America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 220, Page 219: Leading the Trend

The program schedule for the Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Monkey was finalized and announced a few hours before the broadcast, and its announcement sparked heated discussions.

"Jay Chou! Jay Chou is actually performing this year! I want to see Jay, I want to hear 'Dragon Fist,' it's sure to ignite the whole venue!"

"There's also Karen Mok and Chyi Chin singing 'The Outside World' together. I'm really looking forward to this show. Karen Mok's legs are amazing and so beautiful."

"Mingming, can you help me see who's performing in this year's skits and crosstalk?"

"Grandpa, don't worry. We have Zhao Benshan, Fan Wei, Gao Xiumin, Guo Da, Guo Donglin, Huang Hong, and all the other familiar faces from the Spring Festival Gala. Oh, and Yan Shunkai too. You really like that old man, don't you?"

"Yan Shunkai is there too! Oh, let me tell you, Yan Shunkai was my grandpa's childhood idol and a part of my memories. He acted in 'The True Story of Ah Q' so well. He was a national first-class actor. I forget which year it was on the Spring Festival Gala, but I still remember a few lines from his performance in 'Zhang San'."

"Okay, why don't you take a nap first? I'll wake you up when these shows come up, then you can get up and watch them."

A middle-aged man took a bottle of wine from the cabinet, smelled it near his nose, and then smiled and nodded, saying, "I'll drink this tonight."

The old man glanced at it and asked curiously, "Why did you take this out? Isn't it your prized possession? Weren't you reluctant to drink it?"

The son laughed and said, "Things are different now. This year's Spring Festival Gala invited a world superstar, who is my idol. I never thought I would be able to see him on the Spring Festival Gala. It's a dream come true. We must celebrate!"

"Dad, who are you talking about? You're a fan of celebrities?"

A middle-aged woman came out of the kitchen: "Why don't you follow them? Don't think your parents are old-fashioned. We were also star-struck fans when we were young."

"But back then, following celebrities wasn't as convenient as it is now. You couldn't fly around or go to concerts. You mainly used cassette tapes and videotapes."

"Your dad is talking about Michael Jackson. Back then, your dad somehow got hold of a videotape, and after watching it, he started searching everywhere for Jackson's audio and video materials and even tried to imitate his moonwalk."

"Moonwalk? What is a moonwalk?"

"Michael Jackson's dance was so cool to dance, and back then everyone around me was learning it. But now it's not possible anymore. I've gained weight and my belly is big, so I can't dance it anymore."

The middle school student shook his head, clearly having no impression of his parents' idols. After all, Mike was less than ten years old when he was at the height of his popularity, so how could he know anything about them?

My dad twisted his ankle a few times, seemingly trying to recapture the feeling from back then, but gave up after trying.

"By the way, do you remember that song you used to listen to a lot recently? It's called 'Rolling in the Deep,' and that's Michael Jackson's song."

"What! It's him!"

The son stared wide-eyed in surprise. He had heard this song countless times. He listened to it not only on his MP3 player and online, but for a while, music stores and barbershops were playing it all the time. It was impossible not to hear it when walking down the street.

"The song is great, but I still think Jay Chou is the better singer. You just wait and see."

This scene, which took place in an ordinary family in Yanjing, was also playing out in thousands of households across China.

Every era has its own idols, and it's extremely rare for a star to maintain their influence for ten years.

It's normal for the younger generation, especially the non-Western younger generation, not to know Mike; Eric didn't know it when he was a child either.

But after tonight, his name will surely be known throughout the entire land of China.

In the CCTV studio, as the exciting background music started, the dark red and black lights immediately attracted everyone's attention. Even those who needed to use the restroom were involuntarily drawn to sit down.

Five dancers dressed in black suits and white shirts, with red gloves and black top hats, walked onto the stage from both sides.

At the same time, five red ropes suddenly fell from the ceiling, and five dancers in black suits descended from the sky in various poses.

The opening act alone stunned the entire audience and viewers in front of their televisions, their eyes seemingly drawn to the stage by a magnet, unable to look away.

Many people suddenly felt that this performance was not just a simple song and dance, but was fundamentally different from other programs.

A dozen or so backup dancers performed various movements, their feet swaying, their suits fluttering, and they incorporated ballet-like postures.

