The production team spared no expense this time, hiring the best hosts in the country and creating a stunning stage design. The contestants' costumes and props also saw a noticeable improvement in quality.
They pulled out all the stops in their very first show.
It's less of a song and dance performance and more of a stage play.
In addition to the twenty finalists, the eighty previously eliminated contestants also participated. As the music started, a girl appeared on camera stretching, her hair was messy, and she was wearing black-rimmed glasses that covered most of her face.
She walked onto the stage somewhat bewildered, and then several contestants dressed in the same outfits walked out and chatted with each other. They stood next to her, seemingly offering her advice. Then, one of the girls had a sudden inspiration, took out a large black cloth, and they used it to cover the girl up.
Soon, a gust of wind seemed to blow across the stage, removing the black cloth and revealing the girl who had already changed her clothes.
She had taken off her black-rimmed glasses, tied her hair up, and even changed into the same style of clothes. She seemed quite surprised by her own transformation.
Then the music changed, and several girls stood together and started dancing in unison.
Many viewers immediately remembered that these were the contestants from the first group to perform in the first episode of "Everybody's Idol".
As they danced, many girls gathered from all directions, all wearing the same clothes they wore on the first day of filming.
The music gradually changed to the theme song of "Everybody's Idol" without anyone noticing. The girls gradually formed a formation and danced in unison. This dance reminded the audience of the girls who moved them during the first performance.
The girls danced very seriously. Attentive viewers noticed that they were even more skilled and synchronized than during their first performance, which means that even though they were eliminated, these girls did not give up.
As the music suddenly changed pitch, the girls quickly scattered to both sides, revealing the twenty contestants in uniforms behind them.
They were treated like royalty, their neat uniforms and clean, efficient movements bringing even more surprises to the audience, even though they had seen the theme song performance many times before.
After the first program ended, the audience was still eager for more and looked forward to the following programs even more.
The host then came on stage, and his and his partner's witty banter quickly captured the audience's attention. Only then did the host smile and invite all the mentors to the stage.
To the audience's surprise, the mentors weren't just making a brief appearance; they all brought their own shows with them.
Anna's captivating dance instantly ignited the crowd's enthusiasm. She then pulled Qiu Jie out from the sidelines, and their dance battle sent the screams from the audience into a frenzy.
The third mentor took over Tang Ruoyi's position. Although he wasn't as famous as them, his performance was unexpectedly electrifying.
Ye Cang hasn't even appeared yet, but the anticipation at the scene has already reached its peak.
However, Ye Cang did not disappoint. There were no sexy and passionate backup dancers, no dazzling lights. He was alone with a guitar, but this simple scene became extraordinary under his singing.
What's even more surprising is that this time he didn't sing his signature song, but a new song he wrote specifically for "National Idol".
Many people questioned why Ye Cang, with his talent, would get involved in an idol talent show like "Everybody's Idol." Rock and idols are practically opposite extremes, and some radical fans even cursed Ye Cang for losing the soul of rock and becoming a lackey of internet fame. Although Ye Cang showcased musical talents beyond rock on the show, many still felt he had fallen from grace, and this was one of the rumors spread against Xia Shiyu later.
Ye Cang has never explained anything until now.
He chose to answer them with this song.
In Ye Cang's eyes, there has never been a distinction between high and low, noble and base on the stage. Whether it is rock, opera or pop music, they are just different forms of musical expression. Good music can reach all, and as a musician, one should not confine oneself to a small circle. Learning to appreciate is the first step in writing good music.
Sitting in the audience, Shen Huai looked at the stage with a focus and tenderness he himself was unaware of. He seemed to have returned to the scene when he first saw Ye Cang perform live.
On a stage filled with "idols," in Shen Huai's heart, Ye Cang was the one who truly deserved the title.
-
The performances by the mentors raised the temperature in the room by several degrees. Meanwhile, information about "Everybody's Idol" was exploding on various social media platforms. The live streaming platform almost crashed several times, but was saved by the programmers who were already on high alert.
