Chapter 473: I Say Zhou Yi's Insight

Just from that single sentence, David Letterman could fully imagine how much hostility from rival camps would arise once this episode aired on the 25th.

As everyone knows, in the sales war, Zhou Yi's Asian voter base has been a point of criticism from fans of other camps ever since the Grammys concluded.

The reason is nothing else; it is simply too shameless.

This is not a small country like Singapore or Malaysia that cannot support much volume, but the entire East Asian music market, which Zhou Yi can almost be said to influence, including even Japan, the world's second-largest music market.

Even Michael Jackson in Asia did not have the appeal of Zhou Yi, a native Asian.

This is also a point that many rival camps, and even Zhou Yi's own American fans, do not quite understand. After all, Zhou Yi is Chinese; it is understandable that locals in China support him, but why do Japan and Korea get involved?

Especially Japan.

"You can't say that, Spike. You know, they are not from Asia."

Adjusting his sitting posture, David Letterman wiped his mouth and calmly offered a simple defense: "And if I recall correctly, Eminem's album sales last year were only behind yours in the Asian region, which is why he settled for second place in global sales."

"So? Who cares?"

Zhou Yi smiled and shrugged: "Being able to secure second place for the year with that album is already the greatest achievement of his life."

"... OK, OK, Spike, let's change the topic."

Knowing when to stop, David pretended to be nervous and wiped sweat from his brow: "You can still return to China later, but I have to stay and live in America."

The audience below immediately erupted in laughter.

"Let's talk about PPT."

"God, your PPT skills are incredibly beautiful. It is said that Microsoft has been contacting you behind the scenes, wanting to include the PPT you made as a template in their promotional manuals as a case study?"

Born in 1947, David Letterman, now 56 years old, can be said to have witnessed the powerful rise of Microsoft with his own eyes. Precisely because of this, when rumors of Microsoft negotiating with Zhou Yi's team became so specific and detailed, he was genuinely curious from the bottom of his heart.

Stroking his chin with one hand, Zhou Yi smiled with an unusually mysterious expression: "There was indeed contact."

Hmm?

David Letterman, waiting for the follow-up, did not get the next sentence for a long time, so he immediately widened his eyes and exaggeratedly said: "That's it? What's next?"

"Don't have futile expectations, David. You wouldn't want your show to be sued by Microsoft, would you?"

Zhou Yi, teasing the audience's appetite, laughed louder than anyone else on site: "Moreover, even if I said it, your production team would definitely cut it out in the end and not allow it to be broadcast."

With things said to this extent, asking further would be impolite.

However, Zhou Yi's performance made at least three-fifths of the audience on site feel as if ants were crawling in their hearts, a torment.

Who likes to speak only half a sentence like this?!

Are you fishing?

In the subsequent discussion about promotional topics for the album, Zhou Yi once again began to set off a classic explosion—

David Letterman: "We all know your new album performed exceptionally well in the United States. Some even claim you have changed the course of the American music scene. Do you agree?"

Since "Forever Young" had been released for nearly two months, the various new arrangement techniques, methods, and ideas adopted in this album had been dug up inside out by the industry, and the dissection was mostly complete.

The arrangement and composition ideas, superior to the previous album and with even clearer logic, almost made Zhou Yi's album a must-study project for many record companies in the industry.

"Of course, I fully agree with this statement."

Zhou Yi, not being humble at all, nodded under this question and claimed this credit: "I certainly changed this."

"In fact, they are very lucky I didn't come over ten years ago—if I had come over ten years ago, I think my fans would have made me the director of the American music scene."

Facing the camera, Zhou Yi grinned; his exaggerated words undoubtedly caused a massive wave after the show aired on the evening of the 25th!

"Obviously, Spike has gotten carried away here."

Morning of April 26, US time, at a certain brand event venue.