Under the black and red lighting, the stage appears cluttered, yet it is very aesthetically pleasing, highlighting the professionalism of a backup dancer.

Suddenly, the music jumped a key, and all the dancers collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile, countless sparks flashed around the backup dancer in the very center of the stage. After he fell, Mike, who was also dressed in a black suit and white shirt, was revealed, but he was not wearing red gloves.

Michael and Eric said that after understanding the significance of the Spring Festival to the Chinese people, they originally wanted to wear red jackets and sing a cheerful, upbeat song.

However, after communicating with CCTV, CCTV still suggested that he wear a black suit and white shirt because this outfit is too classic.

No other singer could pull off that look.

After accepting CCTV's suggestion, Mike chose to recreate his classic performance at the MTV Awards on the Spring Festival Gala stage.

On stage, a close-up shot instantly focused on Michael, the rousing background music fell, and was replaced by a quiet murmur and a series of crisp finger snaps.

Snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

With each snap of his fingers, the music of his signature song "Dangerous" began to play. Michael gently swayed his body, swaying his head slightly as he walked slowly forward.

"The way she came into the place I knew right then and there."

"I noticed the way she walked in the moment I saw her footsteps."

"There was something different about this girl."

"This girl is different from others."

"The way she moved her hair her face her lines."

"Her pace, her hair, her face, her elegant figure."

"Divinity in motion As she stalked the room."

"Her every move as she stepped in seemed to possess some kind of divine power."

A few soft whispers, though seemingly quiet, were clearly heard by every audience member.

Even without understanding the lyrics, one can clearly feel that mysterious and dangerous atmosphere.

boom!

Michael's hand slowly rose and then fell sharply. The instant his hand touched his body, a loud drumbeat suddenly rang out in the background music, perfectly timed.

At the same time, the black-suited backup dancers who had fallen around him seemed to be activated, gracefully rising from the ground and standing behind Michael.

Despite being tall men, they danced with the supple grace of water snakes, exuding freedom and naturalness.

"The girl is so dangerous, take away my money and throw away my time."

"This girl is dangerous; she took my money and wasted my time."

"You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me."

"You can call me baby, but you're of no use to me."

"She came at me in sections with the eyes of desire."

"She walked towards me in the neighborhood, a burning flame of desire blazing in her eyes."

"I feel trapped into her web of sin a touch a kiss a whisper of love."

"I fell into the web of sin she had woven, with a gentle caress, a passionate kiss, and a tender whisper."

The soft singing continued, accompanied by robotic dance, jazz dance, locking, breakdancing, and tap dance.

Countless dance styles were incorporated into this song by Michael. His posture was extremely graceful, and every dance step was perfectly timed to a drumbeat, like the finishing touch that added the finishing touch to the song.

For most singers who sing and dance, music and dance are two separate systems, and it is already quite remarkable that they can achieve perfect synchronization.

Moreover, the movements must be graceful, which makes it even more difficult.

Maiko's dance is seamlessly integrated with the music; when the music reaches its climax, the dance steps inevitably reach their climax as well.

When the dance steps reach their climax, the music must also reach its climax; the dance steps are equivalent to the rhythm.

When the music arrives, the mind follows; when the mind follows, the dance steps follow!

Below the stage at this moment were Jay Chou, Xie Xiaodong, Chyi Chin, Karen Mok, and A-Do.

All professional singers, regardless of their genre—folk, pop, or bel canto.

Everyone stared intently at the person on stage, watching him calmly and confidently execute each dance step and movement.

Previously, there was a hierarchy of disdain in the music industry: classical music looked down on jazz, jazz looked down on rock, rock looked down on folk, folk looked down on pop, and pop looked down on rap.

In a few more years, rap will look down on shouting rap, and shouting rap will look down on Pang Mailang.

But that moment no longer exists; no one feels superior anymore, and no one feels that their singing is better than others.

Because the person on stage had already captivated the entire audience. Before, they had only heard of him but never seen him, and they felt a sense of superiority. But today, they were all completely won over.

Karen Mok looked at Chyi Chin beside her and said, "Luckily we went on stage before Michael Jackson, otherwise probably no one would have watched."

Qi Qin nodded in deep agreement. Although he was not a singer-dancer, he was incredibly accurate even just by listening to the songs.

Moreover, Michael was still dancing, and his breathing showed no signs of disorder at all, which was simply illogical for someone over forty years old.

