Author's Note:
How I'm handling language stuff:
All Chinese song titles will be in hanzi in-text. The first time a song is mentioned, when you hover over it (or click on mobile) it will show a translation and a link to a video, and in the endnotes of chapters I'll include links to all new songs mentioned, along with a lyric translation if the video doesn't have it. If the artist has released an official English title, I'll use that instead of a translation. After the first time a song is mentioned, it will simply be in hanzi, no hovertext.
The one exception is 忘羡, which I'm just calling Wangxian in-text. You can imagine the tune as being as similar to or different from Wuji as you'd like.
When Chinese lyrics are quoted, they'll be in hanzi with the translation hovertext every time they appear. Translations may not always match whatever translation I link in the notes, sorry. It's whatever translation of that specific line that I like best.
I am trying to keep all Mandarin in simplified, but song titles and lyrics are very often in traditional for some reason, so a bit might have slipped in.
Whether I refer to an irl artist by their English or Chinese name is up to the whims of whichever one my brain happened to latch onto when I first heard of them.
238
r/OurSong · Posted by u/calicopanther 5 hours ago.
S8E1 Livewatch!
Livewatch
This is the livewatch thread for S8E1!
Tonight we meet Group A, which will include juniors A-Qing, Lan Wangji, Wen Ning, and Xue Yang. We don't know the identities of the seniors yet, although Wei Wuxian has been dropping HEAVY hints on his Weibo that he's coming back as a senior this year!
Once we know the identities of all the seniors, I'll put them in a stickied comment, so don't open this thread if you don't want that immediately spoiled. (I won't put who gets paired up with whom.)
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linfuren
MARRY ME LIN HAI!
USERNAME
I know WWX was in S1 as a junior, so he's back for like the nostalgia or whatever, but even 7 years later, isn't he a little young to be a senior?
USERNAME
He debuted at 16. He was honestly too experienced to be a junior in S1, but they brought him in to attract an audience and no way could they make a 28-year-old a senior and still look like a serious show.
USERNAME
Tbf, it's not a very serious show. Can you even call it a survival show when at least half the contestants make it to the finale?
USERNAME
But it is all about the mentorship more than the competition, and people might not see it as that with a 28-year-old mentor, no matter how long he'd been in the business.
USERNAME
Especially since they were clearly aiming for an older audience in S1. They kind of abandoned that pretty quickly.
sdalkfj
I'm so glad Xiao Xingchen is back, and I can't believe he brought Song Lan with him! You would think the producers would want to stay away from anything that might cause any of them to be biased in any way, but I guess since they're both seniors it doesn't matter as much? Although they're so disgustingly in love, I wouldn't put it past either of them to throw the competition so his husband can win.
USERNAME
I think Song Lan and Lan Wangji would do well together. I know SL has his whole goth thing going on but even though his music is mostly rock he busts out actual showtunes in concert just for shits & giggles.
USERNAME
Hmmmmmmm maybe, but don’t you think Xue Yang is a more natural fit?
USERNAME
You don’t think xxc is gonna take xy? They're friends!
USERNAME
SL fits XY’s style better anyhow.
USERNAME
If XXC knows him, SL knows him.
USERNAME
But he's not like besties
with SL, only with SL's husband. So they might not be distractingly ridiculous together.
USERNAME
I think if XXC realizes A-Qing is there he'll take her. She's talked in interviews about how he's always been her biggest inspiration (and you know the producers will be hoping for the two blind singers to pair up for the feel-good ratings).
USERNAME
Ooooh four yesses for Wen Ning, aaaand… he’s going for Mianmian! Will they stay together?
USERNAME
Aw man, I was hoping he'd pick Wei Wuxian.
USERNAME
He might still win up with WWX! That would be a fun pairing, but I think either WWX or Mianmian would help him with his confidence.
USERNAME
Heck yeah! I think she can pull him out of his shell. And guy/girl pairs are always good since their voices contrast.
USERNAME
Oh he’s killing it on this song, too. He obviously recognized her voice as soon as she started singing, I think he’s gonna say yes.
USERNAME
She keeps smiling while he’s singing, but I can’t tell if she likes what she hears that much or if she just like recognizes his voice or something.
USERNAME
Idk, historically the first pairs rarely stay together bc they want to see their options y’know?
USERNAME
And yet! A match right off the bat! Yaaaay!!!
