Chapter 195 Three English Songs Target Asia's Number One Person
Chapter 195 Three English songs, aiming to be the No. 1 person in Asia
Going on a bulletin board tour is easy to say but difficult to do.
The American Billboard singles list is considered to be the most authoritative singles list in the pop music world of the United States and even European and American countries.
It is also the most influential pop music ranking in the world.
In this era, it is already a miracle for an Asian singer to be on the American pop music Billboard singles chart.
As Zhou Jianhui said, cultures are different, languages are different, and the aesthetics of pop music are also different. It is difficult for Eastern and Western pop music to intersect.
Strictly speaking, the East can actually understand the West, but the West cannot quite understand the East.
Therefore, it is almost impossible for Asian singers whose mother tongue is Chinese to get on the Billboard with their creations.
How to describe this difficulty? Let’s use an analogy.
If a pure-blooded Chinese writes an English song and can sing it to the top 50 on the Billboard, then the difficulty is about the same as if an old American high school student comes to China and gets the top 100 in the national college entrance examination.
And this is not the statistical standard for future generations.
In the standards of later generations, in addition to data such as sales and radio listening rates, statistics such as streaming media were also added.
With the influence of the Internet, the list will be much more popular, so that Fanfan can be in the top 100 of the list.
In the 1998 evaluation criteria, there was no streaming media, so physical sales and radio listening rates accounted for the largest proportion.
These are all real data. Based on the data from European and American pop music areas, Asian fans are basically unable to exert their efforts.
So Jiang Yan said lightly that I want to be in the top 100 of the Billboard charts!
If he really wants to be successful, according to the trend of this era of worshiping foreigners and foreigners, Jiang Yan will definitely not run away if he becomes the number one person in the Asian music scene.
Hey, it's sad to think about it. Asia has such a splendid culture, but it actually depends on other people's approval to be happy.
Li Zicheng deserves to die, Wu Sangui deserves to die, and all the sinners of history deserve to die!
Having said that, the world is like this. Although Jiang Yan wants to promote traditional culture, his methods must not be too conservative.
You have to admit that others are strong. If you use the strength of others to establish your own position and then go back to do what you want to do, you may be able to get twice the result with half the effort.
In addition, compared with the Chinese music scene, Europe and the United States are still more aware of copyright, so from the perspective of making money, you can also make a lot more money by going to the bulletin board.
Of course, the most important thing for Jiang Yan is fame. After all, he wants to target Hollywood.
So Jiang Yan decided to work hard this time and try to achieve good results on the bulletin board!
Well, I can only say this myself. After all, it is too exaggerated. Zhou Jianhui would definitely vomit blood if he heard it.
So he wasn't going to say anything, but he thought that when Zhou Jianhui's teacher heard his singing, he would probably perform another show about the emperor not being anxious and the eunuch being anxious...
Sure enough, just as he was thinking about it, Zhou Jianhui came back excitedly.
"How many songs have you written?" Zhou Jianhui asked.
"One for now, I have ideas for the others." Jiang Yan said with a smile.
"Okay, our opinion is to make an EP first, with three to five songs, and let's create history first."
Zhou Jianhui laughed as he spoke, and even got a little carried away.
Jiang Yan hurriedly advised: "Don't get too excited. You are a CEO after all, so you have to keep your composure!"
"You don't know!" Zhou Jianhui looked at Jiang Yan excitedly and said, "This is making history, the history of us Chinese!"
After saying that, he explained to Jiang Yan the position of Chinese and Asians in the European and American mainstream pop music market.
To put it bluntly, they are at the lower level of the contempt chain.
If Jiang Yan can really counterattack, the dividends will be so huge that Jiang Yan, himself and Warner will be able to take advantage of them for many years.
After saying this, he also explained the bulletin board to Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan actually knew what Zhou Jianhui said, but he still listened quietly to the popular science.
"We work hard. The bulletin board doesn't say the top 20, it means the top 50, no, the top 100. As long as we can be on the list, we will be the king of Asia!" Zhou Jianhui concluded in the end.
Jiang Yan naturally understood this truth a long time ago, but he still "sighed": "I didn't expect the bulletin board to have such a meaning. I thought that as long as I sold the sales, everything would be fine."
"If you are on the bulletin board, you don't have to worry about sales. In other words, if you have sales, you don't have to worry about being on the bulletin board!" Zhou Jianhui explained with a smile.
"That's it!" Jiang Yan nodded, and then asked, "Your teacher has never heard of this song, why is he so optimistic about it?"
