China Entertainment 1997

The first half of 2004 was destined to be inseparable from the word "draft".

From the beginning of April, the "Stars of Tomorrow" unified auditions for the 20 divisions across the country, and then to the subsequent re-examination, top 100 competition, and division championship battle.

The continuous exposure made "Star of Tomorrow" completely out of the circle and became extremely popular.

Although they have not yet reached the final stage, the fame and popularity of many popular contestants have already caught up with ordinary second-tier stars.

Becoming famous overnight suddenly no longer seems like an unattainable dream.

It also completely aroused the audience's enthusiasm, especially the popularity vote of "Tomorrow's Star", which made the audience feel the pleasure of "raising" a star with their own hands.

Not only boys and girls joined the fan groups of those players, but even some adults and middle-aged people also joined in the fun.

During the final battle in the Chengdu Division, fans of Zhang Jie, Zhang Jingying and Tan Weiwei, the three most popular players in the division, spontaneously distributed flyers in many commercial streets in Chengdu and even paraded in support.

A certain eldest brother shouted heartbreakingly in the street: "Today, I will fight to the death for Zhang Jingying, and I will fight for Zhang Jingying."

The most awesome thing is that three fan teams met while parading and almost started to curse each other in the street.

If there weren't some understanding people at the scene who were afraid of causing trouble that would be detrimental to the contestants, there might have been conflicts.

Later, this incident made the headlines in Chengdu and even in the "Rising Star" magazine, leaving passers-by stunned.

The Chengdu Division has also become the most popular division after the Beijing Division, and is even more intense than the Beijing Division.

After all, the top five teams in the Chengdu Division are all from Sichuan Province, and several are even locals from Chengdu.

Many local viewers in Chengdu can relate to the contestants. They really call on their friends to support their children, and the fight is also very lively.

How can I put it, the behind-the-scenes footage of the contestants of "Tomorrow's Star" is almost 1/5 provided by Chengdu alone.

By the end of June, after two months of selection, all the top 100 national "Rising Stars" and 20 regional champions were selected.

Beijing Division Champion—Phoenix Legend

Chengjie Division Champion——Zhang Jie

Jinmen Division Champion——Gu Miaomiao

Shen City Division Champion——Gao Jin

Guangzhou Division Champion——Chen Chusheng

Magic City Division Champion——Ping An

Wucheng Division Champion——Yang Chengang

Chang'an Division Champion——A Bao

Urumqi Division Champion——Ulan Ya

Hangzhou Division Champion——Dingdang

…

The next step is for all the players to gather in the capital for the final round battle.

The popularity of "Star of Tomorrow" has skyrocketed. Not to mention "My Show" and "Super Girl" were crazily crushed, even the Athens Olympics not long after the European Cup was also robbed of the limelight.

A real phenomenon-level variety show that attracts the attention of the whole people!

"Tomorrow's Star" is so popular, Stars Variety Show Department became an instant hit, and Beijing TV Station is even more happy.

Advertising and commercial cooperation are pouring in overwhelmingly, and relevant companies and merchants are throwing money at Fanxing and Jingcheng TV like crazy, and they will not accept it.

However, despite the great harvest, Fanxing and Jingchengtai did not completely lose their minds.

To make money, the program must be run well!

Not to mention the failure, various business cooperation and advertisements cannot be comforted. It is such a good money tree. If it is ruined by myself, it will be too late to cry.

Fanxing now attaches great importance to "Stars of Tomorrow" and conservatively estimates that it is expected to make a net profit of 100 million from this project this year.

This is pure profit. Apart from Cao Xuan’s overseas album, Fanxing has no project that can make such a profit.

Moreover, after the show, Fanxing is expected to win most of the popular contestants, and after training them, they will become small money trees.

Not to mention that if "Stars of Tomorrow" is completed this year, there will be another season next year.

Within two to three years of guarantee, this project can bring extremely considerable income to Fanxing.

Stars Up and Down is now taking it very seriously, even more than "Xiu Chun Dao" which was released in early August.

