Chapter 509: The Fourth Album

"Why not?"

Facing the reporter's question, Zhou Jianhui laughed with exceptional heartiness; a simple rhetorical question left this reporter from "Daily New News" completely at a loss.

He was considered a senior reporter in the industry, but he had never before seen such an absurd idea.

Yes, in the eyes of him, who was already fifty-seven this year, if Zhou Jianhui's interview were released, it would undoubtedly cause a shockwave throughout the entire Chinese-language record industry.

Speaking on a larger scale, this belongs to disrupting the market and inflating singers' value.

But facts proved he worried too much.

After the new episode of "Daily New News" published this exclusive interview with Zhou Jianhui, Sony, EMI, and Universal followed suit without any hesitation, all putting out the word that Zhou Yi was worth—

"If it's not enough, we can add more!"

The three giants wanted to show off their financial power in unison, especially Sony. Not short on cash and having just been thoroughly beaten by Zhou Yi in Europe and America, they were desperate for talent, wishing they could kowtow and beg Zhou Yi, the strong man who had beaten them.

"It's really true that comparing people makes you angry."

Although they knew this day would come, when Zhou Yi truly approached the transfer market with "quasi-free agency" status, the energy exploded by these international giants left the top Guo Tianwang and goddesses of the Chinese music scene stunned.

In this current situation where the music market is clearly sluggish and sliding downhill, only Zhou Yi could use his own name to secure this money-giving treatment, which few could even obtain in Europe and America.

"The two characters 'Zhou Yi', five million each starting point!"

"This is too exaggerated..."

In a hotel suite in Tianhe, Guangzhou.

Fan Xiaopang read the news in her hand, clicking her tongue in amazement.

She was currently participating in the pre-promotion activities for "The Supreme Beauty", arriving in Guangzhou just a few days before Zhou Yi.

She, who had originally been smug about earning a few million from the song "That Couple Sitting at the Alley Entrance", was now somewhat scratching her head.

Oh no, the man I've set my sights on seems to be getting richer and richer; even if I opened a money-printing company, I couldn't keep up.

As a celebrity from the mainland, after her wings gradually grew strong, Fan Xiaopang's ambition naturally increased, starting to be dissatisfied with splitting money with Chen Shufen—such a money-making method was too singular.

To broaden her sources of income, she successively opened several companies in the mainland to manage her mainland endorsements and commercial performances, and even started a performance training school to gild herself, euphemistically calling it giving back to society and cultivating talent for the industry.

Chen Shufen also saw her ambition; while appreciating it, she maintained a cooperative relationship with Fan Xiaopang and renewed a separate management contract. After all, there were many big-name managers wanting to sign Fan Xiaopang now; she wasn't the only one.

"What is too exaggerated?"

Zhou Yi, having just finished his shower, wiped his hair with a towel and walked out of the bathroom with his muscular upper body bare, looking with amusement at the woman who was calculating money with a calculator.

"I'm calculating whether what you got is pre-tax or post-tax. If it's post-tax, then it's too exaggerated."

Fan Xiaopang clicked her tongue in wonder: "But if it's pre-tax, the difference between the two is huge."

"Is one hundred million a lot?"

"..."

Fan Xiaopang, who had just been clicking the calculator furiously, suddenly stopped, looked up, and gave the man a contemptuous glance: "I feel that after being with you for so long, I might really fall into the strange loop of not treating money as money."

In an era where earning tens of millions in the entertainment industry already made one a top streamer, and earning twenty or thirty million a year made one a god among gods, Fan Xiaopang could always see a sense of disconnection in Zhou Yi—

"No wonder Zhang Ziyi sharpened her head to break into Hollywood; the income gap is too huge."

Fan Xiaopang, feeling her morale almost crushed by the calculator's numbers, thought of the criticized Zhang Ziyi.

In the Chinese entertainment industry, there used to be only two exceptions—the two-million-dollar club's Cheng Long, and the one-million-dollar club's Li Lianjie.

Both of these two belonged to the movie category.

The singer circle had no one comparable to them.

"Between you and Cheng Long, who earns more money?" Fan Xiaopang, with her arm hooked around the man's neck, asked curiously.