"Didn't I hear it? I can't tell whether it's a good song or a bad song?"
Zhou Jianhui patted his chest, saying that he was a professional, but then added, "Actually, my teacher also has doubts, so he will come over tomorrow, oh, it should be the day after tomorrow, to listen in person, but don't worry, I
Guaranteed, he will make the same judgment after hearing it."
"Do you take it so seriously?" Jiang Yan suddenly became interested.
"He came here last time to watch your movie. He was the one who made the final decision on your movie request. Similarly, his opinion is also very important on what promotion resources your song can get this time." Zhou Jianhui said seriously.
road.
In the contract, the promotion of foreign language albums was only at an ordinary level. After all, Jiang Yan was focusing on movies at that time, and the other party did not think Jiang Yan could do well in foreign language songs.
But this time, according to Zhou Jianhui, the promotion resources for these songs may really need to be upgraded.
In this regard, Jiang Yan felt that this was appropriate, otherwise the other party would be really blind.
However, Jiang Yan was more interested in Zhou Jianhui's teacher than promoting resources.
So he asked: "What is the role of your teacher? Is he a shareholder of Warner? Or is he an important member of the department? Tell me about it."
Zhou Jianhui: "..."
...
Through understanding, Jiang Yan understood that Zhou Jianhui's teacher was not a major shareholder of Warner.
He just has a certain share of the company, is a director, and has a certain weight in strategic suggestions.
Warner Records entered Asia, and this was the general sponsor.
It’s not too impressive, but it’s enough. At least Jiang Yan’s request for cooperation was coordinated by others, and the two Warner companies could finally make the decision.
"So, if I want Warner Bros. to fulfill its contractual obligations with quality and quantity, getting your teacher is the easiest way?"
"You could say that."
"Okay, let him come over." Jiang Yan smiled.
He is best at hugging thighs.
Oh, that’s not right, it’s not certain who will hug whom this time.
Because after showing his super creative ability across cultures, Jiang Yan will also become a real thigh.
If it's the thighs, people will take it seriously.
So again, I will help you navigate Asia, and you will help me navigate the European and American music and film and television circles.
You need to secure a higher position, and I also want to make more progress.
Win-win!
No one loses, right?
...
Two days later, the Xingchenhai Park was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.
Tonight we will welcome a good friend from all over the world - Mr. Sam Henry, the director of Time Warner.
This party uses a combination of Chinese and Western methods.
Of course, it is represented by food and drinks.
In the west, it is in the form of a party. It is no longer limited to a table of ten people for eating and drinking, but everyone gathers around a stage.
The stage is set in Warehouse No. 2, which was originally designed as a rehearsal hall and studio. It has been equipped with top-notch sound equipment, top-notch lighting and acoustic walls.
In addition to the senior cadres of Xingchenhai, those who came to attend the party also included the leaders of Hengdian Film and Television City, and of course the crew members of "Shaobao" who were already in place to make up the number.
In short, Jiang Yan will use three songs today to impress Mr. Henry. No, he will give Mr. Henry a perfect audio-visual experience.
At 6 o'clock in the evening, Wu Yong received a call and the motorcade had entered Hengdian.
Jiang Yan got the signal, signaling everyone to get ready.
At this time in the motorcade, Henry was in a very happy mood.
When we got off the plane from Shanghai, we were picked up and dropped off by someone in five luxury cars.
Five luxury cars formed a convoy, including bodyguards and so on.
Although this posture was not big, he knew that China had given him enough attention.
As the motorcade headed south, Henry saw the backward cities along the way, but in his eyes, everything was full of vitality.
Asia, China, represents the future.
Henry, who has been to China several times, knows this clearly.
Therefore, he himself also participated in many investments in China.
The investment amount is small, but the return is considerable, enough for him to retire comfortably.
But now, in addition to the real economy, he may also be in a good position in culture and entertainment.
Because when his students told him, Jiang Yan could actually write English songs, and he was quite good at it.
Although Henry had doubts in his heart, he still chose to come and take a look.
If it is true as Zhou Jianhui said, then Warner's bet on Jiang Yan this time will not only allow Warner to gain a foothold in the Chinese music market, but even create a god in Asia.
Yes, as one of the top five record companies in the world, Warner has this ability.
And Warner has produced a super international singer in Asia. As Henry, who facilitated this event, he can naturally reap the biggest dividends.
Of course, everything depends on the work.
Zhou Jianhui said it was very good and amazing, but he is an Asian after all, and his sense of smell for European and American music is not as sharp as his own.
Therefore, it is right to listen to what is believed.