Originally, Cao Xuan was focused on the production of the new album. In the past two months, except for going to Xiangjiang to attend the Penguin launch ceremony in mid-June, he basically stayed in the recording studio.

This time, a lot of energy was dedicated to paying attention to the "Tomorrow Star" program, and even "composed" a program theme song.

………

Beijing, airport

Yan Kui, the person in charge of the Shen City Division of "Stars of Tomorrow", walked out of the airport with the top five players in the division. During this period, he was recognized by several people and asked for autographs and cheers.

After finally getting rid of it, Yan Kui took people into the commercial vehicle sent by the program team.

"I will take you to the hotel first. After arranging your stay, we will shoot posters, record interviews, rest for a night, and hold the conference tomorrow."

"Brother Yan, are all the top 100 players here for the meeting?"

The person who asked the question was named Luo Hu. He was one of the top five in the Shen City competition area and a resident singer at the bar. He was experienced and strong.

In fact, among the 20 competition regions across the country, the Shenshi Division is definitely a strong competition area, firmly ranked in the top five, and is expected to compete for the top three.

There is no way, who made the three eastern provinces set up a competition area, but there are so many strong players. The Shen City competition area is also second only to the Beijing competition area in terms of the number of re-examination players. If they can reach the top five, they are all good players.

"Except for a few competition areas, we all report to the capital at the same time. In the past two days, if nothing happens tomorrow, we should all be here."

"This is for us to have a touch before the game starts."

"That's what it means. Let you get acquainted with each other. There are also many things to do."

Yan Kui explained that as the person in charge of the competition area, he will also become the "agent" for the players in the competition area during the finals and be responsible for various matters until all players in the competition area are eliminated.

Although the final ranking of the players in the division has nothing to do with him, Yan Kui also hopes that the people in the Shenshi division will be more angry so that he can have face when speaking out in the future.

Moreover, if he really brings out a national champion, his status in the program group will indeed be improved to a certain extent.

So Yan Kui is still very concerned: "The competition system for the finals has been roughly announced. The top 100 will advance to the top 50, the top 50 will advance to the top 20, the top 20 will advance to the top 10, the top 10 will advance to the top four, and the top four will advance to the top four. champion.

Some of the formats in each round are the same, some are different, some are two-by-two competition for elimination, some are taking turns like we did before, and I even heard that there is a team competition. "

"Team competition? By division?"

"It's hard to say. After all, there are strong and weak teams in the competition. If a group is eliminated, they might have to go home together. It's too inhumane and they should be broken up.

However, it’s hard to say whether there will be a team competition. There is just a rumor, and the specific competition format will be subject to the on-site announcement. What I mean is to be prepared and reserve more songs in case of emergency. "

Yan Kui shared a lot of inside information that he knew, and then reminded: "Because we are all in the same competition area, if we can help each other in the competition system, it is best to help each other."

Then he said with some emotion: "Our division is strong, but the overall popularity is too average. No one is in the top ten of the popularity list, so we can't get the benefits of the popularity list, which is a bit of a disadvantage."

In the final stage of "Star of Tomorrow", the player's popularity index is directly related to the player's welfare bonus in various competition systems.

If the player at the top of the popularity list competes with ordinary players, the chance of winning will increase by at least 50%, or even more, not to mention that the popular players themselves are unfavorable in canvassing votes.

Therefore, what most players are most afraid of is meeting the top ten players on the popularity list. The higher they are, the more afraid they are.

Among the players in the Shen City Division, the most popular one is Gao Jin, ranked 21st, followed by Xiao Shenyang and his wife, ranked 27th, and the remaining three are basically outside the 30th place.

In the program "Tomorrow's Star", popularity is definitely given priority over strength.

If strong players don't achieve an overwhelming advantage in performance, many times they won't be able to compete with popular players.

Of course, the program team has also placed certain restrictions on popular contestants in the competition system, so if a popular contestant has only popularity but no strength, it is easy for him to overturn.

The player who has both popularity and strength is the favorite to win the "Star of Tomorrow" championship.

Listening to Yan Kui's words, several players from the Shenshi Division had mixed reactions.