In her cognition, these two should be the current earning ceiling of the domestic entertainment industry, perfectly one song and one film.

"Before '02 he earned more than me; after '02 he can't compare to me." Zhou Yi gave the accurate answer.

Even though Cheng Long's accumulated twenty years of movie reputation stood there, since "Rush Hour 2", Cheng Long had had several consecutive movies flop; after the movie he is currently filming, "Around the World in Eighty Days", is released, it will directly knock him out of the two-million-dollar club.

"Hollywood is truly realistic."

Fan Xiaopang sighed repeatedly: "Now I can know how much pressure you are under.

"Now the outside world is most looking forward to your Chinese fourth album, plus this battle for talent; I feel that when the time comes, many people will use a magnifying glass to find faults with you."

The quality of the first three albums was already high enough; if this fourth album had even a little bit of a slump—oh no, it should be said that if this album had even a little bit of regression, it would be criticized by many.

Plus, Zhou Yi's Chinese fourth album came out after the English album that exploded globally...

"This time they can't find faults with me on the major aspects."

Zhou Yi smiled, not taking it to heart at all.

This fourth album, "Gui Cang", would be difficult for even his future self to surpass, especially with the concept of "War", the ceiling of the music Wang Zuo, adding its support.

Looking at all album concepts in the world music scene, the concept of "War, Anti-War" is undoubtedly T0 tier.

In the Chinese music scene and even the world music scene, there is a complete chain of contempt regarding the themes and concepts of album songs, and this chain of contempt is even more severe in the Chinese music scene.

And in the long river of pop music, no matter how the position of the chain of contempt changes, the theme of "War, Anti-War" has always stood at the very top.

And his "Gui Cang" this time is exactly this theme—

Side A, first track: "Sunzi Bingfa".

One of Tao Zhe's career peak anti-war works.

The opening directly expresses feelings from the heart, describing a future world where continuous wars have made the outside world uninhabitable. Then there is an artificial Earth space where people of the new era all live inside.

This expresses the harm war has caused to humanity's future—never having seen the four seasons, and past cities have all become legends in the mouths of elders.

Second track: "New Earth"

One of Lin Junjie's best composition and arrangement works of his career.

With the passage of time, the Earth gradually recovered. A group of people daring to walk onto new land gradually appeared on the surface of the future world destroyed by war, greed, and desire; people called this world, washed clean by war, "New Earth".

A brand new social system, brand new social classes.

But in Zhou Yi's perspective description, although these people of New Earth look very different, the direction of society has no difference from the human nations before being destroyed by war—the mistakes of the past are made again, and are still being made.

Old organization members, skilled at manipulating the minds of New Earthlings by various means, still enjoy themselves from on high.

What has been will be again; what has been done will be done again—

Implying that if the direction of establishing a new order for New Earth is wrong, the final result will merely be another round of the Six Dynasties' private affairs, nothing more than factional calculations.

Third Song: "The Sorrow of Ceasing War"

The song with the grandest scope and conception in Jay Chou's career, without a single exception.

It is also the work that elevated his musical status.

Through the illusory future chapter constructed by the previous two songs, this track directly pulls the perspective back to the 21st century—"What shape is the hope in the children's eyes? Do they wake up to bread for breakfast, then drink a bowl of hot soup?"

Serving as a work that bridges the past and the future, this song plainly clarifies why he had the worries present in those two songs of the illusory future chapter: because even in the 21st century, unjust wars still erupt in nations we cannot reach.

Fourth Song: "Vast World"

Xu Shanggao's peak anti-war masterpiece.

Following the previous song, after changing "by the Assad Poyang Lake Lake" in the original lyrics to "by the Baghdad Poyang Lake Lake," this song became an anti-war track that directly called out the United States for launching the Iraq War forcibly without any support or permission, disregarding the opposition of a host of United Nations nations.

At the same time, it can form a link with the previous song—

Why did the dreams and hopes of Iraq's children turn into bread and hot soup?

Simply because of the war forcibly launched by the United States.

Fifth Song: "In the Blink of an Eye"

Xu Shanggao's best string interlude of his career, and also a song using the allusion of "Su Wu herding sheep" to commemorate the Instructor.

