Shen Lang sang "Father's Prose Poem," a song that had once moved him to tears.
This song was composed by poet Dong Yufang, who extracted fragments from his father's diary and added lyrics. Singer Xu Fei arranged and performed it, creating a poignant tribute to profound paternal love.
The lyrics, though simple and unadorned, struck straight at the heart.
Such unpretentious words posed a significant challenge for the composer.
The biggest question was how to craft a melody that would make the "love" in the lyrics feel fuller and more sincere.
Ultimately, Xu Fei used her signature guitar skills to create a unique "sense of passing time" musical style.
However, since the caller was male, Shen Lang chose Li Jian's adaptation from the "Singer" program.
The lyric "daughter" had been changed to "son," perfectly suited to the current situation.
"Tomorrow I'll go to the neighbor's to borrow some more money,
The child cried all day, begging for cookies.
The blue polyester shirt stings my heart,
Squatting by the pond, I punched myself twice..."
The lone guitar accompaniment created a quiet, narrative atmosphere.
Shen Lang's distinctive voice vividly painted a raw and authentic portrait of his father's life.
Shen Lang's vocal range was remarkably wide.
He could deliver the heart-wrenching high notes of "Absolutely Devoted" with crystal-clear precision, evoking the stories of countless men and women.
Yet he could also infuse ordinary, heartfelt emotions into his performance, making the deeply moving "Father's Prose Poem" feel even more vivid and powerful, striking straight at the heart.
"Shen Lang..."
Gao Yuanyuan didn't imagine herself in the song; she imagined Shen Lang.
Her eyes rimmed with red, tears swirling within.
Without flowery language, every line of the lyrics revealed that stern father, expressing his heavy responsibility and love for his family in his own unique way.
"Imagine me in the future, reduced to a pile of burnt paper money,
My son will have become a true man by then,
He'll have found a lovely young woman to build a home with,
I hope they won't have to struggle so hard..."
The lyrics weren't about her own father, yet they resembled him perfectly.
The father she remembered:
As a child, riding his heavy old bicycle to town to take her to the market;
As a teenager, walking for hours through wind and snow to pick her up from school;
As an adult, before she left home, endlessly filling her car trunk with eggs, rice, and vegetables.
Through the song, listeners were reminded of their always-busy fathers.
"These are words from my father's diary,
A prose poem he left behind,
Decades later, I read it, tears streaming down my face,
But my father is now as frail as an old newspaper..."
"Could a twenty-two-year-old kid really write something like this? I don't believe it," Na Xing said gravely.
"It does sound a bit unbelievable, but he was born in '78. It's plausible he wrote about his father's life in '84," Na Ying offered hesitantly.
Shen Lang's deeply emotional singing style brought the song to life, making it vivid and deeply moving. He perfectly captured the helplessness children feel as they watch their fathers grow old with the passage of time.
The melody itself created a time-traveling effect, as if instantly transporting listeners from the 1980s and 90s to the 2000s, where the frail, elderly father seemed to stand right before them.
Na Xing and Na Ying didn't want to admit it, but the truth was undeniable: this was another high-quality song, and Shen Lang truly had talent.
"These are the footprints left by that generation,
Footprints that will fade after a few storms.
This land too once made me weep endlessly..."
How many heartaches lie buried here?
Ooh-ooh...
Ooh...
The song title was undeniably perfect.
This song, dedicated to fathers, felt more like a prose poem—pure and sincere.
The stories and laments about fathers enduring through the years stirred waves of emotion in every listener's heart.
It touched the deepest, most tender places within them, moving every listener before their radios.
As the song ended, sobs erupted.
The crying came from the man who had called in.
It came from Wu Zhoutong, Zhao Xue, and Zhang Zhong in the studio.
Even Shen Lang, the singer himself, slowly shed a single tear.
"You tricked me into crying again," Gao Yuanyuan sniffled, grabbing several tissues to wipe her tear-streaked face.
Her father was an aerospace engineer, her mother a doctor, and her family was financially secure.
She had never experienced the hardships described in the lyrics.
But empathy isn't always about personal experience; it can also be about understanding others.
While listening to "Father's Prose Poem," Gao Yuanyuan had imagined herself in Shen Lang's shoes, experiencing every detail of the lyrics through his eyes, allowing her to fully empathize with the song's emotions.
Then, she was moved to tears.
Gazing at the radio, she thought of that sunny, handsome young man, the admiration in her eyes deepening.
Meanwhile,
Na Xing felt a tightness in her chest, a discomfort that left her speechless.
Na Ying, however, frowned deeply.
The release of "Father's Prose Poem" once again showcased Shen Lang's musical talent and prowess.
As a fellow singer, she understood his brilliance even more clearly.
When a singer performs a song, they can imagine a story or a scene, then use their skills to interpret their understanding.
Sometimes, the understanding is deeply moving, the skills are impeccable, and the resulting song is beautiful.
But is this merely "forcing new words to express old sorrows"?
It's hard to say.
Some singers resonate with the lyrics, even without personal experience, and can convey genuine emotion, singing with perfect balance and nuance.
Others, lacking cultural depth or spiritual sensitivity, struggle to fully grasp the lyrics or connect with their meaning. Their performances, driven by superficial emotions, sound forced and excessive, like an overflowing cup.
Many talk about "flavor."
They say a singer has "that flavor."
It's an elusive quality, yet it's precisely what separates ordinary singers from the very best.
So, is this "flavor" important?
Clearly, it is.
The Chinese music scene is remarkably inclusive, allowing singers and songs of all styles to flourish.
Yet, ultimately, it's a competitive arena. Some join, others leave.
Whether you care about the outcome or not, your achievements speak for themselves, determining your fate on this grand stage.
Shen Lang possesses this intangible quality.
His attention to detail is meticulous, his execution precise.
His voice is versatile, capable of soaring highs, resonant lows, sustained notes, staccato bursts, profound sorrow, and heartfelt passion.
He demonstrates mastery through seemingly effortless performances.
Having navigated the music industry for decades, from obscurity to becoming Mainland China's reigning Queen of Heaven, Na Ying believes the difference between a "singer" and a "vocal artist" lies in their ability to merge luck, breath control, and the song's inherent rhythm into a unified whole.
To draw an analogy from acting, it's akin to an actor achieving "spiritual oneness" with their character.
Take Leslie Cheung in Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine, for instance. Cheng Dieyi seemed to grow from within him, inseparable from his very being.
Singing, too, has its own "spiritual oneness." Few artists in the Chinese music scene attain this level of mastery.
Consider Faye Wong at her peak, who could imbue every song with her unique soul.
Now, Shen Lang is beginning to evoke that same feeling in Na Ying. Every song he sings carries the unmistakable breath of Shen Lang's artistry.
He breathes the song's breath, empathizes with its emotions.
Such a singer is truly "terrifying."
But!
Na Ying wasn't one to back down easily.
Think you can climb to the top by stepping on the Queen of Heaven?
That's not enough!