HDIEUMDBTSB ## Chapter 20: All About Emotions
## Volume 1: The Road to Stardom
## Chapter 20: All About Emotions
Were the contestants in the lobby looking forward to it? Not really.
It wasn't personal. After Hou Yubin returned from the previous round, he did some research on Chu Zhi and learned about his background. Although "Learn ethics before art, act like a decent person before performing" is a saying, talent cannot be denied. The issue was that the second round was not about original songs; it was about "Desolate Island." The simpler the song, the more skill it requires, which is common knowledge.
Chu Zhi's skills...
That's what Lin Xia, Li Xingwei, and Zheng Yingying all thought.
Among the eyes in the lobby, only Heng Kouyi's were shining brightly. He was even a little excited because Chu was going to sing the same song as him.
Facing the audience once again, Chu Zhi realized one thing: the familiarity of the audience during rehearsals had no effect at this moment. Whether he was nervous or not, he could clearly feel that he was doing much better than last time because he had confidence this time.
As "Desolate Island" began to play, the light prelude seemed to be narrating someone else's emotions.
The sound of despair, at fifty percent intensity!
From the first note Chu Zhi sang, it was filled with storytelling, or more accurately, filled with incidents.
The initial soft narration of despair pulled the live audience and the contestants in the lobby into the song, and when the music director, Liang Pingbo, praised it as emotionally rich at ten percent, what did multiplying it by five mean?
"Desolate Island" was about the melancholy of meeting an ex-girlfriend in a foreign land. Heng Kouyi's adaptation was similar to a White Album insert song, both dealing with emotional entanglements. Chu Zhi's rendition completely depicted the feeling of being separated from his former girlfriend.
It felt like Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, or Romeo and Juliet, full of sadness and despair.
Evolved into Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, adding even more sadness on top of the sorrow.
One cannot be judged by their shortcomings. Chu Zhi's vocal habits, vocal placement, resonance, enunciation, and transition were all shortcomings, but his strength was his appearance and demeanor.
He simply gave up on technique, and when Chu Zhi reached the chorus, he even cracked his voice—
"[Going around in circles, gathering and parting, everyone knows you're in the south, and I'm in the north end. Suddenly looking back, I realize that I'm the only one who can't let go. I shouldn't expect you to have me in your future...]"
The crack in his voice on "I'm the only one who can't let go" didn't affect the integrity of the song at all; instead, it added a touch of desperate wailing to it.
With no resistance, the melody played by the bass and guitar was completely suppressed by the vocals. It was as if a mourner was singing, and the stage lights were also very appropriate, shining directly on Chu Zhi. His simple attire, pale complexion, and slightly blue lips made people couldn't help but feel sorry for him, with some female audience members even shedding tears.
After three minutes, the song ended, and the stage lights dimmed, leaving the entire venue silent.
After the last performance of "Whispers in the Wheat," it was beautiful and quiet, making people feel peaceful, so it was quiet. This time, it was as if a dark cloud of sadness and despair hung over the heads of the audience, leaving them speechless.
A few seconds later, there were faint sounds of sobbing from the audience area.
"Thank you to Music Director Liang Pingbo for the arrangement, and thank you to the band for their cooperation. Thank you," Chu Zhi thanked, then quickly left the stage.
Even so, the atmosphere was still gloomy. Host Gu Nanxi took half a minute longer than usual to come on stage.
"I'm not superficial, I just can't bear to see handsome guys suffering. How serious is Chu Zhi's emotional injury?" Gu Nanxi looked at Chu Zhi, pondering in his heart, but he didn't forget his duty as a host. "We thank contestant Chu Zhi for bringing us 'Desolate Island,' which is completely different from before."
His words dispersed the dark clouds, and the discussion in the audience area spread like wildfire—
"Really sad. At first, I was still laughing and didn't realize how serious it was."
"Never had my heartbroken a hundred times! It's not okay if it's even one time less!"
"All the hospitals in the world can't cure the steel wires... Chu Zhi's heartbreak."
"After listening, it feels like my heart has been emptied."
