With a snap, a spotlight struck.
Lin Yanyu's outer coat was removed, revealing a white, knee-length slip dress. What had initially appeared to be red floral patterns on the dress now seemed to be stark, vibrant bloodstains. The audience shivered, a chill running down their spines. After the song "囍" (Xi), was this another morbidly themed performance?
Barefoot on the stage, Lin Yanyu's gaze lowered, her hands cradling the microphone. Her entire demeanor had undergone a drastic transformation.
The piano began, a melody that was both elegant and subtly unsettling. A good producer, with just a few opening notes, could immerse the audience in the song's emotion. This song, "Bloody Love Story," started simply with piano, yet it evoked a profound sense of loneliness and strangeness in the heart.
"The sweetness you have tasted,
Are merely fruits of loneliness.
These are my living parts,
Cut from the very heart."
Lin Yanyu's voice filled the air, now imbued with a breathier quality and a richer tone. Her delivery was steady, her fundamental skills evident even in the softest whispers.
The once pitch-black stage was now dimly lit. Beneath the flickering, somber lights, the stage setting materialized before the audience. The surrounding walls resembled a basement, where a man and a woman danced a slow, intimate waltz. The man, dressed in a sharp suit with his head bowed, moved with a stiff, lagging rhythm, always a beat behind the woman. The woman wore a nightgown with a jarring pair of red high heels.
"A piece of flesh, like a giveaway,
Never a second thought.
You are sharp, I invite bloodshed,
Cascading, I become your scribe."
Lin Yanyu removed the microphone from its stand and walked towards the dancing couple. She was like an observer, a narrator, telling the story within the song to the audience. The lyrics were exceptionally sharp. Yes, the word was "sharp." Cutting the heart, digging out flesh, delivered with a flat, resigned tone, yet it felt strangely harmonious. The impact of these dark lyrics colliding with Lin Yanyu's previously sweet style was immense.
"Let me follow you closely, through every turn.
Let me write a horror novel for you.
…
The more blood flows, the more my hands ache, the emptier my heart,
The more the flesh hurts, only feelings carved by a thousand cuts come alive.
Don't give it back to me, don't give it back to me…"
As the first chorus concluded, the audience frowned. The anticipated explosion of emotion hadn't arrived. While the dark theme was present, the first part was merely a gradual unfolding, leaving a tightening sensation in the chest. The final two phrases, "don't give it back to me," suggested an emotional release, but lacked any real burst of power. The song was beautiful, Lin Yanyu's vocals were undeniably stable, and her stylistic change was impressive, complemented by the eerie dance on stage, creating a compelling atmosphere. However, the overall impact still fell short of Qi Rui's performance.
"Is that all the chorus is? Then I've already won," Qi Rui smirked, her heart suddenly stirring with excitement. If she could beat Ting Yu, even if she ultimately lost to Shen Jinghong, the attention she received would be greater than Shen Jinghong's.
"Don't celebrate too soon. If Ting Yu only had this much to offer, they wouldn't have gotten this far," Shen Jinghong said with a light chuckle, crossing his arms. He sensed something unusual in the song's chord progression and the arrangement's emotional build-up. He believed the song was far more complex than it appeared, and Lin Yanyu's performance, while seemingly understated, clearly held back her emotions.
"The sweetness you have tasted,
Are merely fruits of loneliness.
…"
As the second verse began, the audience's brows furrowed deeper, their faces showing signs of discomfort. They found the song too stifling. The dual dance on stage grew increasingly eerie. The man and woman separated. The man, still with his head bowed, continued his robotic movements. Then, a spotlight hit, and threads of light appeared between the man and woman. They seemed like strings, connecting to the man's body. As the camera zoomed in, the man's limbs and chest were revealed to be pierced by bloody nails, a shocking sight!
It turned out those were literally threads! The man was being manipulated by these threads, his limbs moving mechanically with the woman's dance. No wonder the man was always half a beat behind – he was being controlled by the woman, forced to dance!
"Damn it!"
"My scalp is crawling!"
"Has Ting Yu become addicted to morbid themes?"
"I'm freaking out, can't you play something normal?"
"I finally understand why the song is called 'Bloody Love Story.' I was too naive, thinking the title was just exaggerated. It turns out Ting Yu's naming conventions are truly subtle..."
"Haha, very realistic, this is so yandere!"
"Scary! Honey, hug me!"
"Get lost with your PDA!"
"Hope your wife is a yandere!"
Witnessing the scene on stage, the audience could no longer contain themselves. Ting Yu was venturing further and further down the path of a "depressing artist"! Was that it? Could they please play something normal?
