IT Times reporter Mao Yu
2024 is about to pass the halfway point, and the music variety show "Singer 2024" will become a phenomenal hit when it premieres, locking in the popularity of the annual variety show in advance.
In the first live competition on May 10, the high-level performances of foreign contestants Chanté Moore and Faouzia not only detonated the atmosphere of the scene, but also boosted the popularity of the show, sparking a wide public discussion about the difference between the local entertainment industry and the international music level.
As Hunan Satellite TV's gold medal music competition program, "Singer" has occupied a place in domestic variety shows since its premiere in 2013 with its excellent stage design, high-level music duel and exploration of musical diversity. However, the special point of this season is that for the first time, the stage adopts a live competition method, with no post-editing and all flaws are displayed in real time.
But it is precisely because of this that "Singer 2024" proves that music knows no borders, and performers standing in the spotlight need to be tested with hard power, fair competition, regardless of country.
The source of the heat The tension and excitement brought by live broadcasting
Looking back at the history of "Singer", it has always been known for exploring the diversity of music and providing high-end live performances. From the touching performances of veterans such as Han Hong and Sun Nan, to the fact that Deng Ziqi, who was still a newcomer back then, became famous with "Bubble", there are many memorable classic moments in previous seasons.
However, this year's "full live" mode has undoubtedly pushed this pursuit to new heights, requiring every participant to be in the best shape under pressure. "Broken sound" and "out of tune" and other things that singers are most worried about happening, on the stage of "Singer 2024", without exception, it is difficult to avoid.
Chanté Moore and Faouzia took center stage with their confidence in their professional skills and the high level of their live performances. Faouzia is always smiling, young but full of energy. Chanté Moore has a strong voice and is full of aura on stage, and the two always occupy the top three seats.
Na Ying, as a local representative with both prestige and strength on the stage of "Singer 2024", carries many expectations, and the first live broadcast lives up to expectations and wins the third place. However, even such a veteran singer could not hide his nervousness under the pressure of live broadcast. Creative talent Wang Sulong and multi-habitat artist Rainie Yang, although they have their own musical and acting achievements, they have failed to play a stable role on the live broadcast stage, while the second-hand Rose Band and Hailai Amu have been criticized by the audience for their lack of coffee seats and niche style, which is difficult to control the current stage.
On the Internet, the audience's evaluation of "Singer 2024" is polarized. On the one hand, many people appreciate the show's courage to break through the convention, believing that the live broadcast mode returns the music competition to its true nature and enhances the tension and realism of the viewing; On the other hand, many people believe that there are too many uncontrollable factors in the live broadcast, which may magnify the singer's mistakes and affect the viewing experience.
In terms of performance, Chanté Moore and Faouzia are comfortable with explosive English songs, which tend to arouse emotional resonance with the audience, and the performance is more infectious. In contrast, niche folk songs, sweet pop songs, and lyrical songs may be at a disadvantage in live competition, especially when the singer's interpretation skills are not proficient enough or the timbre is not outstanding enough, the subtle flaws of the music will be magnified, affecting the overall stage effect, making it difficult to obtain high praise in the fierce competition.
However, the singer who can participate in the live broadcast competition of "Singer 2024" is a brave self-challenge in itself, which is not only a testing ground for professional skills, but also a limit test of personal psychological endurance and on-site adaptability. After all, on the night of the first live broadcast competition, news came out that at the beginning of the show, some invited singers refused because they were afraid of the live broadcast mode. Professional music critic Lu Shiwei also said in the public discussion that the excellent results of foreign singers in the first phase have touched the sensitive nerves of the Chinese music scene for a long time about international competitiveness, prompting people to face up to and reflect on the internationalization of the music market. Failure is not terrible, but I don't even have the courage to play, which is sad.
The competition system changes frequently, and it is difficult to save the reputation of "Singer".
Every episode of "Singer 2024" will ignite heated discussions on the whole network, and the live broadcast will be on the hot search again and again. Han Hong, Sun Nan, Phoenix Legend, Shang Wenjie, Yuan Yawei and other singers with both popularity and strength were eagerly awaited by netizens to "save the scene".
On May 24, "Singer 2024" ushered in the shocking debut of the first guest on the charts, American pop singer Adam Lambert. He ended up with an impeccable performance that almost turned the leaderboard competition into a solo show.
It is reported that there will be a total of three singers on the list this season, and similar sudden challenges will become the norm, testing the continuous adaptability and adaptability of the singers on the list.
The live broadcast on June 14 ushered in two more powerful factions - Shang Wenjie and Yuan Yawei came to the list, and the two sisters were still competing in the "Riding the Wind 2024" program at that time, and they made a special trip to "ask for leave" to come to the rescue, but they didn't expect the competition system to change again, causing great controversy.
Rushing to the list is different from hitting the list, according to the rules, you can only choose one of the top four singers in the last ranking to challenge, and only if you succeed can you stay. In this game, Shang Wenjie rushed to the list of Faouzia, although she performed "The Wind on the Way Home" with a steady typhoon and full open mic strength, but she still failed to retire, and it was later reported that she actually played poorly due to the temporary change of tracks in the program team and the change of the competition system. Many spectators felt that their live performance did not match the results and questioned the fairness of the competition system.
At present, the official "Singer" has not responded positively to this matter. However, Na Ying once revealed in an interview that the competition system is variable, and the official live broadcast can re-select the list object, which contradicts the program team's claim that there is only a fixed list object, which further exacerbates the suspicion of the outside world. "Singer" has been widely recognized in terms of music quality, but some netizens believe that the program team is too biased towards pop singers in the selection of talents, ignoring the voices of more niche or independent musicians, which limits the diversity of music to a certain extent.
Where is the self-confidence of domestic musicians?
In the latest live broadcast, Na Ying unexpectedly dropped to seventh and faced a crisis of elimination. Although Na Ying showed a rare sense of relaxation in recent times, she was considered not "powerful" enough in the selection of songs. And Huang Xiaoyun, who is regarded as the favorite to hit the list, adapted the song "The Sea of Stars" and incorporated the theme song "Song of the Mermaid" of Doria's character in "Glory of Kings", which attracted attention, but due to the imperfect arrangement and unstable mentality, the performance was not good, and finally failed to make the list, which also indirectly helped Na Ying to avoid elimination.
Song selection, arrangement, on-the-spot performance, professional ability, stage mentality, event system, etc., all affect the final ranking and results of such live events. But how many musicians in the domestic music scene can fully control these elements? It may be necessary for people in the domestic music industry to ask themselves. The discouragement in the face of challenges may be due to a lack of confidence or strength considerations, which is worth pondering in the domestic music industry.
At present, the schedule of "Singer 2024" has passed the halfway point, and after the excitement has faded, what is waiting is the road to regain confidence in the domestic music market. The road is obviously going to be long.
It is undeniable that "Singer" provides a stage for many singers to show themselves and realize their musical dreams through the advantages of the platform, especially for some relatively niche music styles, so that they have the opportunity to enter the public eye, and promote the integration and innovation of music styles. This season's competition also opened an in-depth dialogue about the nature of music, international exchange and fair competition. This kind of innovative challenge and persistence in the music profession also indicates the possible development direction of music variety shows in the future.