Chapter 444: English Major Forever Young

"Do you mean the rumors about you online are all true?"

Zhou Yi pushed his drooping sunglasses up with his right index finger, chuckled lightly, and retorted: "I'm not a clay doll that can't talk back or fight back; if others insult me, I can't insult them back, is that it?"

"Then, what is your opinion on receiving a total of 58 nominations from various countries' award ceremonies?"

"I read newspapers at home."

"How many trophies do you think you can win? Since some award ceremonies conflict in timing, will you choose to give some up?"

"Only kids take multiple-choice questions, buddy."

Zhou Yi friendly patted the shoulder of the male reporter, who looked no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight: "Mature adults, when facing such questions, only say, 'I want them all.'"

"..."

I don't believe a word of that!

Even if you want them all, others won't give them all to you!

Do you really think the award ceremonies are run by your own family, where you can stock up however much you want?

What kind of twisted logic is that?!

Zhou Yi carelessly flipped through the documents handed to him by Qian Jiang.

Previously, there was only Warner; now, with Virgin and Fomao joining in on this song, the influence has naturally expanded significantly.

"The popularity of 'SuperStar' exceeded the company's expectations."

Until they exhausted all their excuses and waited until 2002 for the massacre of 'Tong Hua'.

Even at its peak in 2004 with 'Qi Li Xiang', there was Lin Junjie's 'Jiang Nan' trading blows with him.

At that time, because the main trunk of the Mandarin music scene had been on a downward slope for far too long, active internet users, capitalizing on Zhou Jielun's Weibo chart-topping frenzy, not only attracted new fans who hadn't experienced that era but also triggered a collective nostalgia for youth among a host of post-90s veteran fans.

In 2001, Taiwan considered F4's 'Liu Xing Yu' the song of the year, while Hong Kong considered Zhang Xueyou's 'Ru Guo Zhe Dou Bu Suan Ai' or Wang Jie's 'Bu Lang Man Zui Ming'; anyway, neither acknowledged 'Jiang Nan', which had stronger data in the direct chart battle and a terrifying consecutive win streak.

Reporter Qian Yijing: "..."

The so-called Song of the Year title looks intimidating, but in reality, it is just a form of self-amusement for media across the strait and both sides of the strait.

"I—"

"Regardless of how many people acknowledge it, at the very least, it can significantly increase your fans' cohesion."

Qian Jiang was not surprised by Zhou Yi's indifference.

The unwilling reporter could only watch helplessly as Zhou Yi was escorted all the way to the car by his team, shouting his name with all his might but to no avail...

"There's also Zhou Jielun who signed with China Mobile; why don't you mention him? Sexism?"

This so-called annual data honor is only useful in the mature mobile internet era after 2018—more accurately, it is a byproduct starting from Zhou Jielun's team's Weibo chart-topping incident in 2019.

"Wait a minute, Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi! I..."

Qian Jiang couldn't help but laugh out loud at this point.

Only last year, after the popularity accumulation from the first two albums, 'Tong Hua' dominated all charts across the strait and both sides of the strait in an unrivaled manner, thus achieving the only song in Zhou Yi's singer career so far that is recognized by most media practitioners across the strait and both sides of the strait as the strongest Song of the Year.

There was no choice; if in 2000 Taiwan could still refute that Zhou Yi only knew how to stir up hype by relying on two strong contenders for the Mandarin Century Golden Songs list, 'Hou Lai' and 'Zhi Shao Hai You Ni', then the following year, facing 'Jiang Nan', both Taiwan and Hong Kong were actually fighting a losing battle—

Basically, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland each played their own games.

For instance, in Taiwan, many media outlets believed the Song of the Year for 2000 should be Rene Liu's 'Hou Lai' or Lin Yilian's 'Zhi Shao Hai You Ni', not Zhou Yi's 'Kuai Le Chong Bai'; Hong Kong recognized Xie Tingfeng's 'Yin Wei Ai Suo Yi Ai' or 'Huo Zhe Viva'.

Zhou Yi glanced sideways at this reporter attempting to make a big splash: "Society today advocates gender equality, let me tell you; this of yours belongs to malicious discrimination against male singers."

After 2018, this concept was gradually perfected by the mature mobile internet system; one familiar old song after another was dug up, the archaeological wave began, and it achieved maximum expansion after the 2019 Weibo chart-topping incident.

Qian Jiang, who had collected various data early on, couldn't help but sigh: "I'm afraid you have no hope of a consecutive win for this year's Song of the Year. The growth rate of 'Superstar' is terrifying; even Taiwan has been pushed to first place."

Because of the various annual song data videos that emerged in the following two years as evidence, Zhou Jielun was indeed popular and awesome in those early years of the century, but basically every year there was a song more popular than his that pressed down on his head.

What the hell is this sexism!

"That is nonsense; not many people acknowledge it nowadays."

Facing a completely one-sided trend, even the powerful Hong Kong media could only bow their heads and admit defeat.

