The song "Xiao Chou" (消愁), unlike typical folk music, leans more towards pop.
However, the definition of folk is broad; songs with a smooth tone that focus on storytelling can be considered folk.
The most powerful aspect of "Xiao Chou"'s lyrics is its direct impact on the soul. From the initial joyous scene in the song, it can represent the big city, society, or even the workplace.
And the words "Xiao Chou" (消愁) are precisely the core of this song.
The eight glasses of wine in the lyrics represent life and interpret existence.
The final line, "The sober ones are the most absurd," carries a sense of being the only one awake in a world of drunken revelry.
It can also be interpreted that in this society, everyone wears various masks, and the most genuine person is seen as the most absurd.
Alternatively, it could mean the truly wise, who appear foolish, looking at the extravagant and decadent world and finding it absurd.
For a good song, each listener has their own unique perception.
This is also the difference between a good song and a cliché tune.
...
On stage.
Li Yunchuan put down his guitar.
He walked around the microphone in front of him.
And bowed deeply to the audience.
Then, amidst the thunderous applause, he looked towards Shen Jing in the singer's section.
After singing this song, he felt much more at ease.
The past was no longer important.
Just like the line in "Xiao Chou," "One glass for tomorrow, one glass for the past."
To him, Shen Jing was merely a passerby in his past.
Sensing Li Yunchuan's gaze.
Shen Jing met his eyes for two seconds before dejectedly lowering his head.
He still remembered that summer, when they were shirtless, drinking in their rented room, shamelessly talking about the future.
He also remembered how they would argue heatedly about whose technique was correct, almost coming to blows, but after the dispute, they would clink their bottles together like brothers again.
Those days... were gone.
And they could never return.
...
As the stage lights brightly illuminated the area again.
The four ace producers sat down once more.
A song that could make all these highly skilled individuals stand up was enough to show its explosive quality.
And the one who felt it the deepest was, of course, Liu Quanlin.
His mind was filled with the thought, "Folk songs can be written like this?"
"Drinking can be depicted like this?"
"I've learned so much, I've learned so much!"
After listening to "Xiao Chou," Liu Quanlin felt he had grasped many things.
"It's over!"
Liu Quanlin snapped back to reality, realizing, "This is a competition!"
"With such a formidable opponent, am I finished?"
"Damn it!"
He only just realized this now.
"Hmm, I feel like you're going to break the record for the biggest score difference in the city qualifiers," Hu Yang quipped.
He glanced at the judging panel.
From the undisguised excitement on their faces, he could roughly guess the competition's outcome.
Liu Quanlin: "..."
His song "Guang Jie" (逛街) was already his masterpiece.
Who knew he would encounter the even more monstrous "Xiao Chou."
"If Old Liu truly loses, Jin Lei will be up next. But you won't have an easy time either, as both the niche folk and the inspirational 'Listening to the Rain' have won. You and Zhou Peng are both in pop music, so it might be tough. 'Listening to the Rain''s love songs and traditional styles are their trademarks," Hu Yang continued.
He was the most unconcerned person present.
After all, he wrote songs in Yue language.
However, Jin Lei shook his head and said calmly, "What's meant to come will come. I don't believe he can produce a masterpiece every single time."
What else could be done?
Was he supposed to concede now?
That would be too embarrassing!
Besides, he might not necessarily lose. The singer he was collaborating with this time was Li Xiaorui!
"Then... what should I do?" Zhou Peng was the most anxious.
His personal style wasn't very prominent.
The songs he wrote were also quite diverse.
However, the majority were pop songs about reminiscing about youth.
"You can only pray that Jin Lei can eliminate 'Listening to the Rain'," Hu Yang, the elder brother among these producers, said.
His words were blunt.
But no one would refute him.
Because in the entertainment industry, seniority mattered. Hu Yang held a high position in the Yue language music scene. Compared to them, he was an older generation producer.
"Don't worry," Jin Lei gritted his teeth.
Although he said so, everyone could hear the tremor in his voice.
After two rounds of competition, the few who had initially wanted to eliminate "Listening to the Rain" and gain fame and fortune gradually began to lose confidence. They had even wondered why they hadn't encountered "Listening to the Rain" earlier.
But now, except for Hu Yang, who remained unfazed, Jin Lei and Zhou Peng were starting to feel uneasy.
Liu Quanlin, during their conversation, seemed oblivious.
The competition results were not yet out, but everyone was professional and could discern the quality of the songs. "Xiao Chou" completely outshone his "Guang Jie."
The competition's outcome was already clear; it was just a matter of how badly he would lose.
At this moment, Liu Quanlin's expression was exactly the same as Li Shaojun's in the previous round.
He was depressed after being defeated by "Listening to the Rain."
...
The audience's cheers and shouts surged like waves.
At this moment, "Listening to the Rain" once again proved his earlier statement of "knowing a little" with his skill.
He had severely silenced the trolls.
The most excited, of course, were "Listening to the Rain"'s fans.
The joy of being a fan of "Listening to the Rain" was singular.
It was pure exhilaration!
It was truly exhilarating!
They cheered heartily from the audience, "You can always trust 'Listening to the Rain'!"
"My scalp is tingling, especially hearing the lines 'One glass for freedom, one glass for death,' I'm getting goosebumps all over!"
"The lyrics of this song are worth everyone's careful consideration!"
"Mainstream genres, hasn't 'Listening to the Rain' covered almost all of them?"
"Folk, I, 'Listening to the Rain,' also know a little."
"Haha, that's right, our great 'Listening to the Rain' isn't all-powerful, just knows a little."
"Now, the pressure is on Liu Quanlin."
"Looking at Liu Quanlin's expression, he's probably already conceded defeat."
"Haha... I suggest Liu Quanlin book his flight immediately. If he heads to a tropical island now, he might still catch Li Shaojun on his way back from swimming."
"Pfft... that's too savage."
...
"Next, we enter the judge panel's review and voting segment!"
The host's announcement caused the cheers from the audience to gradually subside.
This time.
Many people eagerly raised their hands, wanting to comment on the song "Xiao Chou."
After all, they had heard many things in this song and wanted to express their thoughts.
"Listening to the Rain's song has truly amazed me, especially the eight glasses of wine in the chorus. I'm still left wanting more, and I feel that after the show ends, I'll go back and loop it to savor it."
"What amazed me most in this song wasn't the eight glasses of wine, but the final line, 'The sober ones are the most absurd.' My understanding of this line is that those who know the truth often refuse to acknowledge it. The more sober a person is, the better they can pretend to be ignorant."
"My interpretation differs from Teacher Chen's. I want to say that the chorus isn't just about those eight glasses of wine, but also the lines that correspond to them. For example, 'one glass of morning sun' corresponds to 'awakening my yearning,' and 'moonlight' then 'softened the cold window.' Every subsequent line is filled with such powerful imagery; it's truly astonishing!"
"..."
The judges, each unwilling to concede to the other, took turns expressing their views on the song's lyrics.
This situation left the host bewildered.
In his many years of hosting shows, he had never encountered anything like it.
Normally, everyone would be busy heading home, and after casting their votes, they would disperse. Who would bother analyzing lyrics word by word?
But today, it was like a literary appreciation convention had begun, with the judges talking non-stop.