wavenovel Chapters 1323 and 1332: The second season of "Neon Voice" is coming!
Chapters 1323 and 1332: The second season of "Neon Voice" is coming!
Chapters 1323 and 1332: "The Voice of Neon" Season 2 is coming!
Naoki Nagayama's birthday has passed, and it's already mid-month. The autumn chill is becoming increasingly noticeable, and even Natsuka is wearing thick cotton clothes and shoes, no longer able to run around barefoot on the floor.
The Tokyo International Film Festival has ended, and the lively festival activities are gradually fading away. However, the foreign tourists who were attracted to the festival have just arrived to enjoy the autumn foliage and plan to visit Kyoto and other places.
The entertainment industry has been anything but peaceful these past few days. The lineup for the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) has been announced, and Akina Nakamori, who became a sensation throughout the second half of the year thanks to "Nanpasen" and her performance alongside Michael Jackson, is not on the list, drawing dissatisfaction from many fans.
"It's a rigged election! There's something fishy going on!" "Why wasn't Nakamori Akina selected?!" "Where's my Akina-sama?!"
An aggressive phone call was made to the Red and White Song Festival's organizing department, leaving the operators speechless with frustration. What could they possibly say?
"We extended an invitation to Akina Nakamori, but she declined," or "Ms. Akina Nakamori is pregnant and not suitable to perform on stage"?
The former will make fans disbelieve, the latter will make fans break down.
In the end, it's always the operators' ears that get hurt.
At this time, the president of Ken-On was also under a lot of pressure!
"Akina-chan, are you really not participating?"
"The Red and White Song Festival is the biggest exposure stage of the year!"
It's worth noting that the Red and White Song Festival in this era was similar to the peak of the Spring Festival Gala when Zhao Benshan was still around; it was a program that the whole family would watch every time.
However, Akina, who was sitting on the sofa, shook her head:
"Hana-mi-san, this time it's really not going to work."
She subconsciously touched her belly, which was already showing some curves.
"If we wait another month, we won't even be able to fit into our performance costumes! The rehearsals and everything in between will be a huge hassle."
Actually, Akina didn't want to attend events at the end of the year. Last time, they could only watch the New Year's Eve fireworks together at the last minute. Now that Hana-chan has grown up, she would rather have a warm and cozy holiday with her family!
"."
Glancing at Akina, who was already pregnant, Hanami Kagami couldn't help but curse Nagayama Naoki under her breath again.
"Ugh"
In the end, it was still just a long sigh.
"It seems like the only option is to issue a statement."
In fact, fans also called the agency, saying things like "You're not fighting for Akina-chan" and "This incompetent agency is unworthy of Akina-sama," which put a lot of pressure on Ken-On.
"Haha, thank you so much, Hanami-san~"
Akina laughed, and then asked,
"This year, Yukiko-chan got promoted, right?"
"Hi"
When talking about this rising star, Hanami He felt his recently wounded heart find solace.
"Yukiko-chan is the most promising idol after Akina, and she's very popular."
"Speaking of which, apart from Shizuka Kudo, I haven't seen any other newcomers from the same batch who have been this popular!"
In fact, this trend has been going on in the idol industry since last year. There are a lot of idol talent shows, but none of the new idols have become popular. And this year, only one or two have gained some fame.
The chill of winter has already set in the idol industry, making talent agencies feel the cold.
"There are just too many idols!"
Akina said,
"Fans' attention has all been drawn to the seniors."
"Yes, the entertainment industry also has this Matthew effect; the strong get stronger. The already popular top idols have captured all the attention of the new generation."
Top idols, besides their existing fan base and fame, also have access to the best resources in the industry, which naturally increases their exposure, allowing them to remain constantly in the public eye and attract more attention.
As they talked, the conversation even veered towards philosophical themes, which Hanami Kagami found somewhat amusing.
"But we can't just let all the seniors retire, can we? Hahaha~"
In fact, the rise of Nakamori Akina and Matsuda Seiko's generation was largely thanks to Yamaguchi Momoe's decisive retirement, which instantly vacated a large top position. Otherwise, given Yamaguchi Momoe's immense popularity back then, no one could have surpassed her.
The rise of Shizuka Kudo and Yukiko Okada was largely due to Seiko Matsuda's marriage and year-long retirement.
As the saying goes, "The new waves of the Yangtze River push the old waves forward, and the old waves must die on the beach!"
"."
