The audience was noisy for a while before the host came on stage.
He didn't rush through the procedures.
Instead, he stood quietly next to Dark Night Rabbit.
The camera swept across the audience area to capture their reactions.
On the judges' panel, Mo Yan slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile played on his lips. "I believe the fan who listens to the rain will feel the energy listening to this song. If the perfect ending were really as described in the song, that would be truly wonderful."
He was old and had experienced too much.
He had been young too, and he was considered the last golden signboard of the older generation in the Chinese music scene.
That feeling of venturing out in his youth, though long gone, was truly brought back by this song.
"Listening to the Rain is still outputting steadily, no, it's performing exceptionally well, coupled with Dark Night Rabbit's versatile vocal range, with these two partnering, no other contestant stands a chance..." Liu Huan said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
The implication was that Dark Night Rabbit was a cheater, and paired with Listening to the Rain, who was also a cheater, others didn't even need to compete.
Even if Dark Night Rabbit were the only contestant on this show, the audience wouldn't get bored; he alone was worth an army.
"Next, please welcome Queen of Balloons to the stage, and let's hear the judges' comments," the host said with a smile.
Backstage.
Queen of Balloons drooped her head.
She walked towards the stage.
Then she sighed softly, "There's no comparison. No need to vote, I know the result."
The enemy was too powerful.
She couldn't muster any will to fight.
...
"Dark Night Rabbit, your piano skills are excellent." Mo Yan was the first to pick up the microphone.
His gaze towards Dark Night Rabbit carried a different kind of feeling.
And his tone was subtly teasing.
"I know a little..." Su Yu replied habitually.
But as soon as he answered, his heart skipped a beat.
That was his catchphrase, and it had slipped out without him realizing it.
From under his mask, he carefully observed Mo Yan's expression and saw him looking at him with a half-smile.
"As far as I know, Listening to the Rain also plays the piano, and at a very high level. Did you learn from Listening to the Rain?" Mo Yan continued to ask.
"No." Su Yu calmly shook his head.
But inside, he was panicking.
Was he exposed?
Would Mo Yan guess his identity just from the piano playing and the catchphrase?
"Dark Night Rabbit has brought us a memory of youth. This song is excellent, I vote for Dark Night Rabbit." Mo Yan didn't say much more.
He also didn't ask if Listening to the Rain had written this song.
Because anyone who wasn't foolish would know that this song was the story from Listening to the Rain's fan event.
"I choose to vote for Dark Night Rabbit," Mo Yan finished saying, and Yin Na immediately chimed in.
Neither of these songs was her preferred type, but Dark Night Rabbit was clearly much better, so she naturally voted for Dark Night Rabbit.
She paused, then added, "Dark Night Rabbit, can you sing songs with a strong live feel?"
This was a question she had always been curious about.
"I can a little." Su Yu nodded upon hearing this.
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the smile on Mo Yan's face grow even wider and immediately wanted to slap himself.
He was not in good form today; his catchphrases kept popping out.
"Only a little..." Yin Na sounded somewhat disappointed.
No wonder Dark Night Rabbit had always sung these gentle songs; it turned out he really couldn't do otherwise.
If that were the case, Yin Na felt that Dark Night Rabbit might not win the Song King this round.
Because she could tell that in this round, the replacement singer, Black Warrior, had very seasoned live performance experience, and he was also very good at choosing songs. His rendition of "Exaggeration" had blown the audience away.
Yin Na believed that Black Warrior must still have some trump cards hidden to contend for the Song King.
If Dark Night Rabbit couldn't sing this type of song, the Song King title might change hands this time.
Next.
Han Qi and Liu Huan both gave their brief comments and then began to vote.
The result was no surprise.
Dark Night Rabbit: 1830
Queen of Balloons: 570
"Thank you!"
Queen of Balloons bowed deeply to the audience and the judges.
In her opinion, the last group was still left with Faceless Knight and Red Dragon.
Both of them were very strong singers, much stronger than her. Either of them could easily win the second round if they advanced.
As for herself and the replacement singer Butterfly Lan, they would likely be eliminated this season.
"Actually, it's enough."
She comforted herself in her heart.
Because her original plan was to be eliminated in the first round, but now, due to good luck, she had made it to the third round.
...
The last group of the first round.
Faceless Knight against Red Dragon.
As Red Dragon took the stage, enthusiastic applause erupted.
Although he didn't win the Song King last round, he had shown his strength.
His transition between chest voice and head voice was truly amazing, and the heart-wrenching feeling he conveyed when singing love songs was no less impressive than explosive high notes. The fact that he could resonate with the audience and make them cry showed Red Dragon's formidable strength.
"It's been a long time since I heard from you, the past is too late.
Back then, we were together, leaving footprints along the way..."
Another love song.
Red Dragon seemed to have a unique understanding of sad love songs.
From the beginning, he narrated gently, drawing the audience into the emotional world of the song.
During the chorus.
He began his signature approach.
Using a very moving falsetto, combined with strong mixed voice, he sang a love song that was perfect for a live performance.
"This style reminds me of someone!" Liu Huan exclaimed, slapping his thigh.
"Who?" Han Qi turned his head, looking puzzled.
At the same time.
Backstage at the show.
Yi Hai Entertainment, as the producer of the show, even with official involvement, the officials only managed the fairness of the competition and did not participate in the production.
Chairman Shen Tianyue watched the screen in the lounge with a group of executives.
"Although Sun Yang has changed his vocal timbre, his approach is a bit too predictable..."
"There's nothing that can be done about it, as our company couldn't find anyone more suitable than Sun Yang."
"Actually, Sun Yang's public image is only that of an ace producer. Although he sings, he rarely releases music; he mainly performs live at events. It's unlikely anyone will guess his identity."
While everyone was discussing,
Shen Tianyue looked at Liu Huan on the screen. "If Liu Huan listens carefully, he should be able to guess, because Sun Yang has written songs for him."
That's right.
Red Dragon was the singer Yi Hai Entertainment had sent this time.
He was known to the public as a producer, specializing in writing love songs.
Of course, he had also released songs and was nominated for Song King once, but that was over a decade ago. His voice lacked much distinctiveness; his personal style was stronger.
Yi Hai sending him here was naturally based on this consideration.
A low-key producer suddenly singing, especially while masked, was indeed quite difficult to guess.