The popularity of Ting Yu continued to soar.
Many professionals noticed that the ancient-style songs he released seemed to possess subtle, interconnected threads.
The day after the competition concluded, the judge Jiang Qian suddenly published a song analysis spanning tens of thousands of words.
She meticulously categorized and explained Ting Yu's three top-tier ancient-style songs.
The most astonishing aspect was the seemingly coincidental yet deliberate connections between the three songs.
The lyrics of "Blue and White Porcelain" featured the repetition of "three": "Banyan leaves outside the curtain invite the sudden rain, the door knocker invites verdigris, and I, passing through that Jiangnan town, invited you."
The lyrics of "Lanting Xu" contained "three grievances": "My heart's secrets are tightly stitched into embroidered shoes, each stitch a resentment; if flowers resent butterflies, who would you resent?"
And the latest, "Fireworks Cool Down," had lyrics with "three waits": "Allow me to wait for history to turn, wait for the wine to mature, wait for you to play a guqin piece."
Whether this was a coincidence, Jiang Qian herself did not know, but it was not important.
The purpose of interpretation was to discover astounding elements, so even if it was a coincidence, it was an incredibly striking one.
Coupled with the quality of these three songs, Ting Yu’s position in the ancient-style genre became untouchable!
"I must say, Ting Yu has reached the pinnacle of ancient-style music."
"I proclaim Ting Yu as the number one in ancient-style music!"
"The more you study these three songs, the more flavor they reveal!"
"This is textbook-level lyricism and composition, and when paired with Ting Yu's singing style..."
Three songs, three love stories.
While similar in style, they were also distinct.
"Blue and White Porcelain" had a gentle melody and a lighter, more upbeat style.
The story in "Lanting Xu" was more sorrowful, even incorporating a Peking Opera-style rap, which was truly stunning.
Then came "Fireworks Cool Down," where the entire song adopted a melancholic tone, with an even stronger sense of poignant beauty. It still featured Ting Yu's signature rap style, adding a strong personal touch that was impossible for others to imitate.
In addition to Jiang Qian,
Another "Song God," Mo Yan, also posted, simultaneously forwarding and pinning Ting Yu's three songs.
He then accompanied it with the caption: "These three songs are more than enough to be considered the ceiling of the ancient-style genre. I believe that for a long time, the Chinese music scene will not produce songs that surpass these three."
The high praise from these two top figures in music production
Earned them the netizens' title of the strongest "Yu fans."
"I can still understand why Teacher Jiang Qian would do this, but isn't Teacher Mo Yan afraid of upsetting Shen Jinghong? His own disciple just lost to Ting Yu, and he's already praising him like this..."
"Haha, you still don't know Teacher Mo Yan's style? He set up his disciple before the competition."
"Why do I feel a bit sorry for Shen Jinghong? His skills are actually not weak, it's just that he encountered Ting Yu."
"If it weren't for Ting Yu, he would probably be a Song God, and he might have successfully played the 'underdog' card."
"Shen Jinghong is truly unlucky. Not only did he lose the competition, got force-fed dog food, but he was also stabbed in the back by his master..."
"I want to write the word 'tragic' on his thigh..."
At this moment,
While everyone was praising Ting Yu,
The most deeply affected was Ting Yu's rival, Shen Jinghong.
Not only did he take second place, but his fans had also defected, and even his own master was praising Ting Yu.
Truly tragic!
...
Jingdu.
A classical-style studio.
Song God Mo Yan was brewing clear tea.
The room was filled with the aroma of tea.
And the million-dollar sound system was playing "Fireworks Cool Down."
Mo Yan would occasionally let out exclamations of admiration.
The arrangement of this song was unique in the ancient-style genre.
He was deeply impressed that Western instruments could be used to interpret ancient-style music so effectively.
"Teacher!!!"
Just then,
Shen Jinghong burst through the door, his voice tinged with tears.
Mo Yan was startled.
He quickly turned off the sound system.
But it was already too late.
Upon hearing "Fireworks Cool Down," Shen Jinghong's entire face fell, his eyes filled with infinite melancholy.
"Teacher, can you stop praising others and comfort me a bit?"
He walked to the cushion in front of Mo Yan, sat down, and said softly.
He held Mo Yan in great respect.
He would never get angry with him.
"Good disciple, don't get upset, come have some tea." Mo Yan smiled and poured a cup of clear tea, handing it to him.
Shen Jinghong received it with both hands and took a sip.
He still looked disgruntled.
"Your performance in the finals was very good. The quality of your song was already very high. As your master, I am very pleased." Mo Yan shook his head upon seeing this and then patted his shoulder gently.
Hearing this, Shen Jinghong's face instantly lit up: "Really? Actually, I could have done even better."
Mo Yan nodded: "Keep it up. Although it's second place, I am very satisfied with your results."
Shen Jinghong was touched: "Thank you, teacher. I will continue to work hard!"
After saying that, Shen Jinghong was as happy as a child.
In his heart, his teacher's praise and recognition were more important than anything else.
After sipping his tea, he suddenly asked Mo Yan, "Teacher, are you going to be a judge for 'Masked Singer'?"
"That's right," Mo Yan nodded.
In fact, his participation as a judge was merely a formality.
The other judge was the "Song God" Qin Yuesheng.
He was the main commentator.
After all, "Masked Singer" and the City Competition had different focuses. "Masked Singer" leaned more towards vocal ability, while the City Competition focused on the quality of song production.
Therefore, his role there was auxiliary.
"Teacher, I registered as soon as last season ended, and the program team approved me." Shen Jinghong chuckled.
Mo Yan was taken aback: "You want to participate in 'Masked Singer'? After taking second place in the City Competition, you want to regain your standing on the 'Masked Singer' stage?"
Shen Jinghong sipped his tea, smacked his lips, and chuckled: "I didn't sing any flashy songs in the City Competition, and the finals' ancient-style piece was more about emotion. I plan to have some fun on 'Singer,' and since it's masked, no one will know who I am."
"Are you telling me this because you want me to pull strings for you?" Mo Yan asked with a smile.
Shen Jinghong waved his hands repeatedly: "Of course not. And I won't tell you who I am. This time I'm going to change my singing style and timbre. Even you won't be able to recognize me then. Besides, I didn't showcase much of my vocal skill in the City Competition, so no one can guess my identity."
Mo Yan looked at his silly disciple, not knowing what to say for a moment. He patted Shen Jinghong's head and smiled: "You really do love to play the underdog... Alright, keep it up!"
"Just watch me!" Shen Jinghong put down his teacup, his face full of confidence.
Mo Yan sighed inwardly.
Silly disciple, why would you want to go to 'Masked Singer' for no reason?
Competing against a group of top singers, can you win?
Shen Jinghong seemed to sense his thoughts and didn't explain further, but he felt incredibly excited internally. When his vocal prowess shocked everyone, even his master, and then he revealed his identity during the unmasking, the feeling alone was exhilarating to imagine!
...