Are you trying to force me to become a star?

Chapter 122: The Next Xu Jinyan?

"You are in the bright sunshine of the South, while snow is falling heavily."

"I live in the cold nights of the North, where it feels like spring all year round."

"..."

"South of the Southern Mountain, autumn's sorrow lingers in the north."

"There are haystacks on Nanshan Mountain"

"South of the mountain, north of the sea."

There are tombstones in Beihai Park.

"..."

"Maddy's final score: 95 points."

……

Inside the office, Academic Affairs Director Liu Jian handed a report to the Dean:

"The semi-finals of the 2016 'Heavenly Voices, Soulmates' Campus Singer Competition have concluded. The competition was held at the Southwest University for Nationalities."

"The competition format is the same as last year, and the semi-finals also require original songs."

"Among them, Ma Di from the Beijing Film Academy won the highest score of the night with his folk song 'Nanshan Nan'."

"The lyrics leave a poetic blank space, like fragments of a prose story; the melody is cool and restrained, creating a full sense of atmosphere."

"One of the judges, Tian Xiwei, bluntly stated: This song, 'Nanshan Nan,' reminds me of last year's 'Anhe Bridge.'"

"Many people share similar feelings: the same background, the same folk songs, the same restraint and regret... This makes us realize that the new generation of young people may soon become the backbone of the Chinese music scene."

"Is the Chinese music scene about to see another Xu Jinyan?"

Let's look forward to it together!

Seeing that the dean had finished reading, Liu Jian said happily, "Dean, our college has really made a name for itself this time."

After last year's competition, they were under a lot of pressure, mainly because the most outstanding Xu Jinyan and Hua Chenyu were both from Dongxi.

Actually, Dong-Dai has always been the strongest in terms of music, so this is not unacceptable.

But then, Tian Xiwei and Zhang Bichen achieved success one after another, leaving Meng Wen "all alone".

Four out of the five successful individuals came from three different schools, putting increasing pressure on the Beijing Film Academy.

He laughed and said, "Nanshan Nan also made it into the Zhiyin recommendation column, just like Anhe Bridge did back then. Both songs are folk songs."

"What's even more coincidental is that Xu Jinyan is a local from Zhonghai, and Ma Di is also a kid from Beijing."

"Many people are saying that Ma Di will be the next Xu Jinyan..."

Dean Gao nodded and affirmed, "Director Liu, the previous school preliminary rounds were well arranged."

This year, they placed greater emphasis on original songs during the preliminary rounds; otherwise, if it were just a matter of singing ability, how could Madi possibly have gotten a chance?

Liu Jian: "Actually, everyone is doing this, but only the Folk Art Academy had two spots, so they added a student with top singing skills."

"However, this student named Shan Yichun does have a good voice, somewhat similar to Tian Xiwei from last year."

He suddenly laughed as he spoke: "Ma Di looks like Xu Jinyan, and Shan Yichun looks like Tian Xiwei. What a coincidence that this year is so similar to last year!"

Upon hearing this, Dean Gao couldn't help but ask, "Director Liu, do you really think Ma Di will be the next Xu Jinyan?"

Liu Jian paused, gave an awkward smile, and said nothing more.

Dean Gao put down his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, and let out a heavy sigh: "Xu Jinyan..."

"I've spent half my life in the music industry, and I've never seen anyone like Xu Jinyan...a genius of unparalleled talent."

"Putting aside the chart data, in just one year since his debut, he has swept across all genres including folk, martial arts, epic, traditional Chinese style, pop, film and television OSTs, and rap."

"We always say that top-notch creations require the sedimentation of time and the enrichment of experience. But what about him...?"

"He's a born musician, a figure who will influence an era!"

"It's a pity they're not from Beijing Film Academy..."

Liu Jian listened to Dean Gao's evaluation in disbelief, feeling a chill run down his spine. "Xu Jinyan is very capable, but surely not to this extent?"

Dean Gao chuckled. Liu Jian was more of a management type, so it was normal that he didn't understand.

A flash of recollection crossed his eyes; it was the annual art creation work conference jointly convened by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Publicity Department not long ago, which summarized the art work of 2015.

One name that cannot be ignored is Xu Jinyan.

The problems of fragmented music scene, niche folk music, and homogenization of songs seem to completely disappear in him. Moreover, he has bridged the gap between academic professional creation and mass market aesthetics.

His works, especially those rooted in local culture and including Cantonese songs, are even more admirable.

In short, Xu Jinyan's sudden emergence in 2015 was like a shot in the arm, proving the initial success of cultural and entertainment reforms and giving them more confidence in the future development of the cultural and entertainment industry.

……

……

"This year's singers are all so talented!"

Hearing Tian Xiwei's voice on the video call, Xu Jinyan teased, "I heard that little Tian saw someone and thought of me?"

"Hehehe..." Oda made a face, "Is someone worried about being overtaken by their junior?"

Xu Jinyan said innocently, "Where did this junior come from? We both graduated this year, we're seniors!"

Xiao Tian's already large eyes widened angrily: "Who are you calling 'senior sister'?"

"Teacher Tian, ​​Teacher Tian, ​​is that enough?"

"snort!"

Xu Jinyan asked curiously, "Teacher Tian, ​​how was it feeling sitting on the judging panel with Teacher Wang?"

The person Canglan sent this time... that's right, it's Wang Fan.

When Xiaotian heard his question, he chuckled: "He didn't say a word to me the whole time. Maybe he felt it was beneath him to be on equal footing with me."

"But I ignored him. Besides, this is my alma mater!"

The host even asked him: "What did you think of Teacher Tian's comments just now?"

"As a result, he had no choice but to address her as 'Teacher Tian,' and he did so with obvious reluctance."

Xu Jinyan frowned and said, "You should be more polite when you see Teacher Wang. How can you not say anything? Remember to say hello for me next time you meet!"

"Hahaha... never mind."

"I heard he went to hospitals all over the country recently; I'm afraid it might have driven him crazy!"

After laughing for a while, she repeated, "I don't know if you watched the semi-finals the other day? The contestants this year were indeed quite strong."

Hsu Chin-yen: "Of course I watched it. I watch all the shows with you on them."

Xiao Tian gave him a little "mua" and asked, "So, what do you think of this year's class compared to ours?"

Xu Jinyan smiled knowingly: "If I hadn't been in last year's competition, it would have been really hard to tell who would win."

Tian Xiwei's eyes widened: "You think highly of these people?"

Xu Jinyan didn't answer, but instead asked, "Who do you think will be this year's champion?"

Xiaotian was initially quite certain, but after hearing what he said, she hesitated.

"It'll probably be Maddie, he really looks a lot like you last year."

Xu Jin remained silent.

"If it weren't for... Liang Bo? His original song is also quite good."

"Michelle Ye?"

"It can't just be one-dimensional, can it? Her original works are pretty average, about the same as mine!"

"Don't tell me you approve of that Lu Ren?!"

Xu Jinyan: "It can't be Lu Ren; that name doesn't sound like a champion's name at all!"

"The format is the same as last year; the semi-finals only account for 30% of the total score. How do you know if anyone has a trump card up their sleeve for the finals?"