After thinking about it, the convoy quickly arrived at its destination.
After entering the Xingchenhai Park, Jiang Yan and others were already waiting at the entrance of Warehouse No. 2.
Henry got out of the car and immediately saw Jiang Yan, the leader of the crowd.
"Nihao, Jiang~"
Henry habitually came up to say hello in broken Chinese.
"Hello Henry, I didn't expect you to speak Chinese."
Jiang Yan responded gracefully.
This made Henry laugh immediately.
Yes, people know English, otherwise how could they write English songs?
So Henry became even happier.
I heard Zhou Jianhui say that he has never been abroad at all. Gee, what a genius!
So he praised: "Jiang, your English is very fluent and has a British style. Where did you learn it?"
"I'm self-taught. I love learning, and English is not very difficult, so..." Jiang Yan smiled and shrugged.
After receiving proficiency in English skills twice, plus the business English he learned in his previous life, his English speaking level is not top-notch now, but at least he can have conversations. After all, how difficult can English be if he is not engaged in academic subjects?
"Jiang, you really surprised me." Henry said with a smile.
"Oh, Henry, my friend, let's wait until after listening to the song. You will be even more surprised by then." Jiang Yan was not modest at all.
It's wrong to be modest when talking to Americans.
Sure enough, Henry felt that Jiang Yan was very special, at least different from most Chinese people he knew.
Her speaking and acting style is very old-fashioned and beautiful, without any shyness.
This also made Henry feel very comfortable, so he smiled and said: "Okay, I can't wait to hear your song."
"Don't worry, you must be hungry after flying for so long. As the host, I have to let you eat and drink first today, please!" Jiang Yan smiled and introduced Henry into the room.
"Thank you so much." Henry said and entered the warehouse side by side with Jiang Yan.
The people who were watching all around looked at each other in confusion.
What did the two of them chatter about?
Although they didn't understand, everyone was really convinced that Jiang Yan could deal with foreigners so calmly.
At least among the people present, except for a few translators and Zhou Jianhui, the only ones who could achieve this level were certainly not able to do so.
...
Entering the warehouse studio No. 2, Henry felt very comfortable with the Western-style party buffet style and Chinese dishes.
At least he doesn't have to drink cup after cup. He is really afraid of the wine table culture.
Therefore, because of this, his sense of Jiang Yan became even better.
"You just came to China, so I'll do this today, and I'll treat you to an authentic Chinese banquet tomorrow." Jiang Yan explained.
"Thank you, this is very good, I like it very much." Henry picked some dishes, then sat at the table under the stage with Jiang Yan and ate happily.
Western-style partying is not so particular, and the process is probably like this.
Everyone was informed in advance, so the first thing everyone did was to eat.
But eating is secondary, discussing Jiang Yan's next performance is the main business.
Li Binbin: "Is Jiang Yan really going to sing an English song this time?"
Ren Quan laughed when he heard this and said, "That's still fake. You can't have a foreigner come and sing Peking Opera for him, right?"
"That's an English song, can it really work?" Li Binbin asked doubtfully.
"Don't use common sense to judge Jiang Yan." Ren Quan whispered.
"I know he is great, but why do he want to sing in English? He has just made some achievements in the Chinese music scene, right?" Li Binbin asked puzzled.
"It's for Hollywood." Ren Quan muttered.
"Hollywood?" Li Binbin was shocked.
For actors in this era, the attraction of Hollywood is endless.
So when she heard this, she immediately ignored the logic and quickly started imagining it in her mind.
But when she saw Zhou Zhiruo following Jiang Yan, she immediately felt that it was a bit difficult. However, the idea was planted.
Ren Quan didn't know what Li Binbin was thinking.
He is a down-to-earth person. Even if he knows, he will give Li Binbin good advice.
Can you grasp who Jiang Yan is? Right?
The same discussion was also going on among the rest of the population.
They are all considered their own people, but most of them are not optimistic about Jiang Yan's entry into European and American pop music, or even Hollywood.
Including company employees.
This is understandable. After all, it was 1998. Who in the Mainland had done it?
Looking further afield, how many Chinese have established themselves in Hollywood?
So most people are pessimistic about Jiang Yan's ambitions.
Jiang Yan was naturally aware of this situation.
And this is why he is having a party today.
Rather than trying to convince Henry, it's better to use Henry to convince the company's employees.
Raising your own confidence is the key point.
Of course, Henry is also the focus, huh!
...
After simply filling his stomach, Jiang Yan picked up the wine glass and led Henry to get to know the leaders and people who came to the party one by one.