Akina didn't know what to say for a moment.
Should I leave too? Retire and make way for someone more capable?
"Perhaps the idol industry itself is destined to decline."
Akina said,
"Naoki-san once said that future idols will become more and more down-to-earth, and there won't be this kind of nationwide attention anymore."
Previously, "Twilight Nyan Nyan" had already reduced the idol level to that of ordinary high school students, but with the disbandment of Onyanko Club, even that level couldn't be maintained.
Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate to discuss the decline of idols with the current top idols, Hanami quickly changed the subject:
"Recently, the new generation of entertainers tends to focus more on singers."
"Does Akina know about the second season of 'Neon Voices'?"
"Ah! Of course!"
That was a program planned by her own husband! Although it's now all handled by others, Naoki Nagayama simply doesn't have the time to pay attention to it.
"The second season's live stream is supposed to start at the end of the month, right?"
Akina said,
"I heard the mentor they chose this time is also very impressive!"
"Yeah, who would have thought that Yumi Matsutoya would participate? She and Miyuki Nakajima are rivals!"
Hanami He sighed.
"This time, the two of them are leading two teams, and they will fight to the death on the stage!"
Yes, in the second episode of "Neon Voice," in addition to Miyuki Nakajima from the first episode, they also invited her rival in the music scene, Yumi Matsutoya, as a mentor.
This is the direction of the latest promotion for the second season: which of the two talented female musicians is stronger, and which of the two popular figures in the music scene will compete on the stage of "Neon Voice".
The other two mentors were popular male singers, Koji Tamaki of the band Anzen Chitai and Yosui Inoue, a representative of folk rock!
This mentor combination ensured that the second season of "Neon Voice" generated both buzz and discussion from the very beginning of its promotion.
In addition, the first season was extremely popular, and the first season champion, Izumi Sakai, has become a popular singer who can hold her own concert. Naturally, this season's "Neon Voice" is also exceptionally popular.
"Matsutoya Yumi-san and Nakajima Miyuki-san are both musicians I really admire!"
Akina was also remarking,
"Before, we could only compare ourselves on the leaderboard, but I never thought we'd actually be competing against each other this time!"
Although mentors only play a supporting role, if the team led by a mentor fails, it will naturally be seen as the mentor's failure.
"Haha, that's why the end of the year will be very exciting!"
I heard that Shuyou didn't get a signing this time, and other agencies are all vying to sign the champion!
Hanami Hachi laughed.
"The champions are all singers with the potential to become famous, aren't you angry, Naoki-san?"
"Is that so? I haven't heard Naoki-san mention that before."
Akina shook her head.
"Aside from making movies, his main focus now is investment banking."
“Oh, I see.”
Hanami was speechless for a moment.
Yes, they're still talking about signing new talent in the entertainment industry, while Naoki Nagayama has already been eyeing the multi-billion dollar business in the financial world.
They're not even in the same league anymore!
However, if it were him, he would definitely pay more attention to investment banks that make more money!
Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and Yukiko Okada walked in.
Upon seeing Akina Nakamori, she greeted her warmly.
"Akina-chan, what brings you here today?!"
"I'm here to discuss the record awards."
Akina smiled and took Yukiko Okada's hand.
"Is Yukiko-chan one too?"
"Yes, although it can't compare to 'The Lost Ship,' it's still worth trying for other awards!"
"With Yukiko-chan's popularity, she'll definitely succeed!"
"."
Hanami He was speechless as the two sisters walked in without even greeting him.
This is my own office!
At this moment, Naoki Nagayama, on Jurassic Island, is on the phone with Otomo Yoshimura during a break in filming.
"Otomo-san"
Naoki Nagayama was somewhat helpless.
"Why do they want me to release another song? And there's no guarantee I'll even get a number one spot!!"
"Besides, all the mentors this time are singer-songwriters! We can ask them to do the project!"
Yoshimura Hirotomo on the phone was quite insistent:
"Naoki-san, you're going to write a song for the newly signed artist. This is a tradition among Naoki fans, and traditions shouldn't be abandoned so easily!"
"I don't have that kind of free time!!!"
Naoki Nagayama roared,
"I'm filming every day, I'm so busy! How could I possibly have the energy to write songs!"
In fact, Naoki Nagayama hasn't thought about his future songs for a long time. Perhaps, just as he worried at the beginning, there are only a few high-quality songs that are truly memorable, and one day he will have to recall them all!
He won't be able to continue creating then!
