Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Ai Xiuyu
Photo: Mango TV, interviewee
With an affectionate song "The Dragon", the 17-year-old Yan Mingxi surprised everyone with his debut in "The Sound of Endless Hong Kong Music Season". Produced by Hunan Radio and Television and TVB, this music gift program celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland uses the method of "old songs and new songs" to allow musicians of different ages from Hong Kong and the mainland to collide and blend on the same stage, and use music to tell the long-standing family and national conditions.
As a fledgling junior, Yan Mingxi was surrounded by a group of powerful celebrities and legendary singers, relying on his recognizable timbre, remarkable singing skills and full of delicate emotions to successfully go out of the circle.
Recently, the Yangcheng Evening News reporter exclusively interviewed this "new hope for the Hong Kong music scene" and "future generations of speakers", listening to her talk about her growth experience in Guangdong and Hong Kong, what she thinks and feels inside and outside the stage and the fun things in life.
"The first stage exploded, I was completely ignorant"
For the fledgling Yan Mingxi, "Sound and Life • Hong Kong Music Season" is a rare growth platform and experience opportunity. She admitted that most of the predecessors and peers in the show whose names are thunderous are because of this variety show. Now, near the end, Yan Mingxi will also bid farewell to her mainland variety show debut, she said: "It is really very unwilling! The whole show took great care of me, and people never rejected me because they hadn't seen me or heard my name, but they were very kind. I think that in addition to learning a lot of stage experience on the show, the warm atmosphere also made me feel very deeply. ”
Yangcheng Evening News: From participating in the "Sound and Life • Hong Kong Music Season" to the present, what changes have you made in your work and life?
Yan Mingxi: The biggest change is that it is enriched. I didn't have a clear goal before, and now I feel that my dream of being a professional singer has been realized, and I feel very fulfilled.
Yangcheng Evening News: The response of "The Spider" performed on the first stage was enthusiastic, did you expect it? What do you think is the point that moved everyone with this song?
Yan Mingxi: I didn't expect it at all, I was in a state of surprise! I remember that on the day of the first episode, there was also a recording of the show, and my agent came over with his phone and said, "Tell you the good news." "They were very excited, but I was in a very confused state.
As for why people like it, I don't know (laughs). Or is it because people are seeing me for the first time? Or is it the first time you've listened to the song? Or is it the first time you've heard someone cover it?
Yangcheng Evening News: The first appearance has won the love and recognition of so many audiences, are you happy or more stressful?
Yan Mingxi: Of course, half of the mood is happy, and the other half is determined to do better. But I didn't feel much pressure. In the past, I was easily in a state of tension, but after coming to "Sonic And Endless Hong Kong Music Season", I felt that I had improved and knew how to enjoy the stage better! Because there are a lot of staff on the scene, so many people are helping you, so although there is still a little bit of tension during the rehearsal, I am really enjoying it when it comes to the performance.
Yangcheng Evening News: You brought you a lot of good songs in the program, including "Talk about Love", "I Like", "Light Heart", "My Pride", which stage is your most satisfied?
Yan Mingxi: This is a difficult choice question, I think every show is working with different teachers, all have different feelings, so I like each stage very much! However, "Heartlight" is indeed a challenging song, because its bass is very low, and the high pitch is very high, and I still have a little pressure when Singing. I asked the original singer Joey Yung's sister for advice, and she taught me a lot, such as "the beginning must be exaggerated, release the emotions", my heart slowly put down.
Yangcheng Evening News: The program invited many legends in the Hong Kong music scene, such as Lin Zixiang Ye Xuanwen and his wife, such as Coco Li Wei, when you see them, will your emotions fluctuate?
Yan Mingxi: I feel that I am a relatively calm person, it can be said that my mood is usually a straight line, and there are very few things that can make my ECG jump a little higher. But when I saw them, the corners of my mouth rose involuntarily. My aunt and uncle were very excited, they really liked Lin Zixiang and Teacher Ye Xuanwen.
Yangcheng Evening News: Get along, which senior/peer makes you feel the biggest contrast and the most unexpected?
Yan Mingxi: I have two candidates in my heart. One is Sally's sister (Ye Xuanwen), I thought she was an out-of-reach existence at first, but she really appeared in front of me, she was not a cold and domineering kind of predecessor, but very kind and cute. The other is Mao Mao Teacher (Mao Buyi), who is indeed as quiet as on TV, but I don't know why I found that Mao Mao Has an inexplicable Mao humor, and he will poke my laughter as soon as he speaks.
"It was a great pleasure to return to Shanwei to reunite with my family"
Born in Hong Kong, he then returned to the mainland with his parents to live, and then returned to Hong Kong to study and debut due to the support of his uncles and aunts. Nowadays, due to the soaring popularity of participating in the "Sound and Life • Hong Kong Music Season", Yan Mingxi's growth path has benefited from the common nourishment of the mainland and Hong Kong.
