1novels Chapter 81 "A Heart of Iron Will"
Chapter 81 "A Heart of Iron Will"
Back at the villa that evening, Lu Ran turned on his computer.
Without much hesitation, the classic song that transcends time, "The Loyal Heart," immediately comes to mind.
The melody and lyrics from my past life clearly surfaced.
He didn't even need the system; relying on his memory and his current master-level musical skills, his fingers danced across the keyboard, inputting the sheet music, chords, and lyrics one by one.
He wrote it in Cantonese, but thankfully Cantonese exists in this world, so there won't be any language problems.
In Lu Ran's opinion, only the unique pronunciation and rhythm of Cantonese can express the chivalrous spirit and tender feelings of the martial arts world in this song.
"A vague dream seems to have occurred before, stirring up waves in my heart."
Let go of worldly affairs and sorrows, and stay together until the ends of the earth.
Chasing grass across the vast desert, I fear neither snow nor frost.
"Shooting eagles and drawing bows, galloping across the frontier, laughing and enjoying life without ever growing weary..."
After finishing writing, Lu Ran couldn't help but hum a tune softly.
Although the lyrics are only a few words long, they encapsulate the deep patriotism and love between Guo Jing and Huang Rong.
It possesses the heroic spirit of shooting eagles in the desert, and also reveals a chivalrous spirit of laughing at life with pride.
With Lu Ran completing the lyrics, music, arrangement, and instruments, the song "Iron-Blooded Loyal Heart" was officially finished. Lu Ran listened to the original version once and was very satisfied.
He could already imagine the shocked look on Director Chen Ke's face when he heard the song tomorrow.
As the pinnacle of Cantonese choral songs in its previous life, it absolutely crushes everything in this world.
The next day, Lu Ran brought the printed lyrics and music score to the film set, along with a simple demo recording, and handed them to director Chen Ke.
Because the recording quality at Lu Ran's villa was limited, Lu Ran simply sang a random version.
Director Chen Ke put on his reading glasses and looked at it carefully.
Although he is not a music professional, he has a decent understanding of music theory, and art is interconnected. Even if he can't write it, he can still appreciate its quality.
What he values more are actually the lyrics.
Looking at the lyrics in her hand, Chen Ke felt as if scenes from the script were unfolding before her eyes: desert sandstorms, misty rain in Jiangnan, the sword duel at Mount Hua, and the fierce battle of Xiangyang.
These lyrics are absolutely perfect for this drama.
He knew that having Lu Ran compose the song was absolutely the right decision.
"Great! Great!" Director Chen Ke became more and more excited as he watched, and couldn't help but clap his hands and hum the melody softly.
"‘Following the grass across the vast desert, unafraid of snow and frost,’ that's the feeling! The boundless expanse of the martial world, the responsibility of a chivalrous hero! These lyrics have resonated deep within my heart!"
Director Chen Ke's eyes were practically shining when he looked at Lu Ran.
If it weren't for his advanced age, Lu Ran would have been worried that he was from Sichuan.
"Lu Ran, you're a genius! This piece, both the lyrics and the music, is absolutely brilliant!" Chen Ke immediately interrupted her own assessment, "No, you're not just a genius, you're a true all-rounder!"
"You're a prodigy! You can write songs, sing, write scripts, and even have a talent for directing," Chen Ke exclaimed.
But at that moment, Lu Ran interrupted him.
"wrong."
"What's wrong?" Director Chen Ke hadn't yet realized what was wrong.
"The language is wrong," Lu Ran said.
Although Chen Keqing's rendition of the first few lines already captured the essence of the song, it wasn't quite enough.
"If not Chinese, then English?" Director Chen Ke still didn't understand.
"It's not English, it's Cantonese," Lu Ran said, pointing to the USB drive containing the recorded demos he had brought. "This is my Cantonese version; listen to it."
Upon hearing Lu Ran's words, Director Chen Ke quickly plugged the USB drive into the computer and began listening to the audio.
Director Chen Ke also wanted to hear what it would feel like to sing this song in Cantonese.
As Lu Ran's Cantonese voice came through the headphones, Director Chen Ke's eyes widened.
It’s too shocking!
This song, sung in Cantonese, has a completely different feel and is indeed much more suitable than in standard Mandarin.
Director Chen Ke already thought the song was a good fit, but after listening to Lu Ran sing it, he truly realized what a perfect fit meant.
In Cantonese, there's a sense of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) and the charm of ancient chivalrous stories.
Before the song was even finished, Chen Ke stood up and grabbed Lu Ran's arm: "Who are you planning to sing this song? You can do the male vocals, no problem, right? Your voice should be suitable for this song."
Lu Ran felt a bit overwhelmed when Chen Ke asked her to sing.
To be honest, he really doesn't want to be in the limelight right now.
His previous work, "The Fragrance of Rice," had already brought him some fame, but it also brought him a lot of harassment from fans.
So now Lu Ran really doesn't want to be famous anymore.
"Director Chen, our company has so many excellent singers. You can choose from them first. I'm just giving you a sample. There are definitely singers who can sing better than me," Lu Ran said politely.
Director Chen Ke did not press Lu Ran's decision after seeing her refusal.
There are still many excellent singers in Xingyao.
"However, this song is quite challenging. It requires strong singing skills and the ability to speak Cantonese. Our company has many people who meet these requirements, but I don't know how many."
Chen Ke pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Open recruitment! Open recruitment for male and female vocalists within the company. The recording studio is ready anyway, so let anyone interested and who thinks they can sing give it a try. Maybe we'll discover some good talent!"
Lu Ran thought it was a good idea: "Okay, let's hold a public call for submissions then. I have no problem with that; I can keep an eye on things for you."
"Okay! I'll have the HR department issue a notice right away!" Director Chen Ke acted swiftly and decisively.
The news that a call for male and female singers to perform the theme song for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was quickly released through the company's internal system and bulletin board.
Starry Entertainment boasts a large roster of singers, and the recent battle between pop divas like Liu Siqi and Shen Yuege has created a vibrant musical atmosphere within the company. The announcement immediately garnered widespread attention and discussion.
"Singing the theme song for 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes'? And a song written by Lu Ran? This is such a rare opportunity!"
"Such high requirements? Cantonese, singing skills, and a chivalrous spirit! I feel Liu Siqi is quite suitable for the role of diva, but isn't she busy promoting her new album lately?"
"Our company has more than just her as a superstar; there are many other people who would be a good fit."
"You don't necessarily have to be a famous singer; newcomers have a chance too! I heard that Minister Lu Ran doesn't like people who follow seniority."
"Sign up! You have to sign up! What if you get selected?"
In an instant, every singer with a bit of talent was eager to try their hand at it.
...
Liu Siqi's office.
"Sister Siqi, Lu Ran's script is currently casting for a theme song singer. Would you like to give it a try?" Liu Siqi's assistant said to Liu Siqi after seeing the message in the work group.
"Oh? Is that so?" Liu Siqi, who was putting on makeup, was somewhat surprised.
She took the phone from her assistant, and there was indeed a call for singers on it.
"Since it's Lu Ran's song, I'll participate too," Liu Siqi agreed without even looking at the song information.
"It's a Cantonese song, which is interesting."
...