IDOL PRODUCER 2 - DISCONTINUED

1.

Hello, everyone and welcome to Idol Producer 2 or Qing Chun You Ni! Long time no see.

I want to tell you a few things before the book starts: the first one is that for the ranking evaluations, I will skip many of the performances as I feel they make the book really dense and don't really do much.

Also, in terms of uploading dates, I will upload once a week for now as the episodes are still airing and I need to really get to know the boys to portray them as accurately as possible. I hope you understand.

Without further ado: Welcome to Qing Chun You Ni!

***

The second season of Idol Producer, now known as Qing Chun You Ni (青春有你) was about to begin and I was really nervous but also excited.

Just as with the previous season, they had decided to make a girl join the program even if there already was a female version of it. I was the one chosen between nearly a hundred competitors from different agencies and from all around the country.

This season worked differently. For the previous one, the viewers only got to see the trainees skills on the first ranking evaluation. For this one, on the other hand, the viewers could see them before that and rank them according to where they believed their skills laid.

As I was a complete surprise, not even the mentors knew I was going to participate. I didn't appear in any promotional videos and didn't participate in the ranking. For everyone out there, I wasn't going to participate. Reality couldn't be more different, though.

I stood backstage with the staff waiting for the filming to begin. All of the boys sat down either on the big pyramid at the main stage or outside in the glass room so we couldn't see each other.

If anyone were to describe me using only first impressions, they would probably say I am cold and I seem unfriendly. I have what is known as a resting-bitch-face and don't really like when complete strangers act around me like we have known each other for years, so I come off as someone unapproachable.

"You are going to be the last one to go out," a member of the staff told me. "You can walk around or anything if you want or need to."

"Alright, thank you," I said bowing and went towards the couch in front of the screens where I could see all that went on.

"Jiang Yingyue (江映月), let us retouch your makeup a few minutes before, okay?" One of the makeup artists who passed by told me. "I'll come over when there are about two or three people left to be ranked."

"Thank you," I said bowing once again and finally sat down to watch the program start.

The lights then dimmed signalling the program had begun. In the screen, a series of questions popped up to make us all think about our dreams and goals deeply.

Are you the least in sync one in a group choreography?

Do you only dress like a rapper, or can you really rap?

If the accompaniment was turned off, would your voice still sound okay?

If there were no cameras, would you still work hard?

All these questions popped up and really made me think about all of the training I did on my own.

Choreographies for me were the key point to any performance. If one person in the group isn't in sync or the angles aren't the same, the dance will look messy and unprofessional.

Rap, on the other hand, to me, was all about really feeling what you are saying and giving it your own colours. Diction and precision also play an important role because if you aren't understood, then you won't convey the true meaning and feeling of the song to the people listening to it.

In terms of vocals, what mattered the most to me is the ability to sound clear and in tune no matter what. If you are dancing, your voice can't falter; if you are singing acapella, you can't sound off tune. Singing is essential if you want to become an idol, the rest is just a bonus.

Finally: hard work. You need to work hard to achieve your goals and to reach perfection, not just as an idol but in everyday life. Without hard work, you only leave your destiny to luck and, as we all know, "the harder you work, the luckier you are".

Zhang PD finally came out after that and the whole studio erupted into cheers.

"Hello, trainees. I am the Youth Producer Representative for <Qing Chun You Ni>, Zhang Yixing," he introduced himself. "Have you asked yourselves the questions from earlier? Do you have an answer in mind?

"These are also questions that the production team of <Qing Chun You Ni> along with the mentors and trainers want to ask you. I hope that you can do these things.

"Dancing in sync is something that every single person here needs to do now. Producing is something that we must do to become musicians. Singing well is something everyone here must do. Unity is something you must do to become a boy group. Can you do this?"

"Yes!" Everyone, including myself, said.

"I'm really looking forward to your performances," PD said with a smile. "Let's first welcome vocal mentor, teacher Li Ronghao."

We all then applauded him as he went inside. I had grown up listening to his music, so he was like an inspiration for me to join the industry.

"I think singing is a very natural way for humans to express their emotions. Don't have such a high bar in defining it as a skill or competition," teacher Li Ronghao said. "In the upcoming three months, I will explain it to everyone very clearly. I hope everyone will work hard."

"Next up, please welcome the dance mentor, who's very beautiful and also my senior," PD continued. "Let's welcome dance mentor, teacher Jolin Tsai."

She was another one of the artists I had grown up listening to just like almost everyone in there as she was one of the top artists in the country.

"Hello, everyone! I am your dance mentor," she said. "We'll spend time together in the next few months. I believe that I will see even more things that I haven't yet experienced, such as energy from the youth. Because I debuted twenty years ago, I have some valuable experiences that I am excited to share with you. Thank you."

"Next up let's welcome rap mentor, teacher MC Jin," PD continued.

This season it seemed that they were determined to only get top-notch artists for the competition in all of the categories.

"Hello, everyone. I am your rap mentor, MC Jin," he introduced himself. "If you are really interested in rapping, what I want most is to accompany you to carefully and seriously develop your rap skills but, most importantly, to find your own individual style. Let's work hard together okay?"

"Next up, there are two trainers. They are respectively rap trainer After Journey and dance trainer Xu Minghao, welcome," PD introduced them.

"In the upcoming days, I hope to see strong Chinese rap foundations from you as well as your flow, rhyme, arrangement and how you handle the details." Said After Journey.

"I hope in the upcoming days I can pass on my experiences from my group as well as share with you my dance knowledge from my group. I really hope I can help you and I hope that we can all work together. Jiayou!" Said Minghao.

"This is your first time facing the industry. Of course, it can all change in an instant. Nobody knows what could happen later. I hope you will continue to have a curious mind and an adventurous heart. Keep working hard," said PD. "I hope to also sense the determination from the trainees outside, alright?"

"All trainees, are you ready?"