Chapter 153 The replacement singer's stunning performance

On Wednesday afternoon, accompanied by Zheng Wei, Bai Xingjian went to Beijing to record "Song Gu".

Feng Shiqi did not go with them because her period had come, so Mei Jie stayed in the hotel in Linjiang to take care of her.

The recording process of "Song Gu" was very smooth, and Bai Xingjian, who passed it in one take, amazed everyone.

"Xiaobai is really strong! He deserves to be the man who defeated Adam!"

At the edge of the stage, the show director Xu Jun marveled.

Because it is a cultural music program, the recording process of "Songgu" is quite cumbersome.

In the first stage, an appreciation team consisting of professors from the Faculty of Arts of Jingbei University, the dean of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and a well-known singer will introduce poems and antiques to everyone and help everyone understand the background of the stories.

In the second stage, singers of classics sing.

The third stage is comments from the appreciation group.

Usually, the second stage takes the longest time. In order to make the program have a good effect, the program team has high requirements for the singers of classics. A song is usually sung two or three times, and then the program team selects the best one, supplemented by sound editing and other means, and puts it into the main film.

However, Bai Xingjian’s performance today did not need to be so complicated, and he could just do it in one go.

"With Bai Xingjian here, there's no need to worry about the prosperity of the Chinese music scene!"

The music director was standing next to Xu Jun, nodding with emotion.

Members of the appreciation group and the audience also gave Bai Xingjian warm applause.

Bai Xingjian saved himself a lot of time by going through it in one go. After recording the relevant clips, he and Zheng Wei left the headquarters building directly.

"A singer who comes here for the first time would like to stay as long as possible, so why did Xiaobai leave so quickly? Is this really his first time here?"

Xu Jun said in confusion.

The music director scratched his head and said, "That should be the case. He said so himself, and he seemed quite excited when he greeted Xiao Sa and the others."

Xu Jun nodded slightly: "Does it mean that "The Voice of China 2024" will also have a rehearsal tonight? They are really trying hard to avoid audio editing during the live broadcast."

The music director smiled and said, "That should be the case. Xiaobai is really dedicated!"

……

At six o'clock in the evening, Zheng Wei and the "dedicated" Bai Xingjian returned to Linjiang with some northern Beijing specialties.

At this time, Mei Jie also placed the takeaway she ordered neatly on the dining table.

"Just wash your hands and start eating, everyone!" After placing the heated roast duck steadily on the table, Bai Xingjian looked up and said to everyone.

"Wow! It smells so good!" Mei Jie, who had been waiting for a long time, sniffed it and was full of admiration.

Feng Shiqi, who came to the table, also had his eyes brightened and his whole state became much better.

With a curved smile on her lips, she looked at Bai Xingjian and said with a smile: "I just mentioned it, but I didn't expect you to actually buy it."

"It's just something that happens to me." Bai Xingjian took off his gloves and sat down.

“This is so easy!”

Zheng Wei, who was holding a few cups of autumn pear paste, teased, "If it weren't for the fans' help, Xiaobai and I would probably still be queuing there now."

"Ah?" Mei Jie opened her mouth slightly, very surprised.

Feng Shiqi blinked her clear and bright eyes, staring at Bai Xingjian, with the smile on her lips becoming even more pronounced.

"It's not that exaggerated."

Being stared at, Bai Xingjian waved his hands and said, "That store is indeed very popular, but even without the help of fans, the queue would probably only take an hour."

"An hour is also very long." Mei Jie muttered, and then gave him a thumbs up: "Brother Xingjian, you are so warm!"

Feng Shiqi smiled and said, "Ajian, thank you!"

"What's there to thank me for? Let's eat." Bai Xingjian waved his hands again. This scene made him feel embarrassed.

"Here, the autumn pear paste water to relieve internal heat and moisten the lungs~"

Except for Feng Shiqi, Zheng Wei got a cup for everyone.

Feng Shiqi asked: "Sister Wei, don't I have it?"