Gao Jin is the regional champion and has the greatest ambition. Although he is not targeting the championship, he still wants to reach the top ten and sign a contract with Fanxing to become an official professional singer.

Tang Chao was different from what he thought. He had already signed with another record company. Although he also wanted to join Fanxing, it was impossible for him to make the decision.

His goal is to enter the top 20, and then use the popularity accumulated through the show to release a new album.

In comparison, the other three groups of players basically don’t have big goals and can go as far as they can.

For example, Xiao Shenyang, his wife and Luo Hu, their main purpose is to get as much bonus as possible, and then gain more fame. If they are eliminated and return to their hometown to perform, the performance fee will be higher.

As for signing a contract and making a debut, I didn’t even dare to think about it.

Therefore, their mentality is relatively relaxed. Although they really want to advance, even if they fail, they will not feel too much difference. Even Xiao Shenyang and his wife simply came here for travel.

The program team covered the food, accommodation and travel expenses. They spent a small part of the prize money to go around the capital, which was a pleasure.

The "heartless" Xiao Shen Yang and his wife followed Yan Kui to a five-star hotel. Looking at the luxurious and exquisite decoration of the hotel room, the contestants looked happy and Yan Kui was a little proud.

"How about it? The accommodation is good."

"Great, how much does it cost for such a big room for one day?"

"You don't care how much it costs. One person has one room. It's okay for little Shen Yang and his wife to live in one room."

"no problem."

Yan Kui went to check in, and during the process he met the person in charge of the Jinling Division, and the two exchanged their experiences.

Contrary to what the contestants expected, these room programs did not cost a penny and were directly sponsored by the hotel.

The hotel has gained popularity, and the contestants have received a favorable living environment. The program team has saved money, and even raised some sponsorship fees.

After a simple settlement, the hotel provided three buffet meals, and Yan Kui led the contestants to the photography studio in the suburbs of Beijing.

This is a stage specially rented by the "Rising Star" program team for the final stage. Next door is the stage of "I Love to Remember Lyrics".

In fact, if the facilities of Fanxing Film and Television City were not up to par, Cao Xuan could have built a studio on his own property.

But now the conditions of Fanxing Film and Television City are insufficient, so they can only rent it. Maybe in one or two years, if "Tomorrow's Star" still exists by then, the final venue will be Baiyangdian.

In the studio, the contestants are first taken to take photos and prepare for the collection. The contestants who are free can go and get familiar with the stage.

Several players finally met some players from other divisions. Although they had seen each other on TV, meeting them offline was still a different experience.

"That is Zhang Jie, the champion of Chengdu, right? All the people listening to rap are Cao Xuan's songs, so he is nicknamed Little Cao Xuan."

"A Bao from the Chang'an Division has an amazing voice. Shen Yang, you and your wife should pay more attention to him. They are both masters of high notes."

"That little girl from the Chengdu competition area, her name is Yinglai. She also has a very powerful high note. She is nicknamed the Dolphin Princess. The previous Zhang Jiebiao also has a very powerful high note."

"Murong Xiaoxiao from the Jinling Division is also worth noting. I heard he was from Huangmei Opera."

"I've heard of Ulan Ya from Urumqi. His high voice is not inferior to that of you and your wife."

"..."

A few people discussed in a low voice, and Xiao Shenyang and his wife from the Shen City Division were successfully promoted. They relied on their good voices, and the couple's high notes were higher than the other.

If it weren't for Gao Jin's original extra points, the finals of the final division might not be able to suppress the couple.

Now it seems that the trump card that was originally in the competition area is now in the national competition, and the advantage has been significantly reduced. The top 100 players are at least 20 less good at high notes.

A few people didn't think anything of it before, but when they came to the scene and saw it, they immediately felt the cruelty of the finals. Almost all of them were masters, and any one picked at random would be remarkable.

The people in the Shen City Division looked at the others, and the people in the other divisions were also observing them.

"That Luo Hu is good at stimulating the atmosphere of the scene. Typhoon is very popular. If it is the on-site scoring session, he has certain advantages."