Before Qian Xiaojing could press further, Qian Jiang, also walking out of the Warner building, came over strutting like a crab, crossed his potbelly, and physically blocked this reporter who still wanted to pester him completely, then waved for the security guards to follow.

Qian Xiaojing considered himself a seasoned veteran with broad experience; when colleagues at the newspaper office said Zhou Yi often acted against convention, he hadn't taken it seriously. But only after rotating and stationing himself at Zhou Yi's post did he finally understand what his colleagues meant by that painful yet happy saying.

Although Zhou Yi overtook them through hype in the direct chart battle back then, it was ultimately hollow; both sides still had their own arguments, with the father saying the father was right and the mother saying the mother was right.

He loved Zhou Yi's mouth, but this easily made him, as an interviewer, look dull—after all, he was a legitimate journalism graduate.

Without much active benefit, Zhou Yi was always too lazy to touch these so-called honors.

Before 2018, this concept was not a system at all; any music article written about the early millennium would at most just reminisce about the youth of the past.

"If singers from Taiwan and Hong Kong still haven't managed to surpass your song this year, I think they will hold their noses and crown 'Superstar' as the number one Song of the Year."

"Currently, rumors are circulating that the reason Sun Yanzi, Xiao Yaxuan, and Zhang Shaohan signed with China Mobile is because you are pushing it behind the scenes; may I ask if this is true?"

Zhou Jielun's title of 'Second Place for a Millennium' was only mocked by the majority at this time—

Thereby unexpectedly giving rise to the concept of the 'Battle of the Gods of the Mandarin Music Scene at the Turn of the Century'.

"I'm sorry, Mr., the interview time has ended; A-Yi has a lot of work to handle."

"How is the recording of the English album going?"

"If the speed is fast, everything can be finished before going abroad for the Grammy Awards."

Zhou Yi comfortably kicked back his chair, lay down, rested his left hand behind his head, and said contentedly: "By then, counting the stocking time, we can release it riding this wave of heat right after the Grammys end."

Actually, if it weren't for the fact that the Brit Awards, known as the British Grammys, had already confirmed he had no part in them, the first foreign music award ceremony he needed to attend this year should have been the Brit Awards, scheduled for February 20.

The 45th Grammy Awards ceremony was on February 23.

"Those British guys are tough enough; you and Eminem, the two male singers with the hottest albums globally last year, they really only gave you two nominations."

Thinking of those stingy British guys, Qian Jiang felt amused.

"That can't be helped; I come from China, and Eminem is American; if the British guys have a choice, they certainly won't choose us two."

Zhou Yi carelessly picked at the invisible dust in his fingernail crevices and joked: "As for the racism stick, just let it ferment then; we don't need to worry, it's perfect for selling albums in Britain."

The momentum had already been built up; what it eventually developed into was no longer his concern.

"It's possible, sure, but I still feel the risk is too great. If your new album fails to catch this wave of heat, we'll be eaten alive by the backlash. The public narrative will probably become that you brought this humiliation on yourself."

Thinking of the possible consequences, Qian Jiang was still a little hesitant.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Zhou Yi — it was simply that playing with this kind of racial sentiment, once it failed, carried a cost far too great; this could perfectly well be described as walking a tightrope.

Once Zhou Yi's new album failed to reach the level of Attitude Show — no, it should be said that if it were "only" at the quality of Attitude Show, it probably still wouldn't shut everyone up.

Because Attitude Show still had its shortcoming tracks.

And this Attitude Show album, if you set aside the colored glasses and look at it honestly, is entirely a record worthy of being on Rolling Stone magazine's historical album chart candidate list.

This also means that if Zhou Yi wants to bear this pressure and convert the marketing's effect into real results, he must produce an album that, at the very least, can rank among the world's top 200, top 150, or even top 100 in pop music history.

Only by being more outstanding can he prove that the him who didn't win and was criticized was the victim of "racial discrimination."

The difficulty was simply too great.

"As long as I don't give them the opening, isn't that enough?"

The corners of Zhou Yi's mouth curved into a smile as the tracklist of his English second album surfaced in his mind—

"Forever Young" (Eternal Youth)

The theme of his second album — ten songs in total.

Side A, tracks one through three: "Enemy," "Natural," "Shots."

Three songs from Imagine Dragons, taken as a whole, portray a Zhou Yi in a red shirt who always remains strong, capable of self-examination, and bursting with explosive force.

"Enemy," released as the lead single, had already made its name; the fearless spirit aimed at every enemy and every hatred was on full display, a young, unyielding heart pounding in his chest;

After this came "Natural."

In today's complicated world, a hundred kinds of people are raised by the same rice. As long as one truly possesses a big heart and truly learns to believe in oneself, those critical gazes and hateful words from the outside world become utterly meaningless.

Immediately following was the closing song of Red-Shirt Zhou Yi, "Shots."

