[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty":3,"chapter-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-5":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The King of 2000: A Mandopop Dynasty",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2301261,4501,"Chapter 5: Chapter Five: I Wrote the Lyrics, Melody, and Arrangement Myself","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-5",5,"\u003Cp>Some later-generation fans who blindly followed Zhou Dong often liked to associate the popularity of R&B with him, but this was actually incorrect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, around the year 2000 on Baodao, it was Tao Zhe who truly pushed R&B into the mainstream market, which is why he came to be called the “Father of Mandopop R&B.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1997, Tao Zhe, having just transitioned from behind-the-scenes work to becoming a front-facing singer, released his first studio album and instantly became a sensation; his highly rhythmic R&B style shook the entire Mandopop industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In December 1999, the release of Tao Zhe’s second album, “I’m OK,” catapulted this future PPT god onto the fast track to legendary status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In early 2000, its sales soared far beyond all others, even overshadowing the God of Songs’ new album, “ Zouguo 1999.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, as a professional music producer, Li Sisong could clearly see just how highly the music market now accepted R&B.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to that, Zhou Yi was still very young—if he could also handle R&B, he could perfectly craft an album themed around “a young man of the new era,” riding this R&B wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the R&B market was still far from saturated; very few artists in Mandopop were currently carving out a slice of this pie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can do R&B. As for dancing, I’m not highly skilled, but I’ve certainly tried it before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this producer’s analysis, Zhou Yi, who also saw the business opportunity, interlaced his fingers on the desk and spoke with a tone of humble confidence that drew Li Sisong’s attention—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. And if we’re targeting the youth market, I think hip-hop is also a solid choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reborn from the future, Zhou Yi knew better than anyone else what the Mandopop industry would look like in the coming years—a chaotic battlefield where the relatively slow-paced R&B and the faster-paced hip-hop both exploded in popularity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And most importantly, compared to traditional Hong Kong-style ballads, these two genres had clearly become far more popular among the younger generation since the dawn of the millennium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clearest example was Pan Weibo, who sang “ Kuailechongbai ” and “ Wodemaikefeng ,” whose popularity briefly rivaled Zhou Dong’s, making him one of the contenders in Mandopop’s god-level war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although his hit songs were later revealed to be Chinese adaptations, it was the year 2000—the original versions hadn’t even been released yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi figured he could claim them first, making himself the authentic originator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hip-hop?” Li Sisong was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t Zhou Jianhui saying this kid came from the mainland?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d assumed the kid would say he could do rock—why was he suddenly bringing up hip-hop?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>R&B had only just begun gaining market traction—was hip-hop really viable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you sure? If you’re going this route, you’ll need to look toward R&B scenes and the West. Given Jianhui’s high regard for you, you should be able to get some decent songs; you can just rewrite the lyrics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhou Yi nod, Li Sisong, thinking from the perspective of an album producer, spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In essence, this was a reassurance—he was telling Zhou Yi that although Warner had declined in the domestic market, it was still an international conglomerate with overseas connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buying songs and rewriting lyrics? That’s just business—nothing to be ashamed of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t you know how many people in Hong Kong’s golden era of record production did exactly that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, whether in Hong Kong or Baodao, the number of well-known producers skilled in R&B could be counted on two hands—let alone hip-hop, and forget about the mainland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People did play it, but the market had never opened up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the minds of listeners back then, if you wanted rhythm, groove, and pop, just go straight for dance music.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warner’s top star, the King of Asia’s Dance, still wore his title; he and his peers were the embodiment of rhythm and energy before hip-hop had even entered Mandopop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A prime example was the King of Dance’s new dance anthem released this past April—“ Dongqilai .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone who heard it wanted to shake along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Buy songs? No no, Brother Li, I can write them myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Sisong say that, Zhou Yi waved his hand slightly, signaling he could handle it himself, speaking casually: “I can write it—all the lyrics, melodies, and arrangements—I can do it all myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Sisong, who had just been mentally scanning for foreign songs to suit Zhou Yi’s debut album, froze. After a second, he frowned slightly and stared at the boy: “You can do all the lyrics, melodies, and arrangements yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone made it clear he found this hard to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How old is Zhou Yi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nineteen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t even attend an arts school—how could he possibly write this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. If time permits, I can try writing a few songs this month and record demos. I’d appreciate your guidance then, Brother Li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This month?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi nodded, his smile bright and sunny: “Next month I have to return to school for exams—finals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Since you’re so confident, write one song first. Yanzi’s album is already recorded—I have time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost silenced by the remark about returning to school for finals, Li Sisong tapped his right index finger on the desk, stroked his chin, and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, thank you, Brother Li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After further discussing musical directions with Li Sisong, Zhou Yi checked the time and took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d be staying on Baodao for the next month; though he’d only brought a few changes of clothes, he still needed time to learn the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what song to write, he already had a rough idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Zhe had sparked an R&B wave on Baodao with two albums and was later honored as the “Father of Mandopop R&B.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering that in 2000, those original songs hadn’t been written yet, he could simply take Pan Weibo’s adapted hits and ignite a hip-hop wave across the three regions—wouldn’t that make him the future “Father of Mandopop Hip-Hop”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the first person to try something succeeds, the rewards are enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hip-hop, he could even pivot again and claim the title of pioneer of “New-Generation Chinese Style”—that would be a golden statue of legacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Zhou Yi felt a surge of eagerness, and his steps toward Zhou Jianhui’s office quickened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the album was produced quickly, he might even make it to year-end release, potentially going head-to-head with fellow newcomers Sun Yanzi and Zhou Dong at the Golden Melody Awards.\u003C\u002Fp>",1087,"2026-06-20T07:33:41.161Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7e9f24134be3ba8c9571b0d3a7c809ce6f3bce08f71db82c882aac2559334e6d","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-6","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-4",883,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-cover.jpg"]