Zheng Wei smiled and said, "Qiupili Paste belongs to Yin. If you drink it under your special circumstances, your stomach will probably hurt so much that you won't be able to sleep."

"Ok."

Feng Shiqi pursed her lips and said, "Actually, I'm much better now. I should be able to attend tomorrow's rehearsal."

"Really?" Bai Xingjian looked at her with some doubt in his eyes: "Don't force yourself in this regard."

"No forcing."

Feng Shiqi smiled at Bai Xingjian: "Trust me, okay?"

……

Thursday, March 7th.

The weather was clear and cloudless.

Just after nine o'clock, Bai Xingjian and Feng Shiqi arrived at the Mango Radio Building and began the stage rehearsal of "The Voice 2024".

On the way, they also met the singer who came to fill in the spot, Liao Bei.

This male singer, who occupies an important position in the Chinese music scene, has been hailed as the "No. 1 in Mainland China" for many years. He has outstanding musical talent and consummate singing skills, and is deeply loved and respected by countless audiences.

It was just because he resolutely withdrew from the finals of the previous season of "The Voice of China" that he became the target of public criticism.

Even now, many years later, when the news that Liao Bei would participate in "The Voice of China 2024" broke out, there was constant controversy on the Internet.

"Time flies. It's been nine years since Liao Bei retired from the competition."

"This guy's singing is indeed okay, but he couldn't save his dignity and ran away during the finals, causing an accident on stage. This behavior is really disgusting."

"No, what is the production team thinking? Repay evil with kindness?"

"You're willing to sacrifice your reputation just to attract attention, right? Invite someone who once withdrew from the competition? Or why not invite the original host as well?"

“I can only hope that this person who withdrew from the competition will not be so embarrassed by the pressure from foreigners that he will withdraw from the competition again.”

"Please don't be so resentful. Who else can the program team invite if not Liao Bei? There are not many male singers in China who can sing better than Liao Bei, right?"

"That's right! Liao Bei's strength is still unquestionable!"

"Although his personal behavior caused public dissatisfaction, in terms of real ability, Liao Bei is much better than those studio contestants and those who have been tuned."

"Strength is strength, but after Adam came Liao Bei, the gap is really big."

Backstage center.

Looking at the heated debate among netizens on Weibo, Li Xiao was grinning from ear to ear.

This is the effect he wanted!

Li Xiao smacked his lips and said, "Everyone may be resisting, but the popularity is really high!"

Hong Yang smiled and said, "It's high, but there still has to be a limit. This time there have been many comments that are unfavorable to the program team. Too much criticism is not good."

Li Xiao nodded slightly: "After seeing the foreign singers invited for the next episode, the public opinion will definitely change its direction."

Hong Yang asked: "Have you found out about the things related to Fenghuang Yufei before?"

Li Xiao: "We found out that it was done by one studio, two people, one of whom was a minor..."

……

Time flies and it is Friday. At noon, Fenghuang Yufei's "Phoenix Legend" album was officially launched on major music platforms.

Although the songs in the album are so familiar to everyone, they are studio versions after all, and they sound different from the live versions.

Soon after the album "Phoenix Legend" was released, it also aroused heated discussions among many netizens.

“This is the first time I’ve heard an album that is so similar to the studio version.”

"How are they similar? There are obviously big differences in "Above the Moon", okay? The prelude is so long in Mongolian."

"It's just this one song. The other songs are exactly the same as the live version except the accompaniment and vocals are more balanced."

"Where are those people who said that Fenghuang Yufei had no criteria for judging new songs? Come and listen to this album. Have you found the criteria?"

"So why aren't 'Sparrow', 'Happiness' and 'The Seventh Chapter of the Night' included in this album? Aren't these the songs that Fenghuang Yufei sang on 'New Era of Heavenly Group'?"

"These are obviously not songs of the same style. If you put all these songs in, don't you think it would be weird?"