Now, after gaining hundreds of thousands of new fans, she has broadened her own musical path and been able to often return to Shanwei, Guangdong Province, to reunite with her family, Yan Mingxi sighed: "Really lucky!" She revealed that she successfully held changsha's spicy diet, and in the future, she hopes to travel more to some mainland cities and feel and record different scenery.
Yangcheng Evening News: The emotions expressed by many classic songs are still quite complicated, how do you feel the intention of these songs?
Yan Mingxi: I often fantasize about many things on weekdays, and I also read novels. Novels have no picture, and they need to rely on their own imagination. I am a person who reads novels with music, and when I see certain plots in the book, my mind will automatically match certain music, imagining the pictures and actions of the characters at that time. When Singing, this habit can in turn help me understand the mood of the song. During the practice, I will also sing my feelings to the teacher, if there is a mistake, the teacher will correct me, I will filter and digest.
Yangcheng Evening News: What type of novel do you prefer to read?
Yan Mingxi: It may surprise everyone to say it, I love to read through novels, similar to a very powerful modern person crossing over to a weaker ancient person, making him suddenly become very powerful, making everyone lose their jaws.
Yangcheng Evening News: Which specific online author will you chase?
Yan Mingxi: No. But once I start reading it, I have to read the whole book, and I will also read the mainland novel website. But if I see half of it and find that the author has not been updated, I can't go on, I feel a little disappointed, most afraid of the author "digging a pit", haha.
Yangcheng Evening News: Are you a family lover? Is there a feeling of "returning home" to your hometown in Shanwei now?
Yan Mingxi: I am a family lover, when I don't need to work, I like to "stay at home" to do things at home, and I rarely go out. The feeling of returning home is very good (laughs), and I am very happy to see that my younger siblings have grown up a lot, and my parents are still like that (not getting older).
Yangcheng Evening News: What do your family often tell you?
Yan Mingxi: Parents always say "eat on time, relax yourself, don't put so much pressure on yourself" "You don't have to worry about mom and dad, mom and dad can, we will take care of ourselves." My grandparents also watched my show. All in all, the family is especially happy when they are reunited.
Yangcheng Evening News: You revealed on social media that you are brewing a "Xi Travel" Vlog, do you have any specific punching plans?
Yan Mingxi: I want to do "Xi Travels" because I often have to go outside to work or practice now, and I can experience a lot of different scenery, which gives me some inspiration, and I will take my mobile phone to take pictures. I have a big goal, which is to eat all the food in Changsha. Eat spicy I can! I had to go to hot pot with Magic Flashmaster and Mike, and I didn't feel anything at first, but then I felt that "hemp is too spicy". In short, half spicy pot, half tomato pot, no pressure!
"Pressure pushes me to work harder at everything"
In 2021, he participated in "Legend of Sound Dream" to win the championship and entered the industry, and in 2022, he let the mainland audience know himself with "Sound and Endless Hong Kong Music Season", and Yan Mingxi's career can be described as smooth sailing. Of course, behind the growth is inseparable from her own efforts, young left her parents to study in Hong Kong, she has a tenacity inside. Yan Mingxi said frankly: "Usually I am not a person with very good ideas, but once I want to understand one thing, I will be very insistent on my ideas. ”
Yangcheng Evening News: How do you interpret your own luck and the factors behind your luck?
Yan Mingxi: It is true that I have been walking quite smoothly, I am lucky, but luck does not come by "touching", and it also requires a little effort or loss of something to go better. "Losing" can be a kind of foreshadowing. When you lose something, you may also gain something, so work hard! I think that one of the things that is very important is to make an effort to continuously improve one's personal situation. Your efforts and efforts may be to help you get over those "unlucky" things.
Yangcheng Evening News: What do you think you have lost?
Yan Mingxi: For example, time spent with friends, and some personal time. But I also feel very fulfilled and won't have the "not knowing what I'm doing" state I used to be.
Yangcheng Evening News: Your career starting point is quite high, will this bring a lot of pressure?
Yan Mingxi: Stress is inevitable, but it will encourage me to work harder to do everything well. In fact, in "Sonic Endless Hong Kong Music Season", I learned a lot. Every singer is very strict about every song they are about to sing, and will be very serious about arranging music or discussing with the production team. Singers who have been in the industry for decades have worked so hard, and I have no reason to relax.
Yangcheng Evening News: Your calm and steady typhoon has left a deep impression on everyone, is this an innate talent or an acquired cultivation? At what point do you need to decompress yourself in particular?
