"I think that, when it comes to original pop music, Hong Kong should learn from the Mainland."
It was a truly shocking statement.
Lu Chen had barely spoken before this, but the moment he opened his mouth, an uproar erupted. The Hong Kong musicians gathered around to watch the excitement react in all sorts of ways: some stared in astonishment, some sneered disdainfully, some fell into a thoughtful silence, while others turned red with anger.
Many felt that what Lu Chen said was downright ridiculous.
For a long time in the past, aside from niche genres like rock, Mainland pop music had largely been an imitator and follower of Hong Kong pop. Hong Kong had exerted a massive influence over the Mainland. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, quite a few Hong Kong musicians moved north to pursue their careers, contributing greatly to the growth of Mainland pop.
Therefore, to some extent, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that when it came to pop music, Hong Kong had been the Mainland's teacher.
Although Hong Kong pop music had declined nowadays, asking local musicians to turn around and learn from the Mainland was something they found extremely difficult to accept, especially coming from the mouth of Lu Chen, a vagabond singer from the Mainland.
For a moment, the crowd grew agitated, and the atmosphere turned tense and confrontational. If they hadn't been restrained by basic social etiquette, someone might have already stepped forward to loudly rebuke him.
Ye Xuan, who had brought up the topic, was secretly cursing his luck. He had never expected Lu Chen to be so blunt, leaving him in a rather awkward position.
Fortunately, Ye Xuan was quick-witted. He simply kept the conversation going: "Why do you say that?"
If their exchanges were treated like a comedic routine, Ye Xuan was playing the straight man setting up the punchlines. This way, he could draw the fire away from himself and shift everyone's focus onto Lu Chen, making them forget that he was the one who started the whole thing.
Lu Chen smiled. "Because, in some respects, the Mainland really is doing better than Hong Kong now."
His voice wasn't loud, it was even rather gentle, but his words carried an unshakable confidence.
Mainland pop music actually faced problems similar to Hong Kong's. Copying and imitation had become widespread, domestic originality had weakened, and the market was heavily influenced by Japan, South Korea, Europe, and America.
However, many Mainland musicians had recognized these issues early on and started making changes. The simplest example was that over the past two years, domestic music talent shows had placed increasing emphasis on original music, even launching programs like 'The Super Singer'.
Although 'The Super Singer' was produced by Xiangnan TV and its support for original music was undoubtedly driven by commercial interests, Lu Chen still supported the show itself. It gave talented singers an opportunity to stand out and helped bring together the forces behind original music.
Moreover, the treatment of songwriters in the Mainland had improved considerably. As the pop music market recovered, talented composers and lyricists were becoming increasingly sought after by entertainment agencies.
By comparison, Hong Kong's entertainment industry had gotten stuck in its ways. It lacked the courage and determination to change the status quo, remaining obsessed with the same old tricks Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea had already played out. It frequently promoted idols and manufactured publicity, focusing on reaching into young people's pockets to make a quick buck while never seriously devoting itself to original music.
Hong Kong's talent shows were particularly representative. 'Miss Hong Kong', 'Miss Asia', 'Idol Awards', and similar programs dominated the mainstream. They appeared lively, glamorous, and spectacular on the surface, but once the glittering exterior was stripped away, what was actually left?
Lu Chen spoke frankly: "When I was young, I listened to many excellent, classic Cantonese songs. But now, when I listen to Cantonese music, I'm still listening to those same old tracks."
"Isn't that proof that Hong Kong pop music has a problem with originality?"
Quite a few people around them fell silent. What Lu Chen said was completely true, leaving them with no way to refute him.
Still, some refused to accept it and challenged him: "Is Mainland original music really better than Hong Kong's?"
Lu Chen smiled slightly. "To put it bluntly, yes, it really is. I'll use myself as an example. I'm a songwriter too, and right now, my personal studio charges one million yuan for a single piece."
'One million yuan for one song!'
Gasps and sharp intakes of breath instantly came from all around. The price was completely beyond their expectations. After all, the best songwriter in Hong Kong right now, Ouyang Derong, only charges around 300,000 yuan a song.
The benchmark determines the standard. With Lu Chen as a reference, the value placed on original music in the Mainland was clearly not low, at the very least, it far exceeded Hong Kong's.
Someone muttered skeptically, "Is that really true?"
When Lu Chen first arrived in Hong Kong, he had attended a charity auction and offered one of his compositions as an item, which sold for an astonishing one million yuan. The story had circulated within the entertainment industry, but not many people took it seriously, knowing charity auctions often involved a lot of hype. Even a modern art painting consisting of random scribbles could be auctioned for tens or hundreds of millions.
Those in the industry knew perfectly well what went on behind the scenes. But now that Lu Chen himself had said it, the situation was different. If he were simply boasting, he would become a laughingstock throughout the entire industry.
"Of course it's true!" someone answered firmly on Lu Chen's behalf. "Mr. Lu Chen is one of the most outstanding music creators in the Mainland. As far as I know, his studio's songwriting schedule is already booked through 2018 and isn't accepting reservations for now."
Everyone's eyes immediately turned toward the speaker.
"Madam Jin!"
The person who stepped forward to verify Lu Chen's claim was none other than Madam Jin, the boss of Jin Mingshu Entertainment Company.
The doubters were instantly rendered speechless.
Jin Mingshu came from a prestigious family. In her twenties, she founded an entertainment company and got involved in producing films, television programs, and variety shows, as well as training performers. Over the decades, she had supplied Hong Kong's entertainment industry with a tremendous amount of talent. Famous actors like Liu Jiaen and Gu Rong, as well as singers Gao Mingfeng and Li Li, had all trained under her.
Within Hong Kong's entertainment industry, she was unquestionably at the very top. She didn't possess the star status of a Heavenly King, but any Heavenly King or Heavenly Queen would still show her immense respect. Her testimony naturally carried enormous weight.
Ignoring the astonished gazes around her, Jin Mingshu smiled at Lu Chen. "Lu Chen, long time no see!"
Then, this famous figure in Hong Kong's entertainment industry stepped forward and took Chen Fei'er's hand. Her face was filled with the delight of seeing an old acquaintance.
"Fei'er, you're becoming more and more beautiful!"
Chen Fei'er smiled softly. "Sister Jin, you're the one getting younger and younger!"
Madam Jin shook her head. "Don't tease me. If I'd known the two of you were invited to this salon, I would have come earlier."
Still holding Chen Fei'er's hand, she looked around and said very seriously, "I overheard a few things just now, and I think Mr. Lu Chen makes a lot of sense. The current situation facing Hong Kong pop music needs all of us to work together to change it."
"Simply talking about it won't do; what we need is action. I suggest we all work together to establish a competition dedicated to encouraging and supporting original music. We could even use a reality talent-show format, that's no problem. As long as we can restore Hong Kong pop music and Cantonese songwriting to their former glory, no amount of effort would be too much!"
Madam Jin's presence was formidable. The moment she appeared, she captured everyone's attention and elevated the discussion sparked by Lu Chen to a whole new level.
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(End of Chapter)
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