"The King of Pop truly lives up to his name; I suddenly feel very regretful."

"Regret what?"

"I regret not flying to see Michael Jackson's concert back then. He was at his peak then. I also regret not asking for autographs and photos during rehearsals. I probably won't have the chance after the show ends."

Jay Chou smiled and leaned closer to show off, saying, "I got it! It's signed on the shirt, a one-of-a-kind!"

As singers and dancers, Lin Yilun and Xie Xiaodong understand the difficulties involved even better, and the clearer they are about it, the more they admire them.

"He has an aura of royalty about him. How did he train these backup dancers? Why are they so perfectly synchronized?"

Lin Yilun kept shaking his head, thinking about his own stage performance, which was completely overshadowed.

The hot girl group and the pretty girl group are already starry-eyed.

Singers like Han Lei, Tian Zhen, and Song Zuying admire him immensely.

At the same time, everyone felt sorry for the singers who performed after Michael Jackson.

The contrast is too stark, destined to be tragic.

"Dangerous, The girl is so dangerous!"

"Danger! This girl is extremely dangerous!"

"Take away my money, throw away my time."

"Take my money and waste my time."

"You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me."

"You can call me baby, but you're of no use to me."

"Dangerous, The girl is so dangerous!"

"Danger! This girl is extremely dangerous!"

"I have to pray to god cause, I know how lust can blind."

"I can only pray to God, because I know how greed can cloud the mind."

"It's a passion in my soul."

"There is an impulse hidden in my soul."

"But you're no damn lover friend of mine."

"But you are definitely not my lover, much less my friend."

Singing and dancing, Mike was like a king, leading his guards on a tour.

One moment it's a movement so subtle you can't tell the main action from the secondary one without looking closely, and the next it's a twisting motion with a clear distinction between the main and secondary actions and sharp, angular movements.

With the brim of her hat pulled down, Mai Kou's feet moved like butterflies flitting among flowers, moving back, forth, left, and right at an extremely fast speed.

This kind of dance move puts a lot of strain on the ankles, and most people can't do it as naturally and flexibly as he does.

"His rhythm has changed again; what an amazing ability to adjust."

"It's not just impressive; fast and slow, movement and stillness, oblique and straight, intense and gentle—all the elements in his performance quickly move toward their opposites and then quickly return to themselves."

"This dance is absolutely breathtaking; is this the king who conquered the world?"

"Nicholas, compared to Jackson, we are still far behind."

"It's nothing. I don't plan to sing anymore. I'll focus on acting. Edison, you're a singer who can sing both songs and acting. Study hard."

"Fu Cheng, can you tell how many dance styles Michael Jackson's dance moves were incorporated into?"

Aaron Kwok shook his head: "We need to watch the replay; his interests are too broad."

"Honey, I feel like I've suddenly become a Michael Jackson fan! He sings so well, and his dancing is even cooler!"

"Sing better than me?" Wang Feng retorted.

"Yes, much better." Ge Huijie nodded.

"Old Cui, this song clearly incorporates rock elements."

Cui Jian nodded and said, "Michael Jackson is a top-notch music master. I've heard his songs. 'Beat It' and 'Give In To Me' blend rock and roll very well. Amazing!"

The singers and audience inside the venue were stunned by the performance, as were those outside.

From the moment the program list was announced, singers across China were paying attention and watching from their television sets, ready to witness the prowess of the world's pop king.

And now they have seen it, and from the moment they saw it, they can say nothing but admiration.

Click!

Click!

Amidst the sounds of shattering glass, each time Michael waved his hand, the backup dancers lying on the ground would suddenly lift their upper bodies.

The incredibly precise timing imbues the movements with power and impact.

The performance had now lasted for more than five minutes.

It's important to know that the Spring Festival Gala's program schedule is very tight; if one program is too long, the others have to be shortened.

For most singers, if it's a group performance, they can be given more time.

However, for solo performances, even 3 minutes is considered very lenient, let alone 5 minutes.

But after watching this show, I believe everyone will shut up.

Nobody complains that Michael Jordan takes up too much time; they just wish he could take up even more. It's a free, world-class performance, an unparalleled audio-visual feast—what more could you ask for?

Wow!

With a signature scream, all the backup dancers collapsed to the ground.

Only the king remained standing on the stage!

(End of this chapter)