"You said holding hands meant a promise made, but dear, that's not love. Like a shooting star too fleeting to wish upon, no matter how beautiful, it's only a memory."
"Promises too grand, made in youth's embrace, but dear, that's not love. Like an elf lost in the wrong forest, that love is transparently misplaced."
As the last song, the last word, the last note faded away, Gao Yuanyuan and Zhou Xun each turned their heads away, avoiding eye contact as they secretly wiped tears from their faces.
They hadn't cried during the previous nine songs, but this one, "Dear, That's Not Love," had somehow touched a tender place deep within their hearts, and tears had flowed uncontrollably.
Inspiration often strikes in an instant.
"Xun Jie, what would you like to drink? I'll get it for you," Gao Yuanyuan said after a moment, rising to her feet.
"Plain water is fine," Zhou Xun replied.
By the time Gao Yuanyuan returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water, the only trace of their earlier emotion was a slight redness in their eyes.
After taking a sip, Zhou Xun suddenly asked, "Yuanyuan, last time I heard you mention that Shen Lang is 22 years old?"
Gao Yuanyuan placed her water glass on the desk and said, "Yeah, that's what the internet says. He just graduated from the Broadcasting Department at China Media University this year."
Zhou Xun crossed her arms, pondering aloud, "So young, yet he writes such emotionally charged and diverse love songs. It's as if he's been through countless heartbreaks."
Gao Yuanyuan rested her chin in her hand, considering. "Xun Jie, songwriters don't necessarily have to experience what they write about firsthand. Just like us actors—we portray characters created by screenwriters, not ourselves."
Zhou Xun chuckled. "True. Otherwise, someone who's written hundreds of love songs would need a whole army of exes."
Gao Yuanyuan put on the CD and restarted it, turning the volume down to background music for their conversation. "It's a shame such beautiful songs don't have music videos."
In today's music industry, music videos have become standard fare.
Shooting music videos for songs enhances their appeal by visually bringing the lyrics to life, making them more vivid and memorable.
Moreover, in the modern music industry, promotion and publicity are crucial. Music videos showcase both the song and the artist's talent to a wider audience, boosting the song's fame and exposure.
The importance of music videos in the music industry is undeniable.
When discussing music videos, Michael Jackson inevitably comes to mind. In December 1982, he released his album Thriller.
This album revolutionized music videos. Before MJ, singers merely stood in front of the camera and sang, a rather dull approach.
MJ was the first to integrate dance into music videos, incorporating storylines and turning them into mini-movies. This dramatically boosted the reach of his music.
Thriller sold 110 million official copies worldwide, and if pirated copies are included, the figure becomes astronomical.
Zhou Xun said with a grin, "Why don't you help him shoot his music video? You could be the female lead."
Gao Yuanyuan pouted. "Oh, Xun Jie, you're teasing me again."
Zhou Xun replied earnestly, "I'm not joking. Look at Shen Lang—he's handsome, young, and incredibly talented. He's bound to become a superstar, maybe even a legendary icon. Being the female lead in his music video would be a great opportunity. If you don't take it, I might!"
Gao Yuanyuan swallowed her words, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, tinged with anticipation.
Oh dear...
What am I even thinking?!
On September 25th, Shen Lang's debut album, Shen Lang: Radio Love Songs, went on sale nationwide.
Within just three days, all 50,000 copies sold out, leaving music stores severely understocked.
The stores pressured their distributors, who in turn pressured the factories, who then pressured Shen Lang.
Shen Lang, meanwhile, had reinvested all the initial profits he'd received.
Seeing such explosive sales, he was ecstatic.
The entertainment media shared his excitement.
A newcomer had burst onto the scene, topping charts, selling out albums, and earning rave reviews—a perfect news story.
Reports about Shen Lang flooded the media.
Many music critics weighed in, offering comprehensive evaluations of his singing skills and songs.
Some praised him, others criticized him, but the hype was undeniable.
Coincidentally, only two mainland Chinese singers now occupied the top ten spots on major music charts: Shen Lang and Na Ying.
This immediately set them up as rivals.
Industry insiders favored Na Ying's established prowess.
"What kind of rookie thinks he can compete with a queen already?"
"Team Na Ying! She's the only mainland artist who can dominate the Golden Melody Awards!"
"Do I even need to explain how prestigious Na Ying's title as 'Mainland's First Diva' is? He thinks one album is enough to challenge her?"
The outside world was impressed by Shen Lang's drive.
"Young people should be full of vigor. Otherwise, what's the point of being young?"
"The public listens to songs, not seniority. The music speaks for itself!"
"As the saying goes, even a novice can beat a master with enough wild punches. Don't underestimate the potential of youth!"
In short, this silent war had already begun.
Meanwhile, in Yanjing's Sanlitun district, Na Xing climbed into a Mercedes-Benz parked by the roadside.
Seeing her sister's empty hands, Na Ying asked, "Still nothing?"
Na Xing shook her head. "No, they said the earliest restock would be tomorrow."
Huang Weiqing took a long drag from his cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke. "I called around. His initial distribution was limited to 50,000 copies, but they sold out in three days. That's already better than many established singers. If a major record company had handled the release, he might have sold 100,000 copies by now."
Na Ying, no longer as composed as before, asked, "What's the current sales volume for my album?"
Huang Weiqing frowned deeply. "390,000 copies domestically, 510,000 across all of Asia."
The numbers seemed impressive at first glance.
But compared to the 2.47 million copies of Conquer and the 1.88 million copies of Simply, they fell far short.
At the current rate, they might not even reach half of those figures.
There were two main reasons for this.
First, the record market had shrunk dramatically since the turn of the millennium.
Second, they were facing fierce competition from a rival.
And that rival was none other than Shen Lang.
They hated to admit it, but Shen Lang: Radio Love Songs was undeniably strong.
Every song on the album could have been the lead single for someone else's record.
Not to mention the three award-worthy masterpieces: "Ten Years," "Jiangnan," and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
They couldn't fathom how a 22-year-old kid, barely out of his teens, could possess such extraordinary songwriting talent.
"These media outlets just love stirring up drama," Na Xing snapped, crumpling the newspaper into a ball and tossing it out the car window. "No matter how talented a newcomer is, how could they possibly compare to Yingzi?"
"What did they write?" Na Ying asked.
"They're just comparing Shen Lang to you, saying he's completely dominating you in terms of chart rankings, sales volume, and critical acclaim," Na Xing said through gritted teeth.
"Let's ignore the media hype for now and focus on boosting album sales. I'll call the record company and arrange some autograph sessions to drum up publicity," Huang Weiqing said, addressing the more practical concern.
Na Ying fell silent.
EMI had originally scheduled her album for release in April.
But eager to perfect it, she had disregarded the company's plans and delayed the official release until September.
She had walked right into the crossfire herself.
Now, it seemed her only option was to follow Huang Weiqing's advice and hope the autograph sessions would boost sales.
An autograph session involves inviting target customers to interact face-to-face with fans, offering signatures, group photos, and other activities to strengthen customer loyalty and engagement.
Meanwhile, Shen Lang was currently holding his own autograph session.