Zhou Shen's performance photo. (File photo)
Where are you from?
"Taiwan, China!"
At Zhou Shen's concert in Fuzhou, his interaction with the fans drew enthusiastic cheers and quickly became a trending topic online.
In his 11 years in the industry, from "Big Fish" and "China in the Lights" to "Little Happiness," he has sung many popular songs familiar to the public, continuously taking his music to the international stage. His concert tours have gone from China to overseas, with tickets in high demand... What is the charm of his voice? Recently, a reporter from People's Daily interviewed Zhou Shen to hear him tell the story behind his songs.
Reporter: Songs express one's heart. What kind of music do you most want to present to everyone?
Zhou Shen: Starting from the heart is the starting point of creation. I won't create or perform works that don't move me. Especially after so many concerts, I'm even more certain of this. Seeing fans from all over the country, seeing fans ranging from seven or eight years old to seventy or eighty years old, everyone gathered together because of music, I often feel like I'm having a "dialogue" with myself in different times and spaces.
There's a lyric in the song "Empty Shell" that goes, "I gladly accept it all, emptiness and fullness exchange hands at this moment." I often think, isn't music creation just like that? It's a process of filling yourself up, then unloading your full load, and constantly setting off again. I use music to write my life diary, and on every page there are people who resonate with me—what a blissful thing that is.
Reporter: You once said, "I hope to be a 'new singer' and always bring a sense of novelty to everyone." How do you create this sense of novelty, and how do you strengthen the singer's own recognizability in this process?
Zhou Shen: Music is always about unleashing our imagination, like water and a container. If your imagination is square, the music is square; if your imagination is round, the music is round. How wonderful! Music can hold all the stories of the world. And all I can do is rack my brains to express the limits of my understanding of music, and maintain a sense of awe when I stand on the stage—I'm always thinking about how to face the people who are hearing me sing for the first time.
Every time the entire audience sings "China in the Lights" and "If Dreams," my heart is filled with emotion. I could sing it ten thousand times, and I'd want to sing it ten thousand and one more time! "Afraid you'll fly far away, afraid you'll leave me..." Like when I sing "Big Fish," I never feel like I can "easily handle" it. Every performance brings a new perspective, infusing my own emotions and stories. So when the intro starts, I'm still very nervous; I can feel its extraordinary significance to me. Every song is a link between me and music, a connection between myself and others, and I cherish it immensely. Perhaps this is what makes Zhou Shen so recognizable.
Reporter: Songs like "China in the Lights" and "Big Fish" have also received positive responses and achieved widespread popularity overseas. What is this power that transcends national borders and touches people's hearts? How can popular music better explore and utilize national culture and musical traditions?
Zhou Shen: When I was studying, I played "Big Fish" for my foreign teachers, and they exclaimed, "This is what Chinese music looks like." My humming at the end of "Big Fish" combined bel canto singing with Chinese-style enunciation and melody. I thought to myself at the time, "Being different" is really charming! If you sing with your own unique flavor, you will attract others; conversely, if you just pander to others, you will lose your distinctiveness.
The path of "Chinese style" is vast. More and more young people are injecting new vitality into ethnic music and instruments, from electric pipa to crossovers of ruan and guitar. "Ethnic + Pop" is never a simple addition of elements; it requires a seamless fusion that can transport listeners into the realm of Chinese style. I listen to my own songs from the listener's perspective. For example, in "Light," a song themed around the Forbidden City, I added a section of opera singing. What does that feel like? It's a bit like a splash of ink in a traditional Chinese painting, or a lyrical passage in a poem. People are willing to linger in that atmosphere. That's the feeling I get when listening to good songs.
Reporter: In the internet age, everyone can be a singer, and some commentators even believe that the time a song keeps listeners engaged has entered the "7-second chorus era." Given the vast scope and number of creators, how do you view the core competitiveness of pop music?
Zhou Shen: Now, any song can be heard by everyone at some moment and through different channels, leading to a more diverse range of styles. Music has its own functionality and richness, and cannot be judged by a single standard. Comparing pitch? High, mid, and low notes each have their own beauty. Comparing styles? Each style has its own flavor; the key is to master your own musical style and have your own unique flavor.
Recently, I had the privilege of participating as a member of the faculty in CCTV's music talent selection program, "China's Top Singers," to find more voices that could represent the national stage. During this process, I felt a sense of mission! Because those standing on that stage were also like me, who once longed to be heard.
The core competitiveness of pop music has always been its people. Superior technique, heartfelt lyrics and music, infectious performances, even innovative arrangement and mixing techniques—those refreshing sounds are all created by people. Singers who sing the voice of the masses will have a long artistic career. I'm willing to work together with everyone.
Reporter: What are your expectations for the future?
Zhou Shen: I came from a mountain village and now I'm a singer. So many stages are open to me, which is something I never dared to dream of when I was a child. So I can only describe myself as a "lucky ordinary person," lucky that I caught up with such a great era.
When opportunity knocks, simply imagining it will only lead to problems; you need to try. Like choosing a song, you only know the effect by singing a demo in the recording studio. I once asked a senior teacher, "What should I do if I get nervous on stage?" The answer was, "Do the most basic and essential things well." For me, that means singing well and cherishing every stage. "Aim towards the light and pursue your passion"—I believe that those who are earnest will always receive a response. Wherever your sweat is poured, that's where your stage will be.