Ostensibly, it tells of Su Wu being forced to stay on the grasslands to herd sheep due to the impact of war, which can serve as a filler within the album regarding the impact of ancient wars;

But in reality, this song commemorates the man who led comrades to establish a new order and thereby ensured China would be free from the hardships of war from then on.

The simplest example—

Why was Iraq beaten into a complete mess?

Why can we still eat, drink, and surf the internet safely within our borders?

That man's ideal is the answer.

Sixth Song: "The Rivers and Mountains Are Splendid"

A satirical work by Xu Shanggao, which Zhou Yi now uses perfectly as a foreshadowing of the arrival of a new era—

No wars within the country, the rivers and mountains are splendid, no need to worship foreign things and fawn over outsiders.

Given Zhou Yi's experience of just returning from a trip around Europe and America, saying there is no need to worship foreign things and fawn over outsiders carries even more persuasiveness.

Starting with the "arrival of the digital age," people accustomed to computers will become increasingly reclusive and increasingly prefer to learn everything about the world via the internet from home. The various famous mountains and ancient capitals mentioned in the lyrics all indicate that the motherland's rivers and mountains are splendid, yet people deeply immersed in the internet are all accustomed to staying indoors as net bugs—

Accustomed to receiving various Western "Yilin" style information online, they greatly despise the motherland's rivers and mountains.

At the same time, this song also contains a second layer of meaning: do not let the country in the future have only splendid rivers and mountains.

Furthermore, since "Gui Cang" itself implies divining the future, this song, in the year 2003 when the internet wave had not yet begun to sweep the world, can perfectly serve as a "work of divining the future," making a prophecy about the future internet era wave within the country.

And upon reaching Side B, it begins to shift away from the heaviness of Side A—

First Song of Side B: "Qi Li Xiang".

The only song in Jay Chou's career during the era of gods fighting gods to have a record of topping the annual number one chart; in 2004, it fought neck-and-neck with Lin Junjie's "Jiang Nan," who was just starting out, splitting the world between them.

Using this song as the first track of Side B serves two purposes: first, to perfectly follow up the lightheartedness and joy of the last song of Side A, "The Rivers and Mountains Are Splendid";

Second, to form a contrast with the unfortunate people mired in the quagmire of war on Side A, and to echo the person being commemorated—

Although the outside world is in chaos, life within the country remains peaceful and quiet.

And this is what that man and his comrades hoped to see.

They struggled for a lifetime so that Chinese people could, from then on, be free and unfettered, untroubled by the wars of the great powers.

And it is precisely because of the peaceful environment that Zhou Yi can reprimand "the chattering sparrows on the telephone pole outside the window" and can engage in a sweet, loving romance.

Second Song: "Writing Poems for You"

Wu Kequn's peak masterpiece, the song that once allowed his fame to surpass Jay Chou's, the song that once made him shout "I can surpass Jay Chou," with such high popularity that it was heard on every street and alley.

The reason for choosing this song is that "Writing Poems for You" perfectly connects with the lyrics written in the previous song, "Qi Li Xiang": "You appear on every page of my poem."

I write poems for you, so your name will appear on every page of my poem.

Third Song: "Blue and White Porcelain"

The absolute peak of Chinese-style Mandopop, the highest mountain and longest river in the field of Chinese style, without a single exception.

The song that directly allowed Jay Chou to pass through his reputation decline period and reclaim the throne of the number one Mandopop artist.

Following the previous song, what is the poem Zhou Yi wants to write about his love?

Without a doubt, this absolutely beautiful poem is "Blue and White Porcelain."

These three songs directly combine to form the dream of Zhou Yi's youth.

Fourth Song: "Forever Love" (Eternal Love).

Wang Lihong's masterpiece of love songs.

The lyrics speak of pure love, but the original music video was filmed as letting go; Zhou Yi does not like this, but it is no big problem. He will simply change the music video's plot to his own wedding.

At the same time, once changed to a wedding, the appearance of this song signifies that Zhou Yi in this album has entered a new stage—establishing a family and career.

