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The first girl group in China was formed in the year 2000.
After more than a decade of development, there are now over 20 active girl groups in the entertainment scene, of course, that only counts the ones with actual name recognition and talent. All those makeshift teams of a few random newcomers thrown together don't even make the cut.
Though China's entertainment industry has grown rapidly, and the market "cake" has gotten larger, the competition has become even more cutthroat. Especially in niche markets with clearly defined positioning, it's already a brutal red ocean.
A girl group typically consists of anywhere from three to dozens of members. For a record company, the resources and effort required to promote and make a girl group famous are far greater than pushing a solo vagabond singer.
Flying Stone Records placed a heavy bet on MSN, aiming to carve out a big slice of the girl group market.
Unlike most girl groups, particularly those from Japan and South Korea, many in the industry felt that Flying Stone launched MSN at the wrong time, rushing them to market without enough preparation. It seemed like a classic case of trying to run before learning to walk.
In contrast, most South Korean girl group members are meticulously selected from company trainee pools. They endure years of grueling training, building solid foundational skills.
And even then, many still fail to gain market approval. The elimination rate is brutally high.
Among MSN's members, Su Jiajia was the most conventional; she had trained as a proper trainee, and her foundations were solid.
Ning Tian graduated from a music college, but her academic training wasn't exactly geared toward the idol scene.
As for Mu Xiaochu... she was even further off. A student from Capital City Foreign Languages University, her fame came mostly from appearing on "Singing China". Beyond that, there wasn't much to say.
A group like this should have undergone at least six months to a year of intensive training before making their debut.
But Flying Stone ignored all that, debuting MSN practically right after formation, releasing their first album while pouring an enormous amount of money into packaging and promotion.
And somehow… it actually worked.
That's why many of the peers and industry folks who showed up to this platinum celebration party tonight came with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and disbelief, yet still couldn't help watching the three beautiful girls perform on stage.
To be fair, after their recent nationwide promotional tour, the girls had grown a lot. Their live singing and dancing might not have been flawless, but it was more than enough to please the eyes and ears.
The fans packed into the banquet hall cheered so loud, it felt like they might blow the ceiling off.
For this platinum album celebration, Flying Stone spared no expense, inviting 280 core members of the MSN fan club, their most devoted supporters. Some were even flown in from other cities, with their travel and accommodation costs covered.
And notably, 70 more spots were given to Lu Chen's fan club, the Lu Family Army.
The reason was simple: since Lu Chen began collaborating with MSN, the Lu Family Army had built a great relationship with MSN's fan base. From early on, they had embraced Mu Xiaochu as Lu Chen's honorary little sister, fondly calling her "Sister Xiaochu."
Because of that connection, and their natural affection for the girls, the Lu Family Army made up a significant portion of the album's sales.
If the Platinum Record was a shining medal of achievement, then the Lu Family Army certainly deserved credit.
Flying Stone Records not only welcomed this situation, but actively encouraged it. If the banquet hall at the Regal Grand Restaurant hadn't had space limitations, they probably would've invited even more.
After the first song, "Not Yet Lovers", finished, Ning Tian stepped forward with a smile and asked: "Thank you, everyone! So, what song would you all like to hear next?"
At 20 years old, Ning Tian was the oldest member of MSN, and a graduate of the Northern Conservatory of Music, a true professional.
She also had the best figure and arguably the most stunning looks among the three. She had already been appointed MSN's team leader. Fans adored her expressive eyes, when she smiled, it felt like her eyes were speaking directly to you, drawing you in.
No sooner had she spoken than fans in the crowd shouted:
"Where's Love!"
"He Still Doesn't Understand!"
Besides "Not Yet Lovers," those were clearly the other two fan-favorite tracks. Almost no one called out for the other songs on the album.
And this once again reminded all the industry insiders in the room, all three of these songs were written by Lu Chen!
Many couldn't help but glance toward Lu Chen, seated right in front. Their expressions were... complicated.
Some had dismissed the breakout success of MSN's debut album, "Not Yet Lovers," as nothing more than the result of Flying Stone's aggressive marketing and PR blitz. Some even went as far as accusing the label of faking sales numbers, claiming it was a bubble waiting to burst.
But for those who really understood the industry, such sour grapes takes were laughable.
Yes, Flying Stone invested heavily, but without Lu Chen's tailor-made three songs, there was no way MSN could've reached this level of success.
Lu Chen's talent as a songwriter was undeniable.
What people questioned, however, was how long he could sustain this originality. After all, history in the pop music world is full of flash-in-the-pan creators, brilliant debuts followed by swift decline.
Once inspiration dries up... once someone starts coasting... stops learning and growing...
Very few singers, or even full-time professional songwriters, can maintain creative excellence over the long haul.