While the audience was still reeling from the outlandish stage effects, the background music grew more urgent, and Lin Yanyu's singing became more forceful.
"...You are sharp, I invite bloodshed,
Cascading, I become your scribe, Ooh!!!"
She held the microphone in one hand, her other raised above her head.
"Let me follow you closely, through every turn!
Let me write a horror novel for you!
…"
Without any warning, the pent-up tension exploded. Everyone was stunned, as if struck by lightning. Under the onslaught of continuous high notes, they finally realized that everything before was just a prelude; the true climax had just begun. Wait! The quality of these high notes? The texture was incredible! It was entirely different from Lin Yanyu's usual singing. At this moment, Lin Yanyu had transformed from a lively girl into a cold, elegant queen, looking down on everything with an aggressive aura. This transformation caught everyone completely off guard.
"Don't give it back to me..."
After the chorus, there was a rare arrangement choice. The blood that had just begun to boil within them abruptly settled down.
"Don't give it back to me... Oh!!"
After a sustained, screaming note, the song entered its rapid instrumental break. On stage, the man suddenly lifted his head! He had finally woken up! He looked at the woman opposite him in panic, wanting to escape! But he couldn't, entangled by the threads! Despair! A roar! The woman's lips curled into a sinister smile, her eyes filled with affection. She gazed at the man before her as if admiring a perfect piece of art.
"To try and comprehend, it's already too late,
The connection of flesh in the palms, is long gone,
Witnessing the soul-less empty shell,
Two people with no souls…"
Another barrage of high notes! Lin Yanyu, her white dress stained with blood, sang with all her might. For less skilled vocalists, facing such continuous, perfectly articulated high notes with intense emotional release, maintaining composure would be impossible. Yet, Lin Yanyu, despite singing hysterically, managed her expressions impeccably. The astonishing quality of her vocals utterly electrified the venue! Someone clutched their head, shouting in excitement! Others stared wide-eyed, their faces contorted. The goosebump-inducing dance performance on stage, coupled with Lin Yanyu's top-tier high notes, was a dual feast for the eyes and ears!
"To delve deeper, is already too much,
Even the most intense stories seem too cliché,
…
Love! It's life or death…"
As she uttered the word "love," it felt as though she was about to sing the audience's souls away! In the singer's section, Zhou Xian's expression was remarkable, the epitome of bewilderment. It was hard to imagine a sweet, lively girl delivering such a powerful, high-octane song with continuous high notes, both in quality and tone. Furthermore, Lin Yanyu appeared remarkably at ease. Was she even human??? At this moment, Zhou Xian finally understood what Shen Jinghong had said: Lin Yanyu was the most underestimated singer in the Ting Yu singer group, and under Chen Rong's guidance, her vocal prowess was comparable to top divas! It wasn't just him; Qi Rui in the producer's area gritted her teeth: "How dare Ting Yu!" How dare Ting Yu write such a difficult song? Why was he so daring? Did he know that these continuous high notes were a nightmare for many singers? As a producer, she knew that one or two high notes weren't difficult; the challenge lay in repeatedly hitting the same high register. For ordinary singers, just seeing this song would give them a headache. It was utterly preposterous. One truly dared to write, and one truly dared to sing!
Yet, the scene was far from over. Just as the audience thought the song was nearing its end after this high-note passage, Lin Yanyu continued her assault without pause!!
"Let me follow you closely, through every turn,
Let me write a horror novel for you.
…
Don't give it back to me!
Don't give it back to me!"
On the final two lines, Lin Yanyu tilted her head back, veins protruding on her fair, white neck. Transitioning from falsetto to chest voice, descending in a scale from a high A#5! Everyone was stunned by the high notes. They were completely awestruck by this performance, which could only be described as an extravagant display of skill! At this moment, they understood: Ting Yu had written this song without any intention of allowing others to cover it. Few breathing points, coupled with continuous high notes, who would dare to sing it? Wasn't that self-inflicted torture?
Beyond the auditory shock, the visual experience was equally profound. On stage, the man had stopped struggling. The woman held him tightly from behind, embracing him. In the damp basement, the two leaned against the wall, motionless. The woman wore a contented smile, looking down and caressing the man's face, as if admiring a perfect work of art. The scattered piano notes, combined with this eerie tableau.
Boom! A sound effect echoed. Blood-red text appeared on the large screen:
"I love you so much that I've abandoned myself, betrayed the gods. Why do you still want to escape?"
At this moment, the entire venue fell into a profound silence!
ps: "Bloody Love Story" original singer: A-Mei, Lyrics: hush, Music: jonnic