At this point, the barrage of comments had become so numerous that it completely covered the screen.
【Aaaaaaah! I screamed so loudly that everyone in my neighborhood has to wear hearing aids!】
The mentors were the MVPs tonight!! I'm a mentor fan today!!
[I thought I had fallen for someone else! But Cangcang pulled me back!! Aww, Cangcang, Mommy loves you!!]
[Let the mentors debut in the center position!!!]
I'm both excited and worried. The mentors' performances were so excellent, the girls must be under a lot of pressure.
That's enough, those two shows alone are worth the ticket price!
[I envy the ladies there!]
The host, unhurried and with a mysterious smile, said, "In the 'National Idol' competition, our girls always appear as a team, or occasionally as a couple."
His words immediately elicited knowing laughter from the audience, and the atmosphere eased.
The host then continued, "Next, the ladies will showcase their most charming side through solo performances. Are you looking forward to it?"
As the crowd chanted "Looking forward!" in unison, the lights went out.
In all the competitions of "Everybody's Idol", except for the first episode where the contestants had individual performances, they all appeared in the form of groups afterward. For the sake of the overall team, they all more or less concealed their own brilliance. Now, this is the best stage for them to showcase themselves.
The dancers' superb dance skills and the vocalists' moving voices complemented each other on stage. In just two minutes, they showcased their best qualities, igniting wave after wave of enthusiasm from the audience.
The order of appearance in this section is the reverse of the contestants' rankings from the previous episode.
Wang Can was second to last, while Xia Shiyu was last.
Previously, viewers would have been eagerly anticipating their performance, and many even shipped Xia and Wang because of their previous work on "Sinking." However, due to the events that occurred online, many viewers have mixed feelings, and a number of Wang Can's haters have already started spamming her with derogatory nicknames in the live stream chat.
However, Wang Can was not disturbed by anyone. She stood on the stage with a calm expression, thinking of what Xia Shiyu had told her before.
This is where she should prove herself; she deserves this position and the support and love of those who admire her.
The surrounding lights went completely dark, with only a beam of light falling on Wang Can's head. With each heavy drumbeat, Wang Can's body seemed to awaken little by little. Her gaze was calm yet mad, like magma that had been suppressed for a long time and was about to erupt.
At that moment, Wang Can completely forgot about the rankings and the rumors circulating online. All that remained in her mind was this dance and the stage she loved.
Xia Shiyu stood at the edge of the stage, her eyes following Wang Can's every move. A gratified smile appeared on her face as she silently applauded for Wang Can.
This scene was faithfully transmitted to the screen by the passing live camera.
Although it was dark and the scene was fleeting, Xia Shiyu's sincere smile and her silent applause for her opponent stunned many people.
In this matter, no one was more qualified than Xia Shiyu to condemn Yingyuan Company and Wang Can, but not only did she not do so, she also applauded the excellent performance of her opponent.
This made many who blindly followed the trend of criticizing feel ashamed and fall into deep thought.
The attacks on Wang Can in the comments section have decreased significantly. Many of Wang Can's fans have been under tremendous pressure these days, just like Wang Can. When they see Wang Can's strong performance on stage, it's like they're encouraged and become stronger as well. But when they see Xia Shiyu applauding for Wang Can, all their strength crumbles.
[Waaaaah, thank you Xiaxia, thank you so much!]
Xiaxia also experienced cyberbullying, so she probably empathizes with everything Cancan is going through now. Although Cancan has encountered a lot of bad things on this show, I think it's her greatest fortune to have such a friendship.
[Chanchan is an angel! Xiaxia is an angel too! Angels will surely be happy.]
[Lock Xia Wang up! I threw the key and the trashy British dollars into the sea!!!]
[I didn't cry when Can Can was misunderstood before, I didn't cry when I lost an online argument with the haters, and I didn't cry when I was ridiculed by other girls' fans. But I really cried just now. Thank you Can Can and Xia Xia for showing me the most heartwarming scene this winter.]
