Chapter 149: The Album is About to Release

The first season of I Am A Singer concluded perfectly, crowned with glory and enveloped in a halo of acclaim.

Media outlets, internet users, and social commentators alike began to reminisce, or rather, to hold a farewell ceremony for the show.

A renowned social commentator wrote: "I Am A Singer is a remarkably creative variety show. After watching just the first episode, I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration—who knew variety shows could be produced like this? Of course, I Am A Singer is much more than just a variety show, as its creator and host, Ren Qian, stated. It is dedicated to making audiences love music more and understand music deeper. It strives to strip away the superficial glitz and let music return to its most pristine form. I Am A Singer has achieved that!"

A netizen shared: "I Am A Singer has accompanied me for three months. From watching the first episode alone to my whole family gathering around the screen for the second, the show brought too many breathtaking moments and too many memories. I remember Murong Xue’s self-titled song; it was transcendentally beautiful, and now I can sing the entire track by heart. I remember her rendition of When You Are Old, which brought tears streaming down my parents' faces. I remember the clash between idealism and reality in Hu Yanbin’s The Hills. Thank you, I Am A Singer, for accompanying me through this chapter of my life. Thank you, God Qian, for bringing us so much wonderful music."

Another netizen posted: "As the final episode of I Am A Singer drew to a close, my heart felt a strange sense of melancholy, coupled with a breath of relief. The melancholy stems from the question: when will we get to hear God Qian's music again? The relief comes from the thought that God Qian can finally rest. Three months! Writing an average of one song a day, while maintaining top-tier quality—just thinking about it makes one realize how immensely difficult it must have been."

Wangyi Entertainment Headline: [This is a path paved with thorns, yet it is also a road of glory.]

"As everyone knows, before I Am A Singer premiered, Ren Qian was at best a minor celebrity, having written a few songs and possessing a tiny fraction of fame. But that fame was notorious, largely because Wanfeng Records had always looked down on Ren Qian, even leading their fans in collective attacks against him. Fortunately, true talent is never buried. An innocent person who genuinely loves music will find that the whole world steps aside to clear his path. Thus, he brought I Am A Singer to the public. Right from the first episode of the first season, he utterly stunned everyone. Even now, many shopping malls across the Empire have these songs playing on an endless loop: East Wind Breaks, Chrysanthemum Terrace, Hidden Fragrance, Tomb of a Hundred Flowers, Murong Xue, and Water Town in a Dream. These six songs are undisputed as the most classic and most innovative traditional-style compositions in recent years. Blending Eastern and Western instruments with a unique arrangement, they left listeners in awe of this young man's musical mastery. He rescued the stagnant waters of the Empire's music scene, injecting it with a tremendous force of rebirth. He made singers, arrangers, and composers stop resting on their laurels, freeing them from the shackles of rigid formats, and inspiring them to innovate, pioneer, and arrange with bold imagination. It is no exaggeration to say that Ren Qian inaugurated a brand-new era in the Empire's music industry."

A die-hard fan of Ren Qian commented: "The more solitary a person is, the better they can hold their ground, advancing steadfastly toward their goal amidst universal condemnation. Just like the lyrics he wrote: let the world laugh or curse, live with carefree detachment. This is a state of mind, and isn't it also a form of supreme confidence and self-assurance? God Qian is a truly charismatic man. I will never regret believing in God Qian in this lifetime."

The official Weibo account of Jiangnan Television's I Am A Singer also posted: "Actually, every staff member and every singer wished that I Am A Singer didn't have to end... Here, we offer our apologies to the audiences across the country who placed such high hopes on the show. This was simply the planned format for the season; postponing it further made us worry that the quality might slip. Moreover, we believe that although I Am A Singer has come to an end, its spirit will be passed down. What we need is not merely a single program called I Am A Singer; rather, we need everyone's enduring passion and attention toward music.

To borrow a phrase from God Qian: I hope that wherever the sun shines, the best music can be heard. Finally, let us pay tribute to I Am A Singer, tribute to Ren Qian, tribute to the production crew, tribute to the singers, and tribute to the backing band and vocalists who accompanied every single episode. Thank you all. Because of you, the ratings miracle and massive social impact of I Am A Singer were made possible. Let us look forward to I Am A Singer next year. Until we meet again."