"I reckon Chu Zhi wasn't a scumbag, was he? Why is he so emotional? The change is too big, I can't accept it!"
There were even audience members in tears.
"No way? I cried listening to it. Will I look like an extra?" A crew-cut man saw his companion.
"It reminds me of my first love. Really heartbreaking. I can't even eat dinner tonight. If only my pride wasn't so strong back then." His companion quickly wiped away tears.
The vast majority of the audience who cried while listening to the song did so because the music brought back memories. The ultimate achievement of a song isn't about defeating anyone but about touching someone's heart.
Music director Liang Pingbo, who watched the entire performance, wanted to say something, but after listening to Chu's version of "Desolate Island," he couldn't find the words. After a long time, thousands of words turned into one sentence: "Perhaps my perspective is too narrow. Chu Zhi does indeed have ideas about music."
Backstage, in the lobby.
Yang Guiyun and the eliminated Wu Xi, like many, looked down on Chu Zhi as a fringe contestant. They both ranked second to last in the previous round. They exchanged glances with their music partners, puzzled. Could this young man deliver such a brilliant performance?
To be honest, this level of emotional investment, reflecting on their own twenty years of singing careers, seemed incomparable.
Lin Xia snapped back to reality and immediately signaled to the most skilled singer present, "What does Uncle Hou think?"
"It's all about emotions," Hou Yubin said with astonishment, not even bothering with idioms.
Fully understanding, Lin Xia knew what Uncle Hou meant by "it's all about emotions" and the lack of skill. Even cracking his voice during the performance, it was truly heartbreaking.
After a moment of rationalization, Hou Yubin commented, "Perhaps it's possible to set aside technique and entirely rely on emotion to drive a song. This approach may seem amateurish, but the result is a splendid performance for us."
Lost in thought, Lin Xia thought about how occasionally when he played games and was in the jungle role, he liked it when all his teammates died so he could charge in and clean up with lightning speed. Frankly speaking, having living teammates affected his output.
Turns out Chu Zhi was just like him. Being too famous affected his performance, and now that he's close to being obscure, one excellent performance after another is popping out.
"Although singers are diverse and each has their own strengths, I still wouldn't recommend this approach," warned Hou Yubin.
Who would use it anyway? Without abundant emotions, this singing style is a disaster, a major accident involving multiple rear-end collisions.
Could it be that he incorporated the feelings of being criticized by the entire internet into the song? Regardless, it's quite a skill.
Nevertheless, Li Xingwei himself couldn't integrate emotions into his singing. Despite his previous disregard, he thought that ignoring Chu Zhi's approach was wrong?
Of course not. Admitting someone else's strength is difficult, admitting one's own mistake is even harder. Both must be combined unless one is extremely rational. Otherwise, they'll only find reasons to convince themselves. Li Xingwei isn't an exceptionally rational person.
During the gap in everyone's reactions, the audience voting for Chu Zhi's "Desolate Island" reached 741 votes, currently the highest score of this round. "Clap, clap, clap!" Li Xingwei smiled and applauded, saying, "Chu Zhi's version of 'Desolate Island' is truly outstanding, filled with deep emotions! 741 votes are well-deserved."
Surpassing him, Li Xingwei wasn't intimidated at all. Can he sing with so much emotional investment every time?
His singing skills are truly lacking, worse than a four-dish and one-soup meal. Li Xingwei was even more convinced that his choice was correct. Next time, he'll challenge Chu Zhi with a hundred more votes.
"741 votes seems to be the best result of this season," Zheng Yingying said. "His voice's infectiousness is a bit exaggerated. Even backstage, I was affected, not to mention the live audience."
Music partner Zhang Yue, a veteran host on Mango TV who participated in four seasons of "I Am a Singer," estimated after a moment, "Mr. Chu's performance would have placed him in the top three on the show."
With that said, Zhang Yue translated it into Japanese and said to Heng Kouyi.
"Amazing, really amazing. Chu-san's version of 'Desolate Island' is more expressive and dynamic than mine. It's the third-highest score in the show's history. I believe the effort has paid off," Heng Kouyi clenched his fist, slightly slower in reaction due to the need for translation.
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