Chapter 57: The Song Goes Live
“Just to clarify:
‘I Believe’: Rock!
‘When Smoke Turns to Rain’: Folk!”
Seeing so many fans asking about the genres of the songs in the comments, Su Chen posted another message on Weibo to explain.
“Rock? Is Xingcheng Entertainment planning to steer Luo Jiaxing toward rock music?”
“But Luo Jiaxing really does suit this style. His high notes are amazing! So infectious!”
“Qu Anan’s songs are the ones that are truly moving, okay?”
“Exactly! Qu Anan’s vocal skills are clearly better than Luo Jiaxing’s. Being able to hit high notes doesn’t mean you’re great!”
“We’re all on the same team, no need to compare! They’re both great! Both are great!”
“……”
After two weeks of accumulation, the data on the August Newcomer Chart had already shifted. But “The Prose Poem Written by Father” and “Boundless Horizon” still firmly held the first and second spots.
“The Prose Poem Written by Father” had 8.2 million downloads.
“Boundless Horizon” had 6.94 million downloads.
Although downloads had dropped significantly in the second week after the initial surge, these results were still dazzling on the Newcomer Chart.
You have to know, the bottom of the Trending Chart usually hovers around 10 million downloads. Of course, the numbers fluctuate every month, but they generally stay within this range.
For example, in July, “White Fox” took ninth place on the Trending Chart with 9.81 million downloads. But by now in August, the song at the bottom of the Trending Chart had already surpassed 10 million downloads.
The reason was that almost all the singers releasing songs this month were popular chart-toppers. The competition was fierce!
Originally, Su Chen wanted to see if these two songs could squeeze into the bottom of the Trending Chart this month. But from the looks of it now, the chances were slim.
Su Chen glanced at the bottom of the August Newcomer Chart.
Ninth place was Wu Qihua’s song “Like the Flow of Time” with 3.12 million downloads.
Tenth place was Xu Ji’s song “Child Gazing at the Sky” with 2.89 million downloads.
At the rate things were going, hitting these numbers within half a month seemed pretty certain.
Both “Boundless Horizon” and “The Prose Poem Written by Father” had already reached about 5 million downloads in their first week. By comparison, “I Believe” and “When Smoke Turns to Rain” should have no trouble reaching 3 million.
As long as the downloads in the following week didn’t drop off dramatically, they should be able to secure a spot on the chart.
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On August 15th, “I Believe” and “When Smoke Turns to Rain” were released.
Within one hour,
“I Believe” had 320,000 downloads.
“When Smoke Turns to Rain” had 490,000 downloads.
Anyone who stayed up at midnight to listen or download was a die-hard fan. This was the first wave of explosive data—what’s known as the initial traffic.
Another major surge was expected after sunrise. As for how downloads would fare after August 16th, it would all depend on the reviews and word of mouth.
Just as expected, from the morning of August 15th, the numbers started to rise steadily, and by noon, they saw another major spike.
By midnight on August 15th,
“I Believe” had 620,000 downloads.
“When Smoke Turns to Rain” had 850,000 downloads.
Seeing these numbers, Su Chen knew that their position was basically secured!
He had full confidence in these two songs. But what he feared most was a lack of initial traffic. Without that, there simply wouldn’t be enough sparks to spread the fire. Even a spark needs time to ignite a prairie blaze, and he couldn’t wait that long!
Now, it seemed there would be no problem.
On August 16th, the first batch of song reviews appeared, and feedback began to trickle in online. Some listeners who loved the songs started sharing them on their Moments or other social media accounts.
Surprisingly, even though “I Believe” didn’t match “When Smoke Turns to Rain” in downloads, the buzz it generated online far surpassed the latter.
Luo Jiaxing’s powerful, clear voice soared from the very first note:
“I want to fly up high, shoulder to shoulder with the sun,
The world is waiting for me to change it.
I’m not afraid to show the dreams I want to chase,
Here, I can make them all come true…”
The bold emotions ignited by focused explosive power. The youthful voice carried a fearless vigor, like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers.
“I believe in hope…
I believe in tomorrow…”
It brimmed with passionate energy, stirring and inspiring the soul.
Whether it was a student chasing dreams in their youth, or a professional facing setbacks in the workplace, everyone could draw a sense of optimism from this song.
Perhaps because it was so catchy, some playful netizens couldn’t resist making jokes:
“I’m a chef, and this song makes me feel like I’m preparing an imperial feast for the emperor!”
“I’m a welder, and this song makes me feel like I’m welding an aircraft carrier!”
“I drive excavators, and this song makes me feel like I’m digging trenches on the front lines!”
“I’m a waiter, but after listening to this song, I feel like I own the entire hotel, even the boss’s wife!”
“……”
“I believe I am who I am. I believe in tomorrow. I believe I’ll find money on the street as soon as I step outside!”
“I was begging for change in Shanghai when I heard this song. It inspired me so much, I realized I couldn’t be so passive anymore. I decided to move to Beijing and beg there!”
Of course, aside from the jokesters, there were also sincere listeners making wishes for their own dreams:
“I believe that even as a poor kid from the countryside, I can achieve something big.”
“I believe I’ll get into Kyoto University in next year’s college entrance exam!”
“……”
By August 22nd, after a week:
“I Believe” had reached 2.85 million downloads.
“When Smoke Turns to Rain” had 2.13 million downloads.
“I Believe” had already surpassed “When Smoke Turns to Rain,” while Xu Ji’s “Child Gazing at the Sky,” sitting at tenth place on the Newcomer Chart, had just barely reached 3.2 million downloads.
“I Believe” was just a step away from making the chart!
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In an apartment in Kyoto, a burly young man let out a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha, Xu Ji is about to be knocked off the chart!”
“If he gets squeezed out again this time, he’ll really lose all face!”
“He’s failed to get on the chart several times in a row. If he misses out again, the company will probably give up on him!”
This man was Wu Qihua, who currently held ninth place on the Newcomer Chart.
Since Wu Qihua and Xu Ji debuted at the same time and were fairly evenly matched, they’d always been in competition and never got along.
Now, seeing Xu Ji about to be pushed off the chart, he couldn’t help but gloat.
His own song, “Like the Flow of Time,” had 3.8 million downloads, which he felt was pretty solid. Even if “I Believe” stormed onto the chart and pushed him down to tenth, as long as Xu Ji got bumped out, he’d be satisfied.
He didn’t consider “When Smoke Turns to Rain” a threat at all. With a gap of more than 1.6 million downloads and just one week left, how could it possibly catch up?
……
p.s. “I Believe” original singer: Yang Peian; lyrics: Liu Yurui; composition: Chen Guohua
“When Smoke Turns to Rain” original singer: The Landlord’s Cat; lyrics: Moyusi; composition: Shaonian Pei