After everyone circled and looked at each other, Henry started to talk about business:
"Jiang, let me appreciate your work."
"No problem!"
Jiang Yan clapped his hands confidently, then the lights dimmed and the stage lit up.
Immediately afterwards, a burst of pure European and American music slowly sounded.
And Jiang Yan also started singing under the lights and on the stage.
"My life is brilliant.."
As the song sounded, "You are beautiful", which is known as the most beautiful song in English, instantly fascinated everyone present.
The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on March 3, 2006, becoming James Blunt's first number one single on the chart.
When Jiang Yan wanted to sing an English song from the very beginning, this was the first thing that came to his mind.
Regardless of the performance, melody, meaning or singing method, it fits perfectly with Jiang Yan who now has purple skills.
Jiang Yan thinks the most wonderful thing about this song is that no matter Europeans, Americans or East Asians, they will find it pleasant when they hear it.
It's a rare thing to eat all songs.
So it’s absolutely indistinguishable when you use it for the first time.
"I will never be with you..."
The last line of lyrics falls.
As expected, the audience burst into applause.
Both the Chinese and Henry were convinced.
Henry's face flushed with excitement, and he didn't know whether he was really excited or was stimulated by Maotai.
When Jiang Yan finished singing, Henry clapped his hands and spoke incoherently and wanted to come up to discuss with Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan was really convinced by this old boy.
But this is not over yet, this is just one song.
So Jiang Yan said: "Wait a minute, let me pretend again..."
Immediately afterwards, the second music continued to play.
This time, the intro music is more exciting than the previous one.
However, the melody is still quite in line with Chinese and Western aesthetics.
Everyone was immersed in the prelude. Not long after, Jiang Yan opened his voice:
"I`m holding on your rope..."
"Apologize", in 2008, the song won the number one spot on the singles charts in 15 European countries and stayed on the US Billboard singles chart for 47 consecutive weeks.
In 2009, OneRepublic was nominated for the "Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group" at the 51st Grammy Awards for this song.
The original author of this song actually wrote it in 2003, but it is now 1998, so there is no problem at all.
The singing style of this song is also very consistent with Jiang Yan's. Its melody and rhythm can also make people calm down and slowly experience the sensitive sadness and delicate emotions in the work under normal heart rhythm fluctuations.
Is it considered a king bomb?
almost.
So Henry knelt again!
But it's not over yet.
In addition to having one of the most beautiful songs in English and a melancholy love song, when we open up the European and American markets, we have to have a rock-oriented song.
So "hall for fame" came out at the right time.
The song Manuscript released in August 2012 topped the British charts.
The theme of the song is to pursue your dreams, and the world will change because of you. The inspirational notes and the heart-touching rhythm are in perfect harmony. As for writing to someone's deceased parents...
This is easy to handle. It's time for Jiang Yan's deceased parents to step in to protect the baby, so it's very appropriate.
In addition, there is also a Chinese cover version of this song, which is "My Sky".
So in this Chinese album, "First Dream" was changed to "My Sky".
Perfect!
So three songs were sung.
No one in the audience could stand still, their faces were full of surprise and excitement.
Of course, part of their surprise was because Henry was also surprised. Warner's directors were very excited, so naturally they were also very excited.
Boss, awesome!
Li Binbin was holding a wine glass in one hand and patting her chest with the other.
The thoughts in her mind at this moment were becoming increasingly uncontrollable.
Zhou Zhiruo, on the other hand, looked arrogant.
Look, this is my man!
As for Ren Quan, Liu Changsheng and others, they looked at each other.
They don't know much about music, especially English music.
But they still understand the concept of Jiang Yan writing an English song that even Warner directors are optimistic about.
"A Yan, leave a few for me when the time comes and be sure to sign them!" Ren Quan immediately started queuing up.
The rest of the people followed suit.
So no need to say anything.
Everyone knows that Jiang Yan will definitely not be able to stop a mainland king this time.
Asian King?
International superstar?
Tsk tsk tsk!
In response to the crowd's admiration, Jiang Yan smiled slightly and said, "Everyone has them!"
After saying that, he looked at Henry who had been wanting to talk for a long time and said, "Let's talk in detail?"
"good!"
Henry agreed on the spot.
...
"Mr. Henry, are you satisfied with these songs?"
"satisfy!"
"With just these three songs, can I make money in the European and American music scene by standing on my feet?"
"able!"
"If I become famous in Europe and the United States, will I be the best in Asia?"
"Haha, that's right!"
"Then as the main person in charge, will you also fly into the sky?"
