novelinnhs Chapter 059 The Red of Roses
Chapter 059 The Red of Roses
Tuya skillfully logged into the Penguin Music app.
As soon as I entered, a five-second-long "GG" message popped up on the screen.
Bright red rose petals were scattered all over the screen as if they were free, and under the cold moonlight, Lin Xu's lonely profile was tinged with melancholy.
Next to it are three large, very stylishly designed characters: "Red Rose".
Below, there is a line of small but very eye-catching bold text: Lyrics/Composition/Arrangement/Producer: Yang Du.
When the countdown ended and I entered the app's homepage, wow, the top banner recommendation was still a promotional poster for "Red Rose".
Seeing this publicity campaign, Tuya couldn't help but gasp inwardly.
"That's ruthless."
This is the source of their confidence in signing contracts with the three giants.
As someone in the industry, she is well aware of just how expensive recommendation slots are on a platform of Tencent Music's scale.
This isn't charity; every image and every exposure represents real money.
The daily price for a Google splash screen ad is around 200 million, and it can even soar to 600 million during peak holidays. Add to that the large banner ad on the homepage, and this whole promotional campaign can burn through the equivalent of a luxury car every day.
Jinshi Music really went all out to promote this newcomer, Lin Xu.
But this precisely illustrates an extremely frightening fact:
The higher-ups at Jinshi had an almost blind confidence in the quality of this song, "Red Rose."
They were confident that they could make even more money back with this song!
With a hint of curiosity, Tuya clicked on the banner, entered the "Red Rose" page, and clicked play.
The first thing to flow out was an extremely restrained, even somewhat lonely, piano melody, followed by the strings slowly and deliberately weaving in.
Tuya was stunned.
This prelude, which was clearly cool in tone and even slightly depressing, was completely unexpected.
To be honest, Tuya usually plays ethnic pop music, which emphasizes being bold, lively, and vibrant, and is very down-to-earth.
As a result, her songs are very popular among middle-aged and elderly people in China, and they have consistently ranked among the top ten square dance songs across the country for many years.
Although I might occasionally sing one or two ballads, I don't take that highbrow, sophisticated route.
The arrangement of "Red Rose" is elegant, too elegant, and of course, also very aloof.
A huge question mark appeared on Tuya's forehead: "How exactly is this stylish arrangement connected to that piece from earlier, 'Mistaken Passion...'?"
With her 33 years of life experience, her CPU must be burning out by now, and she still can't wrap her head around it.
This doesn't make any sense at all.
Despite her doubts, Tuya unconsciously abandoned her previous carefree posture, and her expression became serious.
"A dream within a dream from which I cannot wake, a red thread binding me under house arrest..."
Lin Xu's voice entered silently along with the accompaniment, without any loud showing off or heartbreaking screams.
His approach to lyrics is more like hugging you from behind in the dead of night and whispering his innermost secrets into your ear.
Anyone with a basic understanding of the music industry knows that male singers have a natural advantage when singing these kinds of sentimental ballads.
Whether it's a tough guy shedding tears or a prodigal son repenting, this contrast created by the expression of vulnerability is most likely to create a sense of brokenness that female listeners find irresistible.
What's more, Lin Xu is also good-looking.
He has a handsome face with strong features and overflowing hormones, but his eyes are those innocent puppy eyes.
When a playboy, who seems ready to flit among women at any moment, whispers a song in your ear with a deep, restrained voice...
Its destructive power was like unleashing a full-screen ultimate move, multiplying exponentially.
When she hugs you from behind, what I long for is her face...
Upon hearing this lyric, Tuya looked up at Yang Du in surprise.
Absolutely!
Tuya is straightforward, but that doesn't mean she's uncultured or lacks appreciation.
As a woman who once fought her way into the top nine and top five music charts and made a name for herself in the music industry, she knows very well what kind of lyrics are commonplace and what kind are amazing.
With just a few words, he vividly portrayed the base nature of those who sleep in the same bed but dream different dreams, and who are greedy and always looking for something better!
Look at what kind of music is popular among young people right now?
Forget about catchy pop songs; they're all just endless, meaningless refrains like "You love me," "I love you," and "It hurts so much to leave you." Or they're just forced sentimental whining.
Compared to those defective products that seem to come out of an assembly line, Yang Du's few lines are refreshing and have the same refreshing feeling as eating an ice-cold watermelon on a hot summer day!
Cool!
But it's not over yet.
Yang Du's talent, or rather, the true killer move of this song, has only just begun to be revealed.
As the melody builds up, the song finally reaches the chorus.
Lin Xu's voice carried a hint of almost cruel helplessness and relief.
"What you can't have always seems more alluring, while those who are favored take it all for granted..."
Upon hearing those two sentences, Tuya felt a jolt of electricity shoot from her tailbone to the top of her head, and her scalp tingled!
"So that's how it is..." Tuya murmured to herself.
She finally understood.
I finally understand why so many netizens from all over the world, who were complete strangers to each other, felt so deeply moved by a quote in that post I saw on the plane last night, and some even broke down in tears on the spot.
The combination of "white moonlight," "cinnabar mole," and the song "Red Rose" perfectly encapsulates all the essential elements.
They don't want anything, yet they don't cherish what they have.
"Red Rose" is not about romantic love between men and women, but about the baser instincts of human nature, such as greed, selfishness, and insatiability.
This song is going to drive people crazy!
When the song ended and Tuya turned to look at Yang Du again, her expression had completely changed.
If Yang Du had previously said that the inspiration for "Red Rose" came from "Mistaken Passion...", Tuya was still somewhat skeptical.
So now, she believes it.
She believed it one hundred percent, with absolute certainty.
Yang Du writing a song for a confidant is definitely not some kind of shameful or perverse hobby, or as some netizens have said, writing a song to reward himself with writing a song for a confidant. He is genuinely looking for inspiration!
The facts are right in front of us.
Clearly, the piece "Mistaken Passion...", filled with the flavor of her childhood and the story of a scumbag wanting both red and white roses, was merely a byproduct of Yang Du's search for inspiration.
Or rather, it was from "Mistaken Passion..." that he extracted and refined this song, "Red Rose".
One is a melodramatic portrayal of real life, the other is an artistic expression of human nature.
These are two completely unrelated things, but Yang Du's monstrous talent somehow managed to combine them together.
Once Tuya understood this, she was overwhelmed with shock, but then a strong sense of absurdity rushed to her head.
"But..." Tuya thought to herself, exasperated, "Whose muse is summoned by writing melodramatic romance novels?!"
Others find inspiration for their creations through poetry and distant places.
Yang Du finds inspiration for his writing by writing a piece about kindred spirits.
Tuya reached out and rubbed her temples, which were slightly numb. Having lived for 33 years, she had seen all sorts of ups and downs in the bizarre and glamorous world of fame and fortune in the entertainment industry. Back in the day, she was one of the top nine divas.
But today, standing in front of this young producer, she truly had her eyes opened.