This Weibo post was widely reposted.

The conclusion of the first season of I Am A Singer also became one of the hottest topics of discussion everywhere, with conversations centered primarily on the brilliance of the show itself and the extraordinary talent of Ren Qian.

Meanwhile, other entertainment companies were discussing how to secure spots for their own artists on I Am A Singer when the second season launches—ideally lasting at least two competitions. After all, any singer with potential could leverage this show to double their market value and status. Any producer or manager with even a sliver of foresight could see the formidable star-making power of I Am A Singer.

Consequently, as soon as the show ended, Hong Tao, the person in charge of I Am A Singer at Jiangnan Television, was flooded with phone calls. They were all managers pushing their own artists, to the point where Hong Tao didn't even dare keep his phone turned on.

...

The joint concert tour of Father-in-Law and the Heavenly Queen had begun once again. This stop was at the Shanghai International Sports Center, a ninety-thousand-seat venue with an electric atmosphere.

For this concert, there were only a few new songs, but even by resting on their laurels, they still drove the audience to continuous screams—which is typically how standard concerts go anyway. They sang their older hits or performed covers, attempting to evoke different emotional shades.

Father-in-Law and the Heavenly Queen had a vast repertoire of songs; they didn't need Ren Qian to write new ones for them at all. Of course, while Ren Qian didn't need to write new songs, making an appearance was still mandatory.

Standing on stage amidst the still-fervent atmosphere, listening to the audience cheer for song after song, Ren Qian suddenly realized that he had already accumulated such a staggering number of musical works.

He began by singing A Book of Stones. The audience was immersed in the ethereal and illusory realm of the piece, feeling as though they were listening to celestial music.

Then, yielding to the demands of the audience, he performed Long Time No See.

'I came to your city...
Walked the paths you once traversed...
Imagining what days without me were like...
How lonely were you?'

They had only ever heard the CD version of this song; live performances were practically nonexistent. On one hand, Ren Qian rarely appeared on stage to perform, and on the other hand, when he did appear in front of the camera, it was as a host rather than a singer. Therefore, fans were exceptionally eager to hear Ren Qian sing live.

True to expectations, the very first line allowed them to experience what a formidable emotional rendering capability truly was. With a low, magnetic voice, technique that earned the admiration of professionals, and a melody saturated with emotion, every single breath seemed laden with hidden blades, stabbing straight into your heart until it bled.

'Holding the photograph you gave me...
That familiar street...
Only lacking your image in the frame...
We can never return to that day...'

In truth, after Long Time No See was released, there were many cover versions, but for some reason, they all lacked the magic that made fans want to put the song on endless repeat.

Now, Ren Qian showed everyone why.

Because this song could only be sung by him; his version seemed utterly unsurpassable. Unless you could find an entirely different way of interpreting it, you would forever remain merely a second-rate Ren Qian.

Listen closely, and you would discover that even his sighs were heavy with profound emotion, enough to bring tears to one's eyes.

'Will you suddenly appear...
At the coffee shop on the corner of the street...
I will carry a smiling face and greet you with a wave...
And sit down to chat with you...'

The mood grew desolate to the extreme. Under the delivery of Ren Qian's deep voice, the protagonist of the song walked aimlessly through the crowded streets, feeling lost and depressed, yet simultaneously harboring a flicker of hope. He yearned to turn a corner and encounter that once-familiar figure, instinctively imagining the sequence of events that would follow their reunion.

They would meet with calm composure—but was that truly how reality unfolded?

No. The greater the hope, the more profound the despair.

Ren Qian sang of hope, but what the audience felt was utter despair. This is precisely why the original artist remains the original artist.

For a moment, the audience was moved to tears.

...

"Next, let us invite Murong Xue to bring us the title track from her new album."

PS: There was an error last night, apologies.
Thank you for reading.
Still, piracy is truly disgusting—even this gets reported? (To be continued.)