Chapter 84: Long-Overdue Justice

The next day at ten o'clock, Li Yunzai finally set off for LOEN Entertainment. While others were always busy during their rookie period, Li Yunzai was quite relaxed. However, this relaxation was about to end. As soon as he arrived at LOEN Entertainment, he was immediately summoned to Bae Songjin's office.

"President, is there any good news? I haven't seen you smile like this in a long time!" As soon as he walked into the office, Li Yunzai saw Bae Songjin's square face had turned into a "囧" face, his brows relaxed and his eyes smiling.

Bae Songjin slapped a music magazine onto Li Yunzai's desk. This was a top-tier music magazine in South Korea, highly authoritative.

Li Yunzai's eyebrows raised slightly, already guessing something. He heard Bae Songjin say, "Turn to page ten and take a look!"

When Li Yunzai flipped to page ten, a prominent headline caught his eye: "Slander! Defamation! A Good Album Can't Be Concealed." The author was none other than the magazine's specially appointed music critic, Ma Jianglin.

Ma Jianglin was a highly authoritative figure in South Korea's music criticism scene. He was also the most famous of the critics Bae Songjin had invited to give a fair review of Li Yunzai's album. He had reviewed major stars like TVXQ, BoA, Lee Hyori, and Chae Yeon, always providing convincing, unbiased, and fair reviews from a third-party perspective for every song and album.

Li Yunzai was somewhat familiar with Ma Jianglin. His first review was of S.E.S.'s first album, so Li Yunzai had a deep impression of him. He carefully read on, and the first review was about "I Should Love You."

"'I Should Love You,' I've listened to this song more than ten times. A rock-style ballad is relatively rare in the music industry, and there aren't many that sound good. This song is one of the better ones I've heard among the many rock-style ballads. If I were to give it a score out of 100, it would be 85.

The entire song, from lyrics to arrangement, shows that Li Yunzai's skills in lyric writing and composition are on par with a top-tier songwriter. He just hasn't had more time to delve into it.

'I Should Love You'—this song perhaps expresses the feelings of many celebrities or others, mourning a love they once wanted to have but lost, and encouraging everyone to love bravely, not to wait, and to cherish hard-won love when they meet the right person, lest time slip away and they miss it.

Songs with stories always touch people deeply. The MV is also well-made, unforgettable to watch. We should be a bit braver in love, take the first step, and not let that relationship leave any regrets. Moreover, watching Li Yunzai's performance in the MV gave me a fresh perspective. He showed that a singer can not only sing but also act.

In the MV, the male protagonist, with the help of the female protagonist, regains his dream and stands on the stage again. At the moment of success, the moment of being in the spotlight, the male protagonist cries. She preserved my dream but was hurt by me. No one understands me better than her, no one knows me better. —— Watching the MV, I felt a strange sense of emotion, moved by Li Yunzai's persistence in his dreams, the waiting of the man and woman for each other, and the realization of their dreams! The lyrics are written with deep feeling, and Li Yunzai's unique and emotional voice is highly infectious, straightforwardly declaring to everyone: Chase your dreams, and love boldly if you have someone to love!!!

This is an inspiring and uplifting song, encouraging all young people to love and cherish."

"Next, let's talk about 'Elimination.' I'm sure everyone has heard this song dozens of times, and I've listened to it many times too. I have to say, this song has a quality that makes you want to put it on repeat after just one listen, so you listen to it a second time... a third time...

This is a completely sad ballad. The sad melody easily touches the nerve in everyone's heart, and with Li Yunzai's hoarse yet delicate singing, it deeply moved me. This is the only song among the four Li Yunzai has released that I would give 90 points."

"After 'Elimination,' let's talk about the most absurd song on this album—'Please Don't Do That.'

At first, like everyone else, I thought this was also a sad song, but if you don't watch the MV. When I saw the last second of the MV, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

I can only say this was a deliberate arrangement by the scriptwriter, wanting to add some humor to the entire album. The last scene is not the focus, but the whole song is. However, people often focus on the absurd last scene.

Li Yunzai still sticks to the sad style, writing this—'Please Don't Do That.'"

"Next, let's talk about the most 'suspenseful' song on this album—'Maple.'

The grand melody of this piano-led ballad rises and falls dramatically, with a strong sense of late autumn in both lyrics and music. The gloomy song has a moving prelude, and overall, it is a simple ballad with a beautiful melody and sincere emotion, but it doesn't fall into cliché. Li Yunzai controls the degree perfectly; any more or less would ruin the beauty of the entire song, and he has achieved just the right balance.

The male protagonist and his friend, along with his friend's girlfriend, come to a restaurant. The waiter looks at the three people in surprise, as if he wants to say something, but the male protagonist shakes his head, signaling him not to ask. The male protagonist watches as the girl and his friend's relationship deepens, burying his own feelings deep inside, unwilling to disturb the girl. One day, while the three are dining out, the male protagonist learns that the two are planning to get married. Heartbroken, he makes an excuse to leave hurriedly, leaving his phone on the table. The girl brings the phone to the male protagonist's home. While he is getting something, she enters his bedroom and finds a photo of herself and the male protagonist from the past. At that moment, the male protagonist stands behind her and asks, 'Do you remember?'

This MV leaves many questions. First, what was the relationship between the male protagonist and his friend's fiancée? Second, what happened between them, and why doesn't the girl recognize him?...

At the end of the song, it says, '2008, October, I will meet you.' Does this mean Li Yunzai will release a single or a full album in October, and will there be a song in the album that continues the story of 'Maple'?

Using one MV to connect two songs is very interesting, and no other singer has done this before. Li Yunzai has set a precedent... Personally, I am very much looking forward to what Li Yunzai will bring in October!"

"In summary, Li Yunzai's mini-album is a very good album, especially suitable as a gift for your lover on Valentine's Day.

By international standards, if five stars are the maximum, this album can be rated as three and a half stars.

Actually, this album has its shortcomings. Although the four songs have reached a perfect level, the overall style of the album feels somewhat jarring. It would be better if there were a few more danceable, fast-paced songs. I look forward to Li Yunzai's new album in October bringing me a surprise.

One more thing, I must harshly criticize the unscrupulous hitmen on the internet and the unscrupulous music critics in real life. For every singer, they are a group of troublemakers. As a music critic, one must have no private interests and must be fair to give the most reasonable review. If one loses a fair heart when facing an album, then in life, they are also petty people who do not deserve to be music critics."

Relief, such great relief! Although Li Yunzai didn't care about the hitmen on the internet and in real life these past few days, he wasn't a god, and the resentment in his heart had been building up. Now, not only did Ma Jianglin give his album the fairest review, but he also harshly criticized the hitmen on the internet and the unscrupulous music critics in real life. How could he not feel relieved?

"Everything is going according to plan. I have invited some very famous music critics, and Ma Jianglin is the most famous among them. Now his review has been published in the magazine, and more critics will stand up. I will also have people post these reviews on various forums and websites. I want to see if the fans will believe the anonymous comments on the internet or the words of these well-known, reputable critics!" Bae Songjin had been harboring anger for several days, whether it was the vulgar defamation on the internet or the unscrupulous music critics in real life, or the retailers taking advantage of the situation. He had a clear record of everything in his heart, and now he was ready to repay them one by one.

After enduring the most "difficult" few days, LOEN Entertainment, though stagnant, was not dead. The rich rewards they awaited were just around the corner. Li Yunzai and Bae Songjin exchanged a smile.

[Page Break for Ad]

[End of Page Break for Ad]