Many songwriters, after creating one or two good songs, basically blend into the crowd. Their creative spark fades, and they end up coasting on their past reputation and basic skills without producing anything new.
Lu Chen should be different from them. But looking back at his works over the past six months, everyone is amazed by the sheer intensity of his creative drive and the richness of his inspiration, it's almost unbelievable.
It's no exaggeration to say that Lu Chen is the most outstanding singer in the domestic pop music scene in the last decade!
Even though he debuted not long ago and hasn't yet built enough connections in the show business community, still far from the top-tier celebrities, in terms of pure songwriting talent, very few can compare to him.
A song like "In Spring," an album like "My Old Classmate," and now "Not Yet Lovers", these are like flags Lu Chen has planted firmly in the pop music world, fluttering proudly in the wind and turning heads everywhere!
On top of that, he's currently involved in producing Chen Fei'er's new album, her pivotal transformation project following her "Heavenly Queen" and "Days Later" era.
If Chen Fei'er's new album succeeds, Lu Chen's status in the show business community will be absolutely unshakable.
Everyone envies Lu Chen's talent, envies even more the partnership Flying Stone Records has with him, and some secretly resent themselves for not signing him sooner, otherwise maybe they'd already have a girl group like MSN under their label.
The attendees at this celebration also included event promoters, rumor has it MSN's performance fee has already climbed above 300,000 RMB!
Flying Stone Records shows no sign of agreeing to those offers; the price is probably still going up.
That kind of bitter feeling is enough to make one's teeth ache.
Some sharp-minded people are already planning to find a chance to talk to Lu Chen later.
Lu Chen hasn't signed with any entertainment management company, he runs his own workshop. If you pay enough, even without Flying Stone's support, it shouldn't be a problem to buy a good song from him, right?
Unconsciously, Lu Chen's reputation has already been firmly established.
After the fans finished shouting, Ning Tian smiled and said, "Since everyone loves 'Where's Love' and 'He Nevertheless Doesn't Understand,' how about we sing both?"
The fans erupted in cheers, completely satisfied. "Yes!"
Actually, it wasn't necessary for her to say it, these songs were definitely going to be performed, but Ning Tian had another idea: "You all know that the songs you love the most are written by Lu Chen, so for the next song, let him accompany us on piano, okay?"
"Okay!"
The fans went wild. They shouted Lu Chen's name: "Lu Chen Dada!"
The term "Dada" in various dialects can mean "older brother," "dad," or "uncle," but online it's commonly used as a respectful honorific for someone who is a master, an expert, or a great figure, an expression of deep admiration and worship.
Ning Tian calling Lu Chen "Dada" instead of "Teacher" expresses both this reverence and a way to connect with the fans.
The fans attending this celebration, whether from MSN's core fan club or the Lu Family Army, were mostly young people, the main force of internet users, so this term felt especially warm and intimate.
It's hard to refuse such heartfelt affection, so Lu Chen stood up and waved to the crowd.
Ning Tian stepped forward to the edge of the stage, her charming smile blossoming as she bent slightly to reach out her hand to Lu Chen.
This was an invitation.
Fans laughed and cheered, applauding loudly.
Lu Chen couldn't help but smile and accepted Ning Tian's small hand without hesitation.
The banquet hall stage wasn't high; with his agility, he was easily "pulled" onto the stage by this beautiful girl.
At that moment, the staff wheeled out a beautiful white grand piano.
Lu Chen took the microphone and addressed everyone:
"I'm very happy to be here tonight at MSN's platinum celebration, meeting so many friends, and… the food is great too."
Everyone laughed.
Lu Chen continued: "What makes me happiest is that MSN has won the success they deserve because during our collaboration, I saw how hardworking and serious they are!"
"I've seen Ning Tian practice singing until midnight without resting."
"I've seen Mu Xiaochu, Sister Xiaochu, practice dancing until the soles of her feet were blistered and bleeding, yet she gritted her teeth and kept going."
"And Su Jiajia as well."
The banquet hall grew quiet. Whether it was the executives from Flying Stone Records or the invited industry peers, or MSN's fan club and the Lu Family Army fans, everyone listened intently to Lu Chen's stories.
Real stories.
Because their foundations weren't solid, during the production of Not Yet Lovers, the three girls really put in tremendous effort, sweat and tears were everyday occurrences, and injuries during practice were common.
It wasn't just Lin Zhijie; Lu Chen's demands on them were very strict.
But the three lovely girls persevered and never delayed the scheduled release of the album.
When others saw Not Yet Lovers' success, some credited Flying Stone Records' heavy backing, others said it was Lu Chen's great songs, or that the girls were young and pretty and easy to attract fans.
But no one mentioned the effort they put in.
So at this moment, Lu Chen wanted everyone to know that their success was no fluke!
(End of chapter)