“It seems to be true.”

……

Mango Radio Building, studio.

When the time came to eight o'clock in the evening, the fourth live broadcast of "The Voice 2024" officially began.

In the past few days, the program has been searched online continuously, arousing the curiosity of countless netizens. As soon as the live broadcast room was opened, the barrage of comments instantly became overwhelming.

"First! First!"

"Teacher Liao Bei! Go!"

"The galactic battleship composed of Chinese singers has officially set sail!"

"With Teacher Liao Bei here, we are definitely the first today!" "Liao Bei is first! Fenghuang Yufei is second! Third and fourth are none of our business!"

Lights flickered on the gorgeous stage.

Amid the enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience, hosts He Ling and Hai Quan, each wearing a neat suit, came to the front of the stage and delivered the opening speeches enthusiastically.

After a familiar opening, He Ling looked at the cue card and said, "Tonight, we will welcome a Chinese singer."

Haiquan replied: "Oh? Then who is he?"

He Ling introduced: "He is a singer with great influence in the Chinese music scene. His singing skills have been recognized by the vast audience and he was once known as the 'No. 1 singer in the mainland'. His voice is rich and infectious, his emotions are sincere, and his music style is varied, ranging from passionate rock to affectionate love songs."

Haiquan was quite surprised: "This singer is really good! So who is he?"

Audience member He Ling: "Does anyone know who he is? If you do, please shout out his name!"

As soon as he finished speaking, He Ling, Hai Quan and the audience at the scene called out the word "Liao Bei" at the same time.

In the preparation room of the singers in the backstage, everyone was applauding and cheering for Liao Bei's arrival.

The camera then turned to Liao Bei's preparation room, and everyone saw a face that had not been seen for a long time.

Liao Bei is over 50 years old, and the years have left obvious marks on his face, but his figure is still well maintained, neither thin nor bloated.

The combination of a dark shirt and a pair of casual trousers looks decent yet individual.

Liao Bei smiled and waved to everyone in front of the camera.

He Ling greeted through the big screen at the scene: "Brother Bei, it's been a long time!"

Liao Bei nodded: "It's been a long time indeed."

He Ling asked: "Brother Bei, do you have any special feelings about returning to this stage after so many years?"

Liao Bei sighed: "The feeling now is so special! Standing here makes me feel like I'm in a dream. I am very grateful to the production team for giving me a chance to start over, so that I can make up for the regrets that have not been realized in those years. Thank you very much!"

Haiquan smiled and said, "Let's give some applause to Brother Bei for showing his true feelings, okay?"

There was loud applause at the scene.

He Ling continued to ask: "As the only contestant here who has participated in previous seasons of The Voice, Brother Bei, do you have anything to say to the other six groups of singers?"

Liao Bei: "I have heard before that there are two very strong foreign singers in the online singer camp, which makes our Chinese singers unable to raise their heads. So today, I will represent the Chinese singers and win the first place for the first time!"

When these words were spoken, many viewers were surprised and the live broadcast room was in an uproar.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. Why do I feel like Liao Bei's emotional intelligence has dropped instead of increased?"

"He's so crazy! I love him so much!"

"How can you even say that?"

"He is indeed the top brother in the mainland! The momentum of his speech is different!"

"Hold on! Take that damn first place!"

The live broadcast room was filled with barrages of comments.

The preparation rooms for the singers.

After hearing the music partner's translation, Shantimo smiled and shook her head.

First time taking first place?
As if she doesn't exist?

Vanxia, ​​who was in another preparation room, smiled slightly.

She has now won first place for two consecutive periods and has absolutely no pressure at all.

On the other side, Ding Xin looked a little ugly.

What does it mean that “our Chinese singers are so suppressed that they can’t even raise their heads”?
She really wanted to go out and find Liao Bei to translate what this sentence meant.

Bai Xingjian also felt a little uncomfortable with Liao Bei's words.

Could it be that this person hadn’t watched the recent episodes of the show before coming here?