No one expected that Wang Can's reputation, which had been tarnished to the bottom of the pot, would gradually return because of Xia Shiyu's actions.
When Wang Can finished her performance, she seemed to have let go of all her burdens. She smiled at Xia Shiyu, and Xia Shiyu returned the smile and gave her a thumbs up.
If it weren't for that previous scene, many people might have thought it was all an act. But now, in the eyes of the audience, this is evidence of the two people who are both rivals and friends, and who respect each other.
As a result, the hashtag #XiaWang'sBeautifulFriendship# quickly became a trending topic.
Just as netizens were shedding tears for the beautiful friendship, Xia Shiyu had already composed himself and stood in the center of the stage.
However, when the intro started, all the audience members were stunned.
"Is this rock and roll?!"
☆, Chapter 170
In the eyes of all viewers, Xia Shiyu has always been a well-behaved and strong person. Since her reappearance in front of the audience, despite suffering from cyberbullying for so long, she has maintained a cheerful demeanor and a touch of down-to-earth silliness, which makes people like this girl even more.
Until "Sinking" came out of nowhere, she personally tore off the labels that the outside world had put on her.
She is not only a fairy who can sing tender love songs, but also a domineering and independent woman with superb dance skills. She is not a stereotypical "persona" in the eyes of outsiders; she is the one and only Xia Shiyu.
After her resurrection, Xia Shiyu has gradually broken free from her former constraints and has begun to try all sorts of things.
Singing rock music was her obsession when she was still Tang Wanjun.
Tang Wanjun was never a well-behaved girl growing up, but unfortunately, in order to maintain her image as the "Queen of Love Songs," the company dared not take such a risk and thus suppressed her interests.
For Tang Wan-jun at the time, her boldest attempt was singing a duet with Ye Cang. At the time, such a crossover collaboration was very novel, and the response was not very good. However, no one expected that many years later, their collaboration would become an indelible classic in the music scene.
This obsession, she carried from Tang Wanjun to Xia Shiyu.
Although she has done many things that have broken through her own limits, she has never had the opportunity to realize this biggest obsession.
Therefore, when the production team asked them what they wanted to perform for their solo performances in the final competition, Xia Shiyu immediately thought of this, and she even had a song in mind.
The song titled "Not Me" is a timeless classic in the rock scene.
Tang Wanjun loves this song. Whenever she's in a bad mood, she listens to it to remind herself not to lose sight of her true self amidst the flowers and applause.
The production team did not expect Xia Shiyu to bring out such a subversive work in the last episode. After all, there are countless people who have covered the classic "Fei Wo". Lu Yang once sang this song at a concert. Its status in the rock circle is comparable to "Xia Chong".
However, Xia Shiyu insisted. Ye Cang understood why she chose this song, since the lyrics were a perfect reflection of Tang Wanjun's past.
With Ye Cang's support, the production team had no choice but to agree.
However, Xia Shiyu's appearance on the stage still raised doubts among many people.
Can she really sing rock?
-
Xia Shiyu stood in the center of the stage, slowly closed her eyes, her mind was free of all distractions. As the loud drumbeats began, she opened her eyes.
Her voice abandoned the gentleness she used when singing love songs, and also abandoned the singing techniques she had developed over the years; she carried an indomitable courage.
She asked herself, "Who am I? Who should I be?"
Standing on the most bustling stage in Hong Kong, watching everyone scream and swoon over her, she asked herself a question.
Later, she was murdered by her closest relatives. She watched coldly as her family members shed hypocritical tears, while her fans, whom she didn't know, genuinely grieved for her. She asked herself these questions.
After being resurrected, she took over Xia Shiyu's life and, seeing the injustices she had experienced, felt almost as if she were experiencing them herself. At that moment, she also asked herself some questions.
But as she experienced stage performances time and time again, she came to understand.
Now, she chooses to sing this song as an answer to her past self and as a final farewell to her former self.
It is also a warning to these girls who are about to enter the glamorous and decadent entertainment industry.
No one is more suitable to sing this song than Tang Wanjun.