It directly serves a bridging function—

Ending the youth, romance, and fantasy of the first three songs of Side B, what follows is the reality of establishing a family and career after entering society.

From this, the next two songs are introduced naturally:

Fifth Song: "You Were Once a Youth"

One of the representative songs of S. H. E.

The lyrics, stark with reality, move the heart profoundly.

The string of place names in the lyrics can also form a link with "The Rivers and Mountains Are Splendid" on Side A; in "The Rivers and Mountains Are Splendid," young people are encouraged to go out and travel, listing a host of place names for this purpose;

But "You Were Once a Youth" feels more like self-encouragement after facing reality; listing a string of place names is merely to help someone from a small town persevere, responding to the final line of "He Shan Da Hao": "Do not just let the mountains and rivers be great."

Sixth track: "Swallows Return to the Nest"

One of Xu Shanshao's pinnacles of Chinese style, and simultaneously the peak of his personal works on the theme of homesickness.

After "You Were Once a Youth," many wanderers exhausted in body and mind from working away from home involuntarily thought of their hometowns, just as swallows return to their nests— "Amidst the mountains and waters, songs echo, echoing the scalding of longing; two lines of last year's family letter, reading them again warms the eyes."

One song exhausts the homesick feelings of the wanderer.

And homesickness and returning home—this means the end of working away from home.

At the same time, it also represents the end of this album.

Moreover, in the album "Gui Cang," Zhou Yi did not act as someone who only raised questions.

On Side A, he not only raised the issue of war and expressed an anti-war stance, but even proposed a solution—learning from the man who needs to be remembered.

Do not say it is impossible, because Side B of the album is the result of learning from that man—

The reason China can have the peace it has now, allowing a person like Zhou Yi to grow steadily in the album from the youth phase of "Qi Li Xiang," to studying the undisturbed romantic Chinese culture in "Blue and White Porcelain," to establishing a family and career in "Foreverlove," and finally to the life of returning home in "Swallows Return to the Nest," is precisely because of the peace he and his comrades brought together.

Contrasts between China and foreign lands, the interweaving of war and anti-war, the coexistence of peace and beauty;

Hip-hop, rock, R&B, Chinese style, pop ballads.

Encompassing everything, having all that is needed.

At the same time, this "Gui Cang" can truly form a series linkage with the previous first album "Zhou Yi" and the third album "Lianshan."

"The Rites of Zhou" once recorded that during the Zhou Dynasty, the three Yi classics "Lianshan Yi," "Gui Cang Yi," and "Zhou Yi" were controlled by divination officials: from state affairs and military warfare at the top, to sacrificial activities and social families at the bottom, even to the fortune of an individual or a nation, they could predict all of this through the Yi Jing trilogy.

And Zhou Yi's debut album "Zhou Yi" represents an individual's fortune, namely Zhou Yi's own fortune—the Ziwei Star;

At this time, Zhou Yi had just debuted, right at the moment of being "most arrogant"; the album expressed himself and showcased himself. After exploding in popularity, the future was bright, and the momentum of the so-called Ziwei Star began to circulate.

The second album "Jiangnan" brought him the complete formation of the Chinese style concept and its acceptance by the world; Zhou Yi's fame expanded further, and his status solidified further.

Including the English songs from this period, which were all existences of expanding territory for Zhou Yi.

During this period, Zhou Yi, who had reached the pinnacle of the music scene through self-expression, already had endless money, and his self had reached its peak.

Thus, we arrive at the third album "Lianshan"—

Zhou Yi, no longer confined to expressing himself, began to pay attention to the influence of the social environment and family education on people, and this is precisely the definition of the third album "Lianshan."

By the fourth album "Gui Cang," because he had wandered around abroad twice and gained a clear understanding of foreign countries, the content Zhou Yi wanted to express in the album further expanded to state affairs and military warfare.

He even "accurately divined and predicted" the future after the arrival of the internet wave within the album.

And this divination and prediction happens to fall within the scope of the Yi Jing trilogy.

"Zhou Yi," "Lianshan Yi," "Gui Cang Yi"—"Zhou Yi," "Lianshan," "Gui Cang."

(End of this chapter)