"It's necessary, so I want to thank you and let's work together!"
"But I think there are some flaws, so I don't want to release it."
"Hey~ I don't like this. If you have any questions, just tell me!"
"Where's my Oscar?"
"..."
"When will you start production on the American version of "Infernal Affairs"?"
"..."
"We agreed to collaborate on a movie, where is your contact person? It's been so long and there hasn't been a single phone call. Is the contract just a rip-off?"
"..."
"Tell me, Henry, my friends, do I think too well of you?"
"No, no, no, just listen to my explanation..."
.
.
This is the general chat situation.
Jiang Yan's goal is to make movies and advance progress, so he takes advantage of the situation to complain.
Henry's goal is to create gods in his hands and to increase his voice in Warner, so he explained patiently.
So next, the two fully exchanged opinions.
When the two came out of the office, their faces were full of joy, and it seemed that they had reached a formal strategic partnership.
Jiang Yan will use his talents to help Warner expand its territory in the Chinese music scene.
And Henry will use his personal voice to ensure Jiang Yan's film requirements in terms of quality and quantity.
In this way, Jiang Yan, Warner, Henry, and Zhou Jianhui all benefited.
This seems to be the same as what the contract says.
But with the addition of Henry, the quality will be completely different.
Just like in China, the difference between a movie with Han Sanpin and without Han Sanpin is huge.
Although Henry's weight is far less than that of Han Sanpin, it is at least a powerful insurance.
And it will be an increasingly stronger insurance.
Because the better Jiang Yan's performance is, the greater the voice of Henry, the great hero, in Warner.
The higher Henry's voice, the more Jiang Yan can profit from Warner.
In addition to music and movies, Warner also owns TV stations and various copyrights, such as DC Comics.
So for Jiang Yan, who aims to advance progress, this is of great significance.
Of course, everything in this world is subject to change, and no one knows what the future will be like.
If you do it now, you may not achieve the desired results in the future.
But if you don’t do it, there will definitely be nothing.
So everything has to be taken step by step.
Judging from the current situation, at least the contract can be completed with quality and quantity guaranteed.
Jiang Yan has seen that the door to Hollywood's progress has been completely opened for him.
.......
The next day, Henry went directly back to the United States.
He has to personally keep an eye on the public relations, Oscar and film adaptation of "Infernal Affairs".
In a few days, the nominations for the 71st Oscars will be announced, so public relations are only starting now. The time may be rushed, but in the eyes of a company like Warner Bros., it is not a problem.
Jiang Yan is also continuing the "Shaobao" audition and album production in an orderly manner.
As for the album release.
The strategy is still to discover Mandarin first, crush the Chinese music scene, and dominate the Chinese market.
The best time to release a foreign language album is after the nominations are announced and before the awards ceremony.
The time is probably March and April.
At that time, it was able to build momentum with the popularity of the Oscars. According to Henry's words, the goal was to secure 50 points and fight for 20 points to reach the top 10.
Moreover, at that time, Jiang Yan's "Young Bao" had also been filmed, and the official filming of "Born in the Sky" and "That Man, That Dog in the Mountain" had not started, so Jiang Yan had enough time to wander around North America. This goal said
It may not be possible.
It's very tiring to compete for the charts, radio stations, programs, etc., traveling from state to state, and you can also attend a few concerts during the period.
Although time will be tight, that's how it is with bulletin boards these days.
In other words, if Jiang Yan wanted to be as good as in China and dominate the rankings without doing anything, it would be almost difficult to do so in such a fiercely competitive environment in Europe and the United States.
Not only that, as an Asian singer, it will be more difficult to get on the show and catch up with the radio than it is for European and American singers. What is difficult to say here is the degree of adaptability.
After all, the culture is different, and Jiang Yan doesn't have much experience in rushing for announcements in China.
So Henry expressed some concerns.
But Jiang Yan has already been mentally prepared.
He has a golden finger, so this difficulty is basically not a problem for him.
After getting Warner, and deeply binding with Henry.
Jiang Yan started his own business.
"Shaobao" still has more than a week to start filming.
This is a good time to go to the crew of "Sheng Kong Birth" to finish the scenes from the year before.
The filming of "Born Out of the Sky" spans nearly a year. As the "intellectuals" in the drama, the role in the capital will be resolved before the end of the year. After the new year, we will wait for the opportunity to go to the Gobi Desert to shoot for more than ten days. Compared with Wu Jing's role,
Jiang Yan is actually very relaxed.
So the next day, after Jiang Yan arranged the work for "Shaobao", he went directly to the capital.