……

"It seems that Brother Bei is very confident."

He Ling held up the microphone and said, "Before tonight's competition officially begins, let's first announce the top three rankings of the first round of public predictions. Who are they?"

Haiquan held the card and said, "First place, Liao Bei!"

There was a burst of cheers.

"Second place, Vanxia!"

There was another burst of cheers.

"Third place, Phoenix in flight!"

The cheers were louder than Vanxia's.

“I wonder if this national prediction is the ranking everyone expected?”

After He Ling asked, he said loudly: "Okay! Then let's officially start today's [Zhangbang Competition] performance! Please welcome the first group of singers to perform, Liao Bei!"

Amidst applause and cheers, Liao Bei walked steadily to the center of the stage. Every step he took revealed his calmness and confidence.

Liao Bei brought a representative work, which is also a popular classic song.

This song not only has a melodious melody, but the lyrics are also full of profound emotions and philosophy.

Liao Bei's signature hoarse voice, intertwined with the sadness and hope in his singing, moved the audience and countless listeners in front of the screen with his powerful and infectious performance.

"Although the reputation is not very good, the strength is truly unquestionable!"

"That's true! Liao Bei's singing skills are incredible!"

"This level of control and emotional involvement is simply amazing!"

"No one else can sing this song like this. Liao Bei is amazing!"

"At 56, he can still sing the high notes in the original key."

“I feel like I have a good chance of getting first place today!”

Liao Bei's performance was amazing, and Shantimo and Vanxia in the preparation room also showed rare expressions of surprise.

Shantimo was a little surprised: "Wow! This Chinese singer is very strong!"

The music partner asked, "Do you think he ranks higher today, or do you rank higher?"

Shantimo smiled and said, "Of course mine is taller."

Vanxia had a similar conversation, but she was more confident: "I will take first place for the third time tonight!"

"Come on!" Vanxia's music partner cheered her on.

……

The song passed quickly and the audience stood up and cheered for Liao Bei.

The deafening sound instantly filled the studio, and even the backstage could feel some of the aftermath.

Li Zijun clapped his hands and said, "My brother Bei is awesome!"

Huang Fei also said: "He is still as good as ever! He can still sing this song in the original tune at this age. If it were me, I would probably lower the tune by half."

Although she didn't like Liao Bei's previous remarks, in the face of his absolutely powerful singing skills, Ding Xin still applauded: "You are strong and what you say is right!"

Hearing this, Ding Xin’s music partner burst out laughing.

Phoenix's preparation room.

"Brother Bei's performance tonight was really great, first place should be a sure thing." Bai Xingjian said while applauding.

In his eyes, there was nothing to fault with Liao Bei's performance tonight.

There is no vibrato or off-tune at all. The only thing worth mentioning is that the beat is not accurate.

But this is actually Liao Bei's unique characteristic, because every time he sings live, the beat will always be fast and slow, as if telling everyone that he is not lip-syncing.

So this is a feature, not a flaw.

"We still can't underestimate Shantimo and Vanxia."

Feng Shiqi smiled and interrupted Bai Xingjian's opening of champagne at halftime.

Bai Xingjian smiled at her and said, "No matter how many there are, it has nothing to do with us tonight. Let them fight slowly while we sit here and enjoy the show."

Because Feng Shiqi's body has not yet recovered to its best condition, Bai Xingjian chose a simpler and more relaxing song for this live broadcast, which is not very competitive.

"Sorry, Ajian~" Feng Shiqi rubbed her head on Bai Xingjian's arm, acting quite coquettishly and cutely.

"It's not our turn to sing yet, don't get too excited." Bai Xingjian was indifferent, "And if you keep rubbing it, you might ruin your makeup."

The camera just cut to them, and the audience in front of the screen were stunned.

"No, what are you two doing?"

"It feels like a romance."

"Hahaha, does Sister Shiqi still have this side of her?"

(End of this chapter)