USERNAME
I am CACKLING “I know who this is.” “How would you know, you can’t even see me!” “…”
USERNAME
Not just you—the other seniors didn't even try
to keep it together! I was a little surprised, personally I'd feel super awkward laughing at something like that right in front of the blind guy.
USERNAME
Eh. SL is his freaking husband
, and WWX knows them (apparently XXC is an old family friend, knew his mom?). And if you'd paid attention you'd have realized that Mianmian was definitely looking a little awkward until she saw the other three cracking up, and then she let herself join in.
USERNAME
And then that gremlin smile when he gave XY a heart! XXC knows exactly what he's doing. OMG I would so LOVE to see them together, even if their styles make no sense together.
USERNAME
I think XY knows who it is, too—when they all cracked up at the "you can't see me" comment HIS gremlin smile came out. His gremlin smile which is so, so much scarier than XXC's.
USERNAME
AAAAAAAAAHHHH! Dream come true!!! Even if they don't wind up together, I get to have one beautiful XXC/XY duet!!
USERNAME
執迷不悔
(
No Regrets
)
is... an interesting choice for this pair. I mean, it's an obvious fit for XXC obviously—he's friends with Wang Fei and their styles have always been very similar—but I'm a little surprised he gave XY a heart knowing it was XY and knowing this was the song he was gonna make XY sing.
USERNAME
Oh I think that's exactly
why he did it. Gremlin couldn't wait to make XY sing some sappy WF.
USERNAME
Ykw, I think XXC was right. The way XY reacted when he heard his voice? Even though XY clearly already knew it was him? Don't get me wrong, XY is managing to sound great on this song, but his performance, uh... does not match the lyrics.
USERNAME
What, you think maybe he shouldn't be grinning like a madman through his verse? LOL
USERNAME
It's a song about being obsessed... I've heard rumors...
USERNAME
On the one hand, don't spread melons. On the other hand... 👀👀👀
USERNAME
So, the main rumor everyone repeats is just that something happened between XY and XXC when they were on that show together a few years ago and to this day they are NOT just friends, and SL is fine with it. But specifically what I've heard is that XY, given that he's what, like... half their age? Less? He was obsessed with XXC as a teenager. Like, sort of almost stalker-level obsessed. But they didn't actually meet until XY had a record contract and they were on the show, so on the surface at least it was less stalker-fan and more younger-colleague-looking-up-to-experienced-colleague.
USERNAME
I think it's not a stretch to say XY is obsessed with XXC. I'm not at all convinced it's reciprocated, or that they're like, a throuple or whatever.
USERNAME
Yeah it's always felt very one-sided to me.
USERNAME
I'm just repeating what I've heard. I agree, though, I believe the stalker part more than XXC reciprocating.
USERNAME
"We can’t work together, we’ll never get anything done.” As much as I'd like to see them together, I have to respect XXC's reasoning for why they won't. If only I'd been that smart about choosing lab partners in school.
USERNAME
I.... think XY was genuinely hurt that XXC didn't choose him? I mean when XXC explained his reasoning he clearly had to admit he was right, but right at first when he realized XXC didn't hit the button he looked a little devastated.
USERNAME
And then a little pissed.
USERNAME
He puts up a big front of being a wild, tough rocker onstage, but he's got a creamy nougat center (just like the candy bars he's always munching)
USERNAME
Ok, I love Lan Wangji's single as much as anyone, but WHAT is he doing? Opera? I don't even know what language this is?
USERNAME
Come on, even if you can't understand most of it, you don't recognize Shanghainese?
USERNAME
I was born in Germany! My parents are both from Beijing! I'm doing good to understand most of the Mandarin.
USERNAME
It's Shanghainese, isn't he from Shanghai?
USERNAME
He's from Suzhou, but this is Huju opera in Shanghainese, yeah.
USERNAME
It's not like he's the first person to sing in an operatic style on this show. Ayunga? Chen Lijun? How many countertenors? Etc
USERNAME
Ok but Chen Lijun is an opera star, I don't think we've ever seen a pop star come in and pull out opera out of nowhere—for auditions!
USERNAME
So is Lan Wangji though? He's only had the one pop song.
USERNAME
It's not from nowhere, guys. Ok, quick history of Lan Wangji: He's not a pop star. Well, now he kind of is, and that's why he's here, I guess he wants to go more in that direction, but he didn't start out that way. He's 30 years old and had his first hit single six months ago, what do you think he was doing before that?
