Chapter 116: “Could You Please Not Be So Competitive?”

As the forty-eight hours came to an end, Zhou Ran, Zhang Yuan, and the other competing singers returned together to the lounge.

“Mr. Zhou Ran, will your song in a moment still be an original piece?” Li Jie, who was sitting near Zhou Ran, cautiously asked him a question. Li Jie considered himself something of a fan of Zhou Ran, and he was quite curious about this. He wanted to know, even though Zhou Ran wouldn't be performing on stage this time, whether he would continue to insist on original compositions, perhaps even writing new songs for Zhang Yuan.

“Haha, yes, this time Zhang Yuan and I have chosen another original song for the competition. You can look forward to our performance in a bit!” Zhou Ran replied directly upon hearing Li Jie’s question, not bothering to keep him in suspense, since everyone would find out soon enough anyway.

“All right, I’ll be sure to enjoy your work!” Li Jie nodded in satisfaction, a hint of excitement in his voice after receiving Zhou Ran’s answer.

The fact that Zhou Ran continued to insist on original songs made Li Jie admire him all the more. Indeed, Zhou Ran was still the same Zhou Ran, resolutely sticking to his path of original music, and with such high quality in each piece. That was what set Zhou Ran apart from the rest.

There were times when Li Jie fantasized about being Zhou Ran, able to compose original songs at will, writing music that could easily surpass Zhou Ran’s. But when he actually tried to write his own songs, he realized how difficult it was to create a good piece—there were simply too many things to consider. What had seemed simple in his imagination became as hard as climbing to heaven in practice, and there was so much to learn. This only made Li Jie respect Zhou Ran’s creative abilities even more. Some things can only be understood through personal experience.

Zhou Ran truly deserved his reputation as a “king of original music.” Just the fact that he could persist with original songs for every performance was enough for Li Jie to hold him in high esteem.

After Zhou Ran revealed that his collaboration with Zhang Yuan would again be an original song, the attention of those present quickly shifted to him. The other singers all turned to look at Zhou Ran; most of them, like Li Jie, were shocked by him. To compose original songs for every performance was simply extraordinary.

Most of the singers there had chosen to perform rearranged works, because for them, adapting a song within forty-eight hours was undoubtedly the best option. Creating an entirely new original within that timeframe was an almost insurmountable challenge. Even if they managed to write something, the quality was unlikely to be exceptional—if they had such ability, they would have long since soared to fame like Zhou Ran, instead of waiting to showcase their talents on this show.

Moreover, rearranged songs tended to be more readily accepted by the guests in the audience, while original songs, though capable of earning higher scores, came with greater risk. An original song’s baseline might be low, but its ceiling was high; a cover or rearrangement, on the other hand, guaranteed a certain level of competence but its ceiling would never surpass that of an original.

Xu Yan, Zhang Yuan’s main rival, also turned his gaze upon Zhou Ran after hearing this. Xu Yan’s team had also chosen an original song. According to Zhou Ran’s announcement, the two acts would both be presenting original works, making a direct comparison between them inevitable. It would be a contest to see whose defense was stronger—Zhou Ran’s, or the musicians hired by Xu Yan’s company.

In the lounge, everyone began sizing up the other singers. From this moment on, they were each other’s competitors—at least on the show. They needed to compete for greater exposure and the attention of the audience. Not everyone could debut in a blaze of glory and receive so much attention right from the start, as Zhou Ran had.

Most singers started step by step, gradually building up a fanbase, either by accumulating experience and waiting for their opportunity, or by biding their time until a wave of fans arrived. Ultimately, it all came down to the quality of the singer themselves. For instance, if Zhou Ran relied solely on the show’s exposure without building a repertoire of original songs, he would never have attracted so much attention or garnered such a following.

Everything he had achieved was built up, bit by bit, through the path of original music. This alone commanded the respect of many.

Zhou Ran truly had the strength to back it up, which was why he had so many fans. He wasn’t just a pretty face—if looks alone were enough, no one would last long in the entertainment industry, where attractive people were a dime a dozen. Without a signature work, sooner or later, anyone would be eliminated by the industry.

“Hello, good evening everyone in the audience! Welcome to the live recording of ‘Heavenly Voices.’ I’m your host, Tai Ran…”

With Tai Ran’s introduction, the hundred guests in the audience broke into enthusiastic applause and cheers. Part of this was because, as guests, it was their duty to liven up the atmosphere, but another part was genuine anticipation for the singers’ performances—especially Zhou Ran’s.

They were eager to see if Zhou Ran would continue to pursue originality, and curious about whether his collaboration with Zhang Yuan would spark any chemistry.

The performance order for the show was determined by drawing lots, and this time, Zhang Yuan drew an early spot—fourth—which let a few singers ahead of her breathe a sigh of relief. Even though they didn’t know how well Zhang Yuan’s new song would be prepared, the fact that the song was written by Zhou Ran was enough to make them cautious. Zhou Ran’s previous works had been recognized by all, and with Zhang Yuan’s own powerful vocals, it was no wonder she was vying for the title of diva.

Many hoped to perform before her, so they wouldn’t have to follow an act that would set the audience’s expectations sky-high.

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Chapter 116: “Can You Not Be So Competitive?” Free to read.