Andre Romelle Young, a veteran figure in the American rap scene, the king of gangsta rap, the creator of gangsta rap, a representative and leader of West Coast rap, a historical-level hip-hop music producer, and the boss of Eminem and 50 Cent, was asked about Zhou Yi during an interview with reporters. He smiled, raised his hand, and pointed to his head, saying:

Compared to the other several East and West Coast big shots who have already gone to meet either God or Satan, he, with the stage name Dr. Dre, currently has success in both music and business, truly making him the God of the West Coast.

Although there are many problems with him, in the face of his rising status, those so-called problems have been suppressed by him, such as the classic domestic violence against his girlfriend, or even fighting in a nightclub and physically smashing his girlfriend's best friend into the wall.

"The reason Eminem and 50 Cent lost to him is, in my view, actually my problem, because the company's marketing capabilities are truly limited. In my heart, they are the undisputed number one."

Dr. Dre pointed out very decisively the immense marketing effort Warner put behind Zhou Yi, although he did not deny the musicality of Zhou Yi's album or its driving force on the American music industry: "As for Spike..."

"Compared to the so-called music director, I think he is more like a mad electric eel, an electric eel from China."

Once this statement was made, the American music scene, which had been shrouded in the marketing shadow of Zhou Yi, instantly perked up.

As one of the members of the historical-level music producer sequence, Dr. Dre is probably the only man so far who, after confronting Zhou Yi, can compete with him in terms of album production.

Before this, when Eminem and 50 Cent were successively beaten into silence, many people were already expecting when this West Coast OG would enter the fray; now they finally got their wish—

Zhou Yi claimed that if he had come ten years earlier, he would have become the music director of the entire American music scene, but the 1990s of the last century were precisely when Dr. Dre, as a singer and producer, saw his status rise rapidly to become the godfather of the West Coast.

And other world-class divas, including Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston, also reached the summit during that era.

That was the era of gods that everyone in the European and American music scene recalls, with annual battles and PKs that were simply dazzling.

"Arrogant!"

"Shameless!"

"How dare he?! How dare he boast that if he had come ten years earlier, he could have been the music director of the American music scene?!"

Zhou Yi's anti-fans were each filled with indignation. With the backing of Dr. Dre, this legendary music producer, they were able to extract keywords directly from his words, and Zhou Yi officially acquired a derogatory nickname in the United States that was rapidly recognized in a short time—the Electric Eel.

"Rock? I don't even want to say whether this counts as rock; maybe only the hyped-up spirit of equality touches on it."

"But what is clear is that he really likes this thing called electronic music; even 'Something Just Like This' in the album has to incorporate electronic music elements."

"The previous album used electronic music as a trial, and this one uses it again. Doesn't he know that electronic music has long been outdated in the American music scene?!"

"As for director, the Electric Eel should go find Mariah Carey first to improve his singing skills; he is far inferior to those great gods of the last century..."

Some of them were not even hip-hop fans; the reason they came to help out was purely because they felt offended in this latest episode of "The David Letterman Show"—or rather, they felt Zhou Yi had offended their idols.

Stimulated by this, on the radio data charts in major cities like New York and Washington on that day, besides Madonna's new song, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion who returned to the music scene and released an album and started a concert tour at the end of March this year, and even Whitney Houston who announced her temporary retirement from the music scene this year—

Their new songs, old songs, and even classic old songs were all pushed to the top of the charts by fans screaming to climb the rankings.

Although their idols had not yet spoken, they could not let an outsider ride on their heads and act with impunity!

This is a matter of dignity!

In response, Zhou Yi's supporters naturally launched a massive charge—

"Nonsense! Is Spike wrong?!"

"On the contrary, I believe Zhou Yi's view is profound!"

"With Spike's talent, if he had arrived ten years earlier, would there have been the matter of that pedophile scum Michael Jackson?"

"Why call him Spike? Please address him as Director Spike, or Director Zhou is fine too! He is the music director in my heart who can correct the atmosphere of the American music scene!"

"What do you mean by dimensionality reduction strike? Spike is exactly that. Whether you admit it or not, Spike's music albums are indeed a decade ahead of the American music scene in production. While we were still driving Cadillacs, he was already flying in airplanes."

