Why bother writing songs? Fast forward to the "Don't Laugh Challenge"

Chapter 70 A Year Different from Previous Years

To be honest, this was indeed beyond Xia Shen's expectations.

Just as he, Zhou Yumeng, and Lao Chen had predicted, in their opinion, the most likely winners were "Wealth from All Directions/Cause and Effect" and "Great Ambitions".

This conclusion is based on the recent winners' chart of the Top Ten Golden Melody Awards, where traffic and popularity are currently the highest known reference standards for this award.

For several years now, viral internet hits have dominated the Top Ten Songs Awards.

Based on viewership, the most likely winners are indeed "Wealth from All Directions/Cause and Effect" and "Great Ambitions".

These three songs are currently experiencing explosive popularity, reaching an uncontrollable level. Moreover, they are not only popular domestically, but also internationally.

These three songs are indeed being listened to by foreigners, and they have swept through major nightclubs and clubs both domestically and internationally at an extremely rapid pace.

Moreover, it wasn't just one clip that went viral, but multiple clips that took turns becoming popular. Today it's this clip that's trending, and tomorrow it's another clip.

Dances based on the three songs have also become very popular, with various original choreography by foreign bloggers, as well as the dance version of "Great Ambitions" by Zheng Xingqi and his dance troupe, which has also spread overseas.

This is the current state of these three songs: their reputations are extremely polarized. People who like them really like them, while those who don't like them, or those who don't listen to rap, just don't like them at all.

It can be said that it has received both praise and criticism, and is extremely controversial.

But no matter how controversial it is, traffic is traffic. If we look at the awarding status of the Top Ten Golden Songs Awards over the past five years, the final result will only come from these three songs, there's no escaping it.

Even though Xia Shen considers "Nocturne" to be his favorite single on the entire album.

In fact, this song shouldn't even be on this album. It's different from the album's basic concept and theme. It's a pure gothic rap song that incorporates elements of Baroque music and makes extensive use of classical marching.

The style and song setting are very bold and innovative, but they don't quite fit with the other singles in some ways. He included this song purely to promote his own interests.

Of course, another idea is to use it as a test. Since we already have hit songs and technical skills, adding an experimental, high-potential single can raise the album's ceiling and conduct a depth test.

Of course, the final result was not ideal. Among the songs on the album, the traffic performance of "Nocturne" was only average. It was not low, but it was definitely not high either. It was even lower than "Compendium of Materia Medica", which was popularized by aerobics.

However, what Xia Shen didn't know was that the chief of the organizing committee, who was in the leadership position at that moment, was looking at Xia Shen's seat with a gratified expression.

He also applauded sincerely.

Finally, his long-awaited day has come!
God knows how they've managed to get by these past few years!
As the only one of the three major awards to be drawn once a year, instead of once every two or four years, can you imagine the pressure they endure?
Is it because these past few years they've only focused on popularity and don't want to give awards to good works with technical merit?

No, that's not it! It's just that the market has changed subtly. In recent years, the works that have entered the public eye have all been the same old things.

It's not that they want to choose hit songs, or that they only care about viewership; it's that those are the only choices they have.

What choice do they have? There's nothing we can do about it.

They had heard some complaints from netizens before, and one year they gave the award to some low-traffic but technically impressive works.

But what I got in return was a completely different story.

They either say, "Who is this?" or "Never heard of him, how could he win an award?"
The same group of people are unhappy again.

Therefore, traffic volume becomes a key evaluation criterion at this point.

This is essentially what the Golden Melody Awards are all about. Only works that truly meet the requirements, possessing both popularity and technical skill, can win awards.

Otherwise, having traffic without technical ability doesn't make it a hit song.

Technical skill alone, without widespread appeal, cannot make a hit song. But in this fast-paced era, how easy is it to create a work that meets this requirement?

Public patience is dwindling; they've had no choice in recent years.

This has led to some misunderstandings among the public, who believe that they have changed their original intentions.

But this year, everything has changed.

This year is different from previous years; the music scene as a whole is showing signs of recovery and revival.

First, there was the emergence of the energetic new singer Zhou Yumeng, who won the national music variety show championship in one fell swoop. Later, she participated in the original soundtrack production of the hit drama King, which can be said to be a peak from the very beginning.

After several years of silence, the former top idol, who had transformed into a powerful singer, returned to the scene. He took the route of strength, and his pure soul music broke the stereotypes that had attached him to him, and he went international.

Of course, most importantly, according to insiders, both of these people are related to the most crucial person, and their connections match up.

That is, Xia Shen!

To outsiders, he might seem like a lowbrow musician or a tacky, unsophisticated singer.

However, with a little patience and a deeper understanding, it's not hard to discover that this is truly a treasure trove of a producer with immense potential waiting to be unearthed.

However, he seems to be in a situation that is not very favorable to him.

But it doesn't matter. He believes that a genius producer like him will definitely be able to forge his own path in the future.

Take this year's Golden Melody Awards as an example. Truly talented people, no matter how much controversy surrounds them, will always find a way to break free one day.

If it weren't for "Nocturne", this award would indeed have gone to "The Great Ambitions".

But when you hear "Nocturne," there's nothing more to say.

This time, the audience erupted in applause.

"Xia Shen! Xia Shen! Xia Shen!"

Even the viewers in the live stream who had originally planned to protest were speechless at this moment.

Instead, a barrage of comments appeared.

"If it's this one, I don't think there's a problem."

“I’m a listener of rap, and I think it’s okay. Although it’s logical for ‘Great Ambitions’ and ‘Wealth from All Directions/Cause and Effect’ to win awards because these three songs are technically very strong, ‘Nocturne’ is a single that combines technical skill with a good listening experience and catchiness. It’s a single that has both.”

"Oh no, someone has discovered my treasure playlist, this song is going to be a hit."

"I hope this song won't be targeted and turned into a DJ version, and then used for something borderline, otherwise it won't escape being criticized."

"This song won't work, the key of gothic rap is not suitable for that kind of 'boom boom' adaptation."

"I hope so."

"The gem of a song I've been listening to for ages has finally become a hit!"

After Xia Shen went on stage to receive the trophy, the news of his award spread quickly and became a trending topic, triggering a series of chain reactions. The song "Nocturne" finally became a hit after being awarded the prize, and people's opinions of Xia Shen began to subtly change.
(End of this chapter)