FWTS Chapter 126: Backstage of the Evening Party

The medley performance by Shi Shiwu and Hou Muyun lasted for nearly seven minutes, encompassing a total of 15 songs. Each transition between songs was seamless, so natural that one could easily mistake it for the original arrangement. This left many people on edge.

This type of "medley" performance was not pioneered by Hou Muyun and Shi Shiwu. While they may not have had the highest number of songs in their medley, the precision of their transitions and the completeness of their arrangements were second to none.

Moreover, both of their vocal abilities were exceptional. They not only made the audience feel entertained and excited but also allowed them to genuinely appreciate the beauty of the music. It wasn't just about stringing songs together for the sake of it.

By the time they reached the midpoint of their performance, the atmosphere in the venue was electric. Each transition into a new song was met with cheers and applause from the audience, both in the venue and watching the live broadcast.

"Can you believe they managed to string together so many songs with different styles so seamlessly? It's incredible!"

"The transitions are so smooth. At the beginning, I thought they were singing the original songs!"

"It wasn't until the fourth song that I realized what they were doing. These two are amazing!"

"Their arrangement style reminds me of Master Yin, the music tailor!"

"Haha, indeed! Both Master Yin and Monkey love using 'take me under your wing.' They're both seasoned pros!"

"Speaking of seasoned pros, I have to give props to Wang Han. His 'one hot dish' joke had me laughing for a year."

"To be honest, I think the classical poems Monkey recited during his livestream yesterday were better than these songs. It's a shame he's not performing those."

"I agree, classical poems are great, but, well, the production team probably didn't want to or Monkey didn't feel his songs were mature enough."

"Don't be too hard on Monkey. If he performed those classical poems, someone would definitely criticize him for disrespecting our ancestors' legacy!"

"I really hope Monkey becomes even more famous. Then, when he performs those classical poems, people will have to admit it's art!"

"...Is this 'Little Dimples'? Isn't this a love duet?"

"I knew it! How could Monkey and Shi Shiwu team up without selling some BL vibes!"

"So passionate! No, it's more like BL vibes!"

"Wow, they're really forcing a CP relationship here!"

"But actually, Monkey is quite manly!"

"Uh, so he's the 'top'?"

"...I'm speechless! I just want to know how many fujoshi are lurking in this livestream chatroom!"

"Who's lurking? We proudly formed the 'Roaring Lion' official fan club!"

"Are you sure it's 'Roaring Lion' and not 'After the Fact Bow' or 'It's a Harem'?"

"Is the 'bow' the kind where the conqueror forcefully takes what he wants?"

"Damn, you guys are perverted geniuses!"

The medley performance concluded, and the host took the stage to interview Shi Shiwu and Hou Muyun—mostly focusing on Shi Shiwu—and interact with the audience. Then, Hou Muyun began his solo performance.

The song was "My Sky". Although Hou Muyun wanted to sing something else, he ultimately listened to the advice of Shi Shiwu and others. A stage as good as this naturally required more exposure for new songs.

However, this time, the performance was not the original version, nor the more popular rock or folk versions, but a jazz rendition. It was Hou Muyun's first time publicly performing a jazz-style song, but he executed it very well, delivering an outstanding performance.

Jazz music was considered niche in China, and there were very few artists in the music industry who embraced this style. It's not that there weren't any good jazz performers, but they were definitely scarce. The complexity of jazz rhythms and the necessity for improvisation made it challenging.

Although the first point was difficult, the second point was even more so. Improvisation could either be restrained, failing to add that finishing touch, or excessive, ruining the song.

However, Hou Muyun demonstrated a high level of proficiency in both improvisational singing and playing. Throughout the song, he provided the audience with a unique and enjoyable experience, receiving a very positive response.

"This guy is truly extraordinary!"

After completing his performance, Shi Shiwu and others backstage were deeply impressed by Hou Muyun's rendition. Zhang Quan, who had a wide exposure to various music genres, shook his head repeatedly, marveling, "Not to mention the performance, but even the improvisational singing. This guy has set a benchmark for jazz musicians in China!"

Xiao Yu nodded, "I've seen many so-called jazz singers on music shows, but honestly, every time I hear someone claim that it's jazz, I want to go up and punch them. So many people use niche music styles to gain attention, even if it sounds terrible. The standard for any music genre, whether mainstream or niche, is simply whether it sounds good and has a sense of musical beauty. It's infuriating when people insist on blaming the genre for their own shortcomings!"

Zhang Fan added, "The most annoying thing is when a handful of people arrogantly claim to have superior taste in music and criticize those who find it unpleasant! Of course, there are genuine jazz singers out there, but they're few and far between!"

Shi Shiwu shrugged, "They say music knows no boundaries, but in reality, there's no clear distinction between mainstream and niche. Whether it's mainstream or niche, the key is whether it sounds good or not."

Xian Xian interjected, "We have to be careful not to come across as hypocritical. It's easy to criticize from the sidelines."

Everyone chuckled and dropped the topic.

After his performance, Hou Muyun took out his phone from Xiao Pang and went live. His live stream was originally connected to the live platform, with the screen facing the stage, and it was positioned quite close to the front. Now that Hou Muyun was live, the screen naturally disconnected for a moment, causing the fans in the live chat room to explode.

"All of them are seasoned pros! This operation is simply godlike!"

Hou Muyun chuckled as he held his phone, "It's rare that the organizers have loosened up. Today, I'll take you guys on a tour of the backstage of the concert. It's such a great opportunity, if I don't prank a few celebrities, I'd feel bad for you guys! Come on, let's all say hello to Fifteen, the two teachers Zhang, Xiao Longwang, Xian Xian, and Sister Ami! Let's go together!" 

Xiao Yu and the others all cheered and followed Hou Muyun: "Let's go, let's go!"


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