"Exactly, exactly. Setting aside everything else, Spike can almost be said to have single-handedly repackaged the electronic music that was nearing silence and pushed it into the market, achieving great success. This is undoubtedly a pioneering move; he has created a new music track!"

"Rap can even be divided into all sorts of chaotic categories like defamation rap and gangsta rap, and Dr. Dre can still call himself the Godfather of Gangsta Rap. On what basis can't Spike be called the Godfather of Electronic Music? He even fused electronic music into rock songs!"

"Exactly, exactly. Clearly, Spike, by demonstrating two albums with vastly different electronic fusion, has shown us that music can be played this way!"

Because of Zhou Yi's self-proclamation on the program, Zhou Yi, who was arguing with the anti-fans, also earned an affectionate nickname from American fans—Director.

Some called him directly "Director," while others called him "Director Zhou."

In any case, they recognized Zhou Yi's "self-assessment" on the program.

Don't ask; if you ask, it's because the brother's talent is unparalleled in the world!

On the evening of the 26th, Janet Jackson's songs also joined the battlefield, deploying to radio stations across various continents, and together with past old rivals, launched a charge against Zhou Yi's full album songs topping the charts.

Other singers encountered along the way basically couldn't withstand a few exchanges and were defeated immediately.

Except for MJ fans who were still lamenting Michael Jackson, everyone else rarely widened their eyes to watch this rare scene in the world music scene, and even the storm of Michael Jackson's pedophilia case was temporarily overshadowed—

An elder from the last century versus a young student...?

At 10:07 AM on the 27th, on the New York City radio real-time chart, Madonna's new song "American Life" reversed its declining trend for the first time. Moreover, the ranking continued to rise;

At 11:01, two more songs from Mariah Carey's album "Charmbracelet," released at the end of 2002 while she was in a state of being a flop and embroiled in disputes with her ex-husband, appeared on the radio chart.

At 13:45 on the 27th, Whitney Houston, who never expected to encounter such an incident just before leaving the entertainment industry after temporarily retiring, was stunned.

What is this thing?

Did an old song from her album "Just Whitney," released last December, also get bumped up today?

As for Celine Dion, who had just made a comeback and still had popularity, since she was originally in the chart-climbing and tour period, any means that could increase sales and fame were welcome to her.

Precisely because of this, around four in the afternoon, while Celine Dion was still secretly grieving, thinking her new album might indeed have no hope of reaching the top, several songs from her album "One Heart" also appeared on the real-time radio chart, and one even entered the top ten.

Janet Jackson need not be mentioned; a song from her 2001 album "All for You" actually managed to charge onto the radio chart this time, truly a kind of old song sung anew in another sense.

And as the instigator, Dr. Dre, brought Eminem and 50 Cent's songs into the radio chart fray, and his old golden hits from the last century also became popular again and entered the charts.

From April 26 to 27, 2003, in just two days, names that had successively faded from the mainstream view of the American music scene appeared one after another on the real-time radio rankings under the influence of events led by Madonna and Dr. Dre—

On the 28th, Madonna, taking the lead, overtook Zhou Yi's "Payphone" in New York and Washington radio stations first due to the controversy of "bad songs," ranking sixth;

Celine Dion overtook Zhou Yi's "Something Just Like This" in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other places, ranking eighth.

Janet Jackson swept the ninth and tenth spots in Chicago;

Mariah Carey was still playing the comedian in New York, gradually showing a trend of performing a skit...

Dr. Dre's hardcore gangsta rap returned to the radio field after eight years, quickly warming up in cities like Detroit, giving the initial impression of sparking a retro wave.

On April 28, 2003, the new round of Billboard rankings was released; although Madonna's progress was still disappointing, her rank had already leaped to number 32.

And Zhou Yi still firmly held the first place.

Five world-class divas from Europe and America gathered together, Dr. Dre watched hungrily, and there was also a disheartened Michael Jackson lingering on the edge;

Zhou Yi, sitting at the top of the chart, appeared with seven songs in the top thirteen positions on the radio, welcoming this arrow of afterglow from the Golden Age!

1 VS 7!

(End of this chapter)