"Gao Jin, the champion of Shen City Division, one of the few original singers, very talented, almost all of them are original."

"Tang Chao is good at bitter love songs and is known as Zhang Yu from the Northeast. I heard that he will also create something original, but he hasn't produced it yet."

"Xiao Shenyang \u0026 Shen Chunyang are the only husband and wife team in the top 100 in the country. They work well together and are good at singing high notes. They are an alternative version of the Phoenix Legend."

"..."

Anyone who is ambitious about performance will pay attention to their competitors, not to mention that they don't need to collect information themselves.

"Tomorrow's Star" is so popular that various analysts on the Internet have long picked out the characteristics and advantages of each player. You can learn everything about it by searching online.

We had just met, and it was of a competitive nature. Except for a few people we knew well, the rest didn't say hello much, and usually acted together with the players from their own division.

It wasn't until the next day that all the top 100 contestants in the country arrived. Wang Guangliang, the chief director of the program team, held a meeting and talked about the relevant regulations of the program.

In particular, many taboo contents and confidentiality agreements need to be signed.

If a player violates this rule, he or she will be disqualified from the competition, all bonuses and related honors will be cancelled, and they may even be sued by the program team.

I was given a stick, and naturally I was given a sugared date later.

Wang Guangliang asked people to hand out all the papers, and then took the initiative to introduce them.

"This is the theme song "Chasing Dreams" written by our boss Mr. Cao Xuan for the show, and all of you are one of the singers.

After that, we will arrange for the teacher to arrange the order for everyone, with 1 to 2 sentences for each person. Everyone will have one morning to get familiar with the songs, and the formal recording of the MV and songs will begin in the afternoon. "

Having said this, Wang Guangliang paused and smiled: "Mr. Cao Xuan will also participate in the recording of this song. He and his singing voice will appear in the theme song together with you."

boom!

The scene immediately exploded. Except for a few players such as Phoenix Legend who were relatively calm, the remaining players were all excited.

As an international first-line singer, Grammy winner, and Asia's No. 1 King, Cao Xuan's status and influence in the Chinese music scene are self-evident.

I can’t say that all the top 100 players present like him, but most of them definitely recognize his ability, and many are even his fans.

How could everyone not be excited about working with a superstar/idol this time?

"When can we see Teacher Cao?"

"Well, he won't come in person, but the singing and images will be edited together."

"..."

The contestants were a little disappointed. They thought they could see and interact with Cao Tianwang with their own eyes. The relationship was a matter of distance cooperation.

Wang Guangliang laughed: "Don't be discouraged, no matter what, I will sing with Cao Xuan. This opportunity is rare and hard to come by."

Everyone thought the same thing. Although they had not met in person, it was considered cooperation. No matter which step they went to, they would still brag about it when they got back.

Does Cao Xuan know that I/I have made songs with him...

………

Because the first round of live broadcasts started within a few days, the production time for the theme song was very tight. It took almost days and nights to rehearse, record, and then edit and mix.

Finally, on July 4th, the MV for the theme song "Chasing Dreams" of "Tomorrow's Star" was released on Penguin Blog and Beijing TV.

Cao Xuan himself forwarded the MV and left a message: "Everyone who bravely pursues their dreams is respectable. I hope all contestants will keep their innocence. I will wait for you in the finals."

After hearing that Cao Xuan wrote the theme song specifically for "The Star of Tomorrow", many of his fans and passers-by immediately clicked on the video.

In the past two years, except for the Spring Festival Gala and movie theme songs, Cao Xuan rarely writes Chinese songs, making money every time he gets it.

When you click on the video, it starts with a prelude of piano music, and then quickly flashes through the audition clips of all the top 100 contestants of "Stars of Tomorrow".

The cut scene of the Top 100 auditions ended, and the prelude stopped at exactly the right moment.

In the next shot, Ping An, the champion of the Magic City Division, appeared first. He sang the first lyrics into the microphone in the recording room.