Well, the answer is this! Like Chen Lijun, he's an opera singer first and foremost. Instead of Yue he specializes in Kunqu and also does some Huju, and also unlike Chen Lijun he's done some Western opera, too. Plus he plays guqin. He's actually a lot like WWX, in that he got his start really early—his family runs THE premier performing arts/martial arts school in Suzhou. But he wasn't just doing school productions, he started performing professionally in middle school, even younger than WWX! That boy was a legit musical prodigy, even composing his own guqin pieces at that age.
Anyhow, he only recorded 别忘(
Don't Forget) for a charity thing, he had no intention of detouring into pop music. But it took off, and now he's here, and nobody really knows if that means he wants to be a pop star now or if he's just getting whatever cash he can from his flash in the pan before he goes back to opera full-time.
USERNAME
You beat me to it! Yeah, I live in Shanghai and am big into the opera scene both here and in Suzhou, and Lan Wangji is a very big deal—I'd call him an up-and-coming star except like you said, he's been at it for long enough that he barely counts as up-and-coming anymore! Everyone in my circle freaked out when he released 别忘, and the fact that it was a hit! Hearing our baby's song in the shopping mall! Very exciting.
USERNAME
Honestly I really hope he's not leaving opera behind, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did some more pop. He's slowly moved from the extremely traditional styles that his family specializes in to more modern styles—no one would ever have thought a Cloud Recesses Lan would do Western opera, but he has and he's rocked it.
USERNAME
Wei Wuxian could not look more bored. No way is he giving this guy a heart.
USERNAME
Song Lan seems a little more into it, but barely.
USERNAME
He actually trained to do Beijing opera for a while, before he quit and switched to pop/rock.
USERNAME
I believe it, he's got crazy high notes.
USERNAME
I think SL is going to go for XY.
USERNAME
And he did not. That must suck, though, to only get a heart from one senior so you don't really get to choose?
USERNAME
Lan Wangji and Song Lan actually sound really good together???
USERNAME
Who would've thunk it? But idk if it's going to be enough to make them a good pair, unless LWJ is REALLY thinking of shaking up his style.
USERNAME
Yeah but if neither of them realize who the other is, they might base it entirely on how nice their voices sound together.
USERNAME
Eh, even if LWJ doesn't know SL's voice, I'm not sure he's going to go for someone who would choose this song. Both for style reasons and because I can't imagine him doing anything that even remotely smells of political, given his family and career so far.
USERNAME
I can't believe SL is getting LWJ to sing 一無所有 (Nothing to My Name). I really can't believe this is the best cover of it I've ever heard (I mean clearly neither of them have Cui Jian's raw, ragged voice, which kind of sells it all, but these harmonies?? make up for it???? and SL does have the raw emotion part down, even if his voice is smooth and clean. LWJ maybe not so much, but... those harmonies.)
USERNAME
LWJ maybe not so much Ok but THIS IS WHY I SAY NO. LWJ has no emotional range! Like, 别忘 is great but because of his powerhouse voice, not because he puts much emotion into it. And now he's kind ruining this for me by being so wooden?
USERNAME
👏 SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!
USERNAME
SAY YES SAY YES SAY YES
USERNAME
SAY YES SAY YES SAY YES!!!!!
USERNAME
SL + LWJ YES YES!!!
USERNAME
NONONONONO!! SL can't partner with a robot!!!
USERNAME
Aw man. I can't believe Song Lan said yes and Lan Wangji said no.
USERNAME
Eh, Lan Wangji is the one who was out of his depth with that song. I don't blame him for wanting a partner who's more his speed - he's probably hoping for XXC.
USERNAME
XXC is definitely going to go for A-Qing if Wei Wuxian doesn't snap her up.
USERNAME
That would leave... Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji???
USERNAME
Hm, I think I'd rather see him with Song Lan.
USERNAME
I KNEW IT, I knew SL and XY would end up together.
USERNAME
Was it always like that? Where the rejected junior gets a chance now instead of later?
USERNAME
Sometimes. Who tf knows, Lin Hai makes up the rules as he goes.
USERNAME
Honestly I wish we'd gotten to hear XY sing Cui Jian instead of LWJ.
USERNAME
Ok well here come the last pair, who didn't really get to choose each other. It's like, "here, junior who pulled the short straw to go last, have the senior nobody chose."
USERNAME
I mean. It's not like they get much to go on when choosing a senior. They don't get to hear the senior sing or anything. There's no reason to think anyone actively didn't want Wei Wuxian of all people. And A-Qing is probably perfectly happy to perform with him.
