure.

It's in this song.

Everyone held their breath.

Waiting for that first note to fall.