Yan Mingxi: When I was a child, it wasn't like this. When I was a child, I had some "social cattle", what emotions I will show on my face, but when I grew up, I became shy, although not "social fear", but to be familiar with everyone, I will be crazy and play, when I am not yet cooked, I am very shy, very slow and hot. Well, I haven't found a very reliable method yet, but I believe that there is no pressure to do the stressful things, haha.
Yangcheng Evening News: Very mature on stage, cute and flying in private, and likes to post ugly photos and grimace photos on social networking sites. What do you think of this contrast of your own? Don't you have idol baggage?
Yan Mingxi: Actually, I don't know what the contrast is with me, but I often suddenly make some strange moves, and in hindsight, I also feel very embarrassed! That's why sometimes my channel suddenly switches, jumpers, I really can't control myself, haha. I don't have idol baggage, I shake it off completely.
Yangcheng Evening News: So, what other interesting aspects have you not revealed?
Yan Mingxi: In addition to grinning a lot and sometimes doing things that I didn't expect, I also painted when inspiration came. I have a completely zero foundation, fixed topics that I am difficult to draw, and I can't say that I can't draw beautifully. But sometimes, when I see some pattern or someone else's work, I suddenly have my own ideas and think of what to draw.
Yangcheng Evening News: What types of songs do you listen to on weekdays? In addition to idol Zhou Shen, which singers do you often listen to?
Yan Mingxi: I listen to songs in many different languages, and Cantonese songs are only a part. Genres, electronic music, lyrics, rock, and even opera. I like the songs of Teacher Liang Bo, Teacher Liu Huan and Teacher Wei Lan. Magic Flashmaster is also a group that I really admire, although I don't sing Rap very much, they are really very talented and very powerful, and I like their "Opponent" and "Magic Moving North Star".
Yangcheng Evening News: I'm curious which songs you will listen to Teacher Liu Huan? "The great river flows eastward, wow, the stars in the sky participate in the Big Dipper"?
Yan Mingxi: No, this group is too surging, hahaha. I listened to "Night," a song that has a feeling of being released alone in the dead of night. The first time I heard it was also in a variety show in the mainland, it felt like it flew into the universe, so attractive, I downloaded it, and I kept hearing it now.
"It is a great honor to express my blessings as a singer"
In 2022, the Beijing Winter Olympics were successfully held, and Hong Kong also ushered in the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland. As a singer, Yan Mingxi not only sang the theme song of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics "Together to the Future" and the theme song "Before" launched by the Hong Kong SAR Government to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, but also participated in "Our Bauhinia Flowers" to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. In this regard, Yan Mingxi said: "I am very honored to express my blessings as a singer, hoping to let everyone feel the power of our teenagers. ”
Yangcheng Evening News: Compatible with the growth experience of Guangdong and Hong Kong, has it given you some special gains?
Yan Mingxi: I think it is a good thing to have a different regional growth background. I am a very adaptable person, and I will not feel unaccustomed in Changsha now. I think what Hong Kong and the mainland have in common is very humane, including when I first went to Beijing, I heard everyone speakIng Beijing, the speed of speech was fast, and there were childlike sounds. Although sometimes I can't react, I am unexpectedly very intimate, and this feeling is very magical!
Yangcheng Evening News: Many people say that you are "the hope of the Hong Kong pop music scene" and "the reserve of the Queen of Heaven", do you have the confidence and ambition to carry this big banner?
Yan Mingxi: In fact, there are many excellent people, and there are many singers in the Hong Kong music scene who are proud. I'm just one of them, not "just me", so I feel like it's best for everyone to work together.
Yangcheng Evening News: But are you confident of being the best of them?
Yan Mingxi: Confidence must be there, but not too much. My own self-confidence is a little lower in the middle, and I am not a confident person. In the "Sonic Hong Kong Season", sometimes my confidence will fall, but everyone around me is encouraging me, so my confidence has increased a little. I think the road is still very long, and I can work hard slowly.
Yangcheng Evening News: Many Hong Kong artists are versatile artists, have you ever thought of opening up beyond singing?
Yan Mingxi: I may try to shoot more, but in fact, I feel that acting is helpful for singing. Many actors and teachers act very well, and they are very engaged in singing, as if they have performed a play on the stage with their singing voices, and I really want to learn. In fact, I have already filmed a scene once, but now I don't have enough experience, I hope to learn more experience from different places and then shoot a scene, it will feel different. I don't want to waste everyone's time because I don't perform well or experience enough.
Yangcheng Evening News: Will you have a role that you particularly favor? The heroine of the crossover drama?
Yan Mingxi: There is no role that I particularly want to play, and I myself also want to challenge different styles in singing, and the same is true for filming, and I want to try more different roles.
Yangcheng Evening News: July 1 this year is the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, do you have some blessings to give this special day?
Yan Mingxi: I hope that Hong Kong can prosper. Let's work together to build the motherland and move towards the future together!
Edit: Shao Zi