USERNAME
yeah but still
USERNAME
They're... fine together? I mean they're both having a lot of fun so that's good.
USERNAME
THIS! IS! MY JAM!!! Seriously I had 淋雨一直走 (Keep Walking) on repeat in middle school.
USERNAME
It seems like A-Qing's jam, too!
USERNAME
How old even was she when this came out? She must have had it on repeat in, like, nursery school.
USERNAME
Wei Wuxian chooses an Angela Chang song, why am I not surprised?
USERNAME
I've heard him do this in concert before—once Angela actually joined him onstage for it! Not at the concert I was at, but it's on bilibili.
USERNAME
Hey, he knows his strengths.
USERNAME
OMG, these two are the most adorablest. They're both so bopping along to this song, they sound great. Match made in heaven!
USERNAME
They are!! Ok I think it's gonna be WWX/AQ, SL/XY, and XXC/LWJ. And I think all three of those are perfect.
USERNAME
The producers couldn't have paired them up more perfectly if they tried. (Maybe they did, idk what happens bts)
USERNAME
Nah, some juniors have been legit surprised to find out who the seniors are, I don't think there was any bts machinations here.
USERNAME
You wouldn't need them, these four were always going to sort themselves out this way—WAIT WHAT?
USERNAME
Her little head bops on 人都应该有梦/有梦就别怕痛 (Everyone should have dreams/If you have dreams, don't fear pain) I can't even. Too cute!
USERNAME
NOOOOO, A-QING!
USERNAME
??? WWX is such a better match style-wise for her??? Why would she say no???
USERNAME
It's not like XXC is a BAD match for her.
USERNAME
Not great, though. But not as bad as WWX/LWJ.
USERNAME
OKOKOK I GET A-QING/XIAO XINGCHEN BUT??? THAT LEAVES LWJ WITH WWX????? Worst possible pairing, hands down.
USERNAME
Plus neither of them really chose it. Look at them, they're both just, like, resigned to their fates.
USERNAME
Ugghhhhh I hate when the show does this. This is why it's better when they have an extra junior so all the pairs chose each other, even if someone has to go home.
USERNAME
A-Qing, you could have saved us from this and wound up with Wei Wuxian, who arguably matches your style WAY better???? WTF?
USERNAME
Blind solidarity, bro.
USERNAME
That's kind of ableist to say it's just because they're blind.
USERNAME
SHE LITERALLY JUST SAID THAT ON THE CONFESSION CAM AND XXC HIGH FIVED HER. I WAS REPEATING HER.
USERNAME
IDK, this might be really funny in a trainwreck sort of way. Like, from the confession cam WWX seems determined to stay cheerful and make the most of it, while LWJ clearly wants to die or at least quit the show.
USERNAME
I've got money on LWJ suddenly having a scheduling conflict that requires him to pull out of the competition.
USERNAME
I don't understand why everyone is freaking out about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji being paired up? Lan Wangji has only had one pop hit, how can you even judge??
USERNAME
They can't, they're being dumb, it'll be fine.
USERNAME
But that one hit is a super sleepy love ballad, which WWX mostly avoids, and the rest of his career very much, uh... does not give you the idea of someone who wants to do bubblegum dance pop. Which is WWX's specialty.
USERNAME
Also, just their personalities. Wei Wuxian is... Wei Wuxian, whereas I'm not sure Lan Wangji has a personality.
USERNAME
I think Lan Wangji might have just walked off the stage if he'd had to do 淋雨一直走.
USERNAME
Walked off the stage and just kept right on walking into the sea.
USERNAME
That man would not have stopped until he reached the underworld.
Music in this chapter:
XXC & XY: 执迷不悔 (Zhí mí bù huǐ, No Regrets) by Wang Fei
SL & LWJ: 一无所有 (Yīwúsuǒyǒu, Nothing to My Name) by Cui Jian (known for having become the anthem of the nationwide student protests that eventually culminated in the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989)
WWX & A-Qing: 淋雨一直走 (Lín yǔ yīzhí zǒu, Keep Walking) by Angela Chang plus lyrics translation. If you want to imagine WWX's preferred music genre, it's this.
calicopanther MOD Stickied comment
Group A consists of:
Seniors: Mianmian, Song Lan, Wei Wuxian, and Xiao Xingchen
Juniors: A-Qing, Lan Wangji, Wen Ning, and Xue Yang