"Where is the world full of flowers~"

The next scene shows Chang'an Division Champion Abao: "If it really exists, then I will definitely go~"

The third singer to appear is Phoenix Legend: "I want the highest mountain to stand there~"

Gu Miaomiao: "I don't care if it's a cliff~"

Zhang Jie: "Live hard and love hard, even if your liver and brain are bruised~"

…

Gao Jin: "Maybe my hands are clumsier than my feet, but I am willing to keep exploring~"

Dingdang: "Give all your youth and leave no regrets~"

At this point, the melody began to speed up, the drums exploded, and the next second, Cao Xuan suddenly appeared in front of the stage of the final stage of "Tomorrow's Star".

Under the bright lights, he was dressed in black, holding a microphone and roaring loudly.

"Run forward, facing the cold eyes and ridicule

How can you feel the vastness of life without going through hardships?

Destiny cannot make us kneel down and beg for mercy

Even if blood is spilled all over my arms

…”

The next second, Cao Xuan left the stage, and Xiao Shenyang and his wife appeared together with Zhang Jingying and Tan Weiwei, continuing to sing loudly.

"Keep running, with pure pride

How can you see the sparkle of life if you don’t persist to the end~”

The next second, Murong Xiaoxiao, Huang Bo, and Yao Beina appeared together.

"It's better to burn than to linger."

One day it will sprout again~"

That's it, except for the special case of Cao Xuan, the regional champions sing one line each, and the top five players in the ordinary divisions sing one or two lines in groups of three or two.

Until all the top 100 singers in the country were revealed, the last shot was of all the top 100 "Rising Stars" contestants gathered on the final stage, mixed with the previous Cao Xuan stage shot, and then ended with a chorus of climax.

"Run forward, facing the cold eyes and ridicule

How can you feel the vastness of life without going through hardships?

Destiny cannot make us kneel down and beg for mercy

Even if blood is spilled all over my arms

………

For the beauty in my heart

Don't compromise until you get old

…”

After watching the more than 4-minute video, the audience in front of the TV and computer were more or less silent for a while. Some people clicked to watch it again, while others went straight to the comment area.

In just a few hours, there have been tens of thousands of messages in the video comment area.

[Damn, a 30-year-old man actually cried after hearing this]

[555~, it sounds so good, I want to listen to it a hundred times]

[Cao Xuan is awesome]

[Those who say Cao Xuan is exhausted, damn, slap them in the face]

[Come on Zhang Jie, for the beauty in your heart, don’t compromise until you get older]

[Come on Liu Shui, we will always be your water baby]

[Phoenix legend, Phoenix achievement legend]

[People should have dreams, what if they come true]

[My blood boiled after hearing this. I got up from the bed and took a set of papers, only to realize that I had already completed the college entrance examination]

[Good song, good lyrics, good idea]

【……】

Cao Xuan also saw most of the comments, but he still felt a little regretful. This version of "Chasing Dreams" is too perfect.

There is no broken voice, less of that heartbreaking, hoarse taste...

But there is one thing to say, Cao Xuan's singing skills are definitely better than that of the original one, his emotions are on point, and his skills are also impressive. If it is not intentional, it will be difficult to break the sound.

And the most important thing is that his current status is here. If he fails to sing, he will immediately be rated as Cao Tianwang's overturning scene.

Cao Xuan didn't particularly care about this. After all, which singer had never flipped over a car before, he explained in advance that it didn't matter just for fun.

But this time it was a promotional song for "Tomorrow's Star" and there was no room for flaws, so I still used the perfect version.

Cao Xuan felt sorry for the preconception, but in the eyes of the outside world, this song is very good, it is also an inspirational song, and it has a high note that many people like.

Suddenly, I don’t know how many KTV baristas tried "I Will Love You Even to Death" and then played a ghostly version of "Chasing Dreams".

And this song, coupled with the popularity of Cao Xuan and "Tomorrow's Star", also topped the major music charts in a short period of time and became popular on the streets.

Amidst roaring songs, the popular "Chasing Dreams" kicked off the final stage of "Tomorrow's Stars".

On July 6, the live broadcast of the "Stars of Tomorrow" National Top 100 to Top 50 competition officially began on Beijing Channel.