That's why he established companies, invested in real estate, and speculated in stocks. This way, even if he ran out of talent, he could still be a powerful and wealthy man and wouldn't have to worry about his future!
"Naoki-san, don't be like that, I know you're busy."
Yoshimura Otomo's tone was full of cunning.
"But I also know that you must have many works stored in your secret stash!"
"Just pick any song when the time comes!"
"!!!"
Upon hearing this, Naoki Nagayama's eyes widened.
"Otomo-san, are you even human?! How dare you covet my secret stash of money?!"
"Do you know what a 'secret stash' means? It's something you only use as a last resort!"
Yoshimura Daitomo nodded:
"Hey hey hey, now's the perfect time! We can't let other firms steal the results of our hard-earned brand!"
The signing of the winner of "Neon Voice" this time was a competition among various agencies, it all came down to which agency offered the best terms! Naoki Nagayama's debut song was one of the most enticing offers!
"Naoki-san, it's been so long since we Naoki fans have had a song that topped the music charts!!!"
"Nonsense! My friend, which I gave to Izumi-chan before, was a long-running hit!"
That was almost a year ago.
"."
Yoshimura Otomo was sitting in his top-floor office in the Kiyu Building, arguing with Nagayama Naoki. It wasn't that he necessarily wanted to exploit his friend.
However, during this period, Naoki Nagayama, as a key figure, has paid too little attention to the company.
Even when Fujiwara Kazuhisa wanted to discuss the preparations for the second season of "Neon Voices," he refused.
If things continue like this, from the perspective of the president of Shuyou Entertainment, Yoshimura Otomo is very worried that Naoki-san's mind will be lured away by Shuyou Capital.
Only the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Then came a barrage of compliments like "consolidating the musician's reputation," "showing some clowns what's what," and "Naoki-san is the best." Since the crew had mostly rested, Naoki could only mumble vaguely:
"Okay, okay, I'll go back and see if there's a song that can be used as a prize for signing the champion."
"Hahaha, this is the real Naoki-san!"
Yoshimura Otomo laughed heartily.
"Come back and let's have a drink together!"
"Am I short of a drink?"
Naoki Nagayama hung up the phone immediately, silently complaining that he hadn't paid much attention to the preparation of "Neon Voice" this time, so he had no idea about the contestants or what style to prepare.
In the first season, Izumi Sakai was someone he paid close attention to from the very beginning.
"Never mind, let's go back and check first."
Naoki Nagayama shook his head and then quickly threw himself into filming "Jurassic Park".
As the plane from Hokkaido landed in Tokyo, a spirited young woman emerged from the exit of Narita International Airport and boarded a train bound for the city.
She looks like she's just come of age, and her appearance isn't particularly striking, but she has a fearless and daring aura about her!
"This is Tokyo!"
As he dragged his luggage out of the subway station, the tall, imposing skyscrapers, the dazzling array of shops lining the commercial streets, and the bustling crowds on the street all came into view. He sighed with a sense of awe.
"It's definitely much more lively than Sapporo!"
"But where exactly is this address?"
She pulled a flyer from her pocket and, asking for directions along the way, headed towards the audition location for "Neon Voice," showing no signs of the apprehension one might have felt upon first arriving in a big city.
I kept encouraging myself along the way:
"I must pass!!! I must become a professional singer!"
Maki Ohguro was born and raised in Hokkaido. She loved music from a young age and performed in livehouses in Sapporo during high school, where she gained some fame.
Now 18 years old, having just graduated from high school, like countless other high school graduates, I came to Tokyo with a heart set on realizing my dreams!
The young girl at this moment is just like Naoki Nagayama back then.
However, she was luckier than Naoki Nagayama. As the format of talent shows evolved, she encountered a talent show that only listened to the voice – "Neon Voice"!
"If you win the championship in 'Neon Voice,' you'll be able to sign with the most famous agency in the entertainment industry!"
"This is how you get the best resources for training!!"
"You can become a professional singer!!!"
If it were an old talent show, Maki Ohguro felt she might not become a popular idol because she wasn't the cute type. But Maki Ohguro is very confident in her singing voice!
Her singing voice is high-pitched and powerful, with a penetrating quality that leaves a deep impression on listeners!
This is also why she's become somewhat famous in Sapporo's livehouses; everyone says that listening to her rock music live feels like listening to a rock legend.
"I will definitely become the champion!"
(End of this chapter)