The first two songs were self-strengthening, were anger, were an unstoppable explosive force — then this song was meant for self-examination and for encouraging those who, having burned too hot, had made mistakes.

A person who cannot recognize their own mistakes is terrifying.

Only by maintaining the capacity for self-examination, knowing what mistakes one has made, and making peace with those mistakes, can one continue to greet a brand-new future with a healthy mindset.

Mistakes themselves are not terrifying; what is terrifying is that from then on you lose the drive to look forward, lose a young heart.

If you consider yourself an ordinary person, someone who can only fulfill the dreams of youthful spirit within books, in the news, on the pages of comics — that doesn't matter either.

Because no one has decreed that you must be extraordinary from birth.

From this, the definition of the second stage, Orange-Shirt Zhou Yi, is introduced—

Two songs from Coldplay: "Something Just Like This," "Viva La Vida."

I don't have a superhero's powers, nor Batman's wealth, nor the divine might of mythological figures; I don't even have the burning passion and self-reliance of others. Yet even if I am as ordinary as can be, in life I still have my own fantasies and romance as a small person—

"Something Just Like This."

And forming a sharp contrast with the previous segment of the ordinary small person is "Viva La Vida," narrated in the voice of Louis XVI — a story that is grand and desolate yet stirringly heroic, my lord.

Small people are lives; great people are lives. Though the lives they lead are utterly different, life itself has no hierarchy of high and low — long live life.

Moving to Side B.

With Side A already shouldering the grand narrative, at the opening of Side B Zhou Yi chose to turn to matters of the heart.

And in this regard, to bring a fresh listening experience, he led with two songs from Maroon 5: "One More Night," "Payphone."

In these two songs, Zhou Yi wears a green shirt.

The lyrics of "One More Night" lay out a man's inner guilt, subtly expressing how the romantic entanglements between people can sometimes resemble a brawl, the tug-of-war of love;

Immediately following was "Payphone," a song of lingering feelings for an ex after a breakup, unfolding in a linear fashion to present the image of a deeply affectionate young man.

And for contrast, on Side B's third and fourth tracks, Zhou Yi chose two songs from OneRepublic — "Apologize," "Counting Stars."

Here, he wears a blue shirt.

If "One More Night" and "Payphone" display the tug-of-war in love caused by money and circumstances, and the lingering devotion after a breakup, then "Apologize" brings an attitude of decisive turning away in matters of the heart — not the slightest hesitation or lingering.

Once a relationship has chosen to end, there is simply no need to cling to it any longer; even if the other party keeps saying sorry in endless regret, it is of no use — because you have already begun a brand-new life, and you will no longer let yourself be consumed from within by the relationship, trapped in the whirlpool of money—

"Counting Stars," jokingly called the inspirational song about counting stars.

At the same time, this song can also serve as a summary of Side B's first three tracks — whether you are deeply mired in love, money, the swamp of life unable to pull yourself free, or have already turned away and stepped out of the whirlpool, if you feel tired, then lie down and look at the starry sky, and listen to this song.

And the final track is "We Are Young" from the band Fun.

The opening takes the form of a "Suit Zhou Yi" singing in a tavern, unfolding a story as its beginning; at the same time, four "Zhou Yis" wearing red, orange, green, and blue shirts appear among the tavern crowd, raising their glasses along with the Suit Zhou Yi on stage.

The songs sung and stories told by Suit Zhou Yi on stage, while the Zhou Yis in four-colored shirts below in the tavern celebrate with everyone else — a double meaning.

The Zhou Yi on stage puts on a suit jacket, covering the red, orange, green, and blue patterned shirt beneath.

It can be said that this album is built upon this song "We Are Young" — if we don't go crazy now we'll grow old — and uses a reverse-chronological approach to interpret the theme of the entire album: forever young, forever burning with passion, forever brimming with tears.

You may consider the passion, self-examination, the small person's romance, the great person's grand historical self-narration, the deep reluctance over a relationship and the decisiveness of starting a new life in those nine songs above to all be fictional, crazy stories;

Or you may consider those nine songs above to be not merely stories, but everything the "four Zhou Yis" below the stage experienced in their youth.

But what Suit Zhou Yi on stage wants to tell you is that whether they are stories or facts, they are all part of this world—

When facing hardship, one must strive unceasingly; when encountering mistakes made in failure and setbacks, one must learn self-examination.

A person comes into this world only to live once; the romance of a small person is nothing to be ashamed of, and the life of a great person is not noble either.

On the road of growing up, the forks in love and the swamps of life — everyone encounters them; there is simply no need to consume yourself from within.

Even if the pure-white shirt representing infancy has already been dyed with other colors in the process of growing up, you can still put on a suit jacket to cover that multicolored shirt, and continue stepping onto the stage to tell your story, continue writing your life.

Keep your original heart, forever burning with passion, forever brimming with tears — only then can one truly be forever young—

Because you are still alive, you are still experiencing.

Forever Young.

(End of Chapter)