章 99: Comical Rant
[Hey there, fellow internet dwellers; nice to see you all again. I am... well, it's not necessary to introduce myself. Those who know me know me, and for those who don't, I don't really care. Let's go with the flow. So, in this latest column, we won't discuss music or film reviews. Today, I have other rather 'interesting' things to share with you. Some of you might already be aware of it.
It's about the recent release of a new single and the successful completion of the first live performance by the electronic music producer/DJ, TMY.
As someone who just dropped a new single, TMY has undoubtedly gained some attention, either willingly or unwillingly.
But recently, there has been a series of controversies, and after looking into it, I was genuinely astonished. This producer, who appeared out of thin air, has become incredibly popular at an astonishing speed. It's surprising.
While I admire and marvel at this, I also hold some doubts.
It's widely known that TMY is quite young, a high school student. Although her work has undoubtedly contributed to her rise, the path she has taken seems...]
His rant continued for many paragraphs below this, and it indeed was a "rant" and not a "review" in any sense of the word.
But of course, the internet being what it is, the rants always get the most publicity.
His post continued with a brief introduction to who TMY was, then quickly got to the main point.
Within the subsequent elaboration, the post naturally focused on TMY's astounding achievements on the iTunes chart with her new album. It listed a large number of screenshots, seemingly from the iTunes forum. It was evident that TMY's songs occupied a terrifying three out of the top five spots - even Rlex.Future, a well-known American producer and one of the world's top 100 DJs was pushed to the third position. It seemed like TMY's other single, currently in the fourth position, would soon surpass him!
Not long from now, the rankings could change again because TMY's song was increasing rapidly in sales, and the distance between TMY's top song and Rlex's was significant. Rlex found himself in a precarious position.
This is what makes it so unbelievable at first glance. Even though TMY may have made a name for herself in the Chinese electronic music scene, the international market is a different ball game, facing a global audience. TMY might be a rising star in China, but Rlex is a top 100 DJ. Everyone on this chart is a heavyweight, a true expert. They are all facing the world.
What about TMY? Apart from a few screenshots, are there any other pieces of evidence proving that this pure newcomer is making waves beyond the Pacific? Probably not, right?
However, in many people's minds, TMY is still a Chinese artist. In a country known for its limited exposure to electronic music, even the first reaction of the Chinese people is skepticism.
Due to the language barrier, there hasn't been a truly reliable way for people to obtain more information about these matters. Any new information discovered had to be translated, but then it was up to the discretion of the translators, who could shift the evidence in whatever way they pleased. So naturally, most people stuck with their first reaction.
And unfortunately, people tend to believe whatever is put in front of them, which sadly came in the form of screenshots from the "Hi Sh*t" forum...
What caught the eye in the majority of screenshots was the message, "TMY who?" and various classic instances of Western-style foul-mouthed comments.
Although some more observant viewers noticed the poor quality of the screenshots, plus the fact that a decent number of the screenshots were in Chinese, even though "Hi Sh*t" was an English website, their comments were drowned out in the wave of opinions.
One of the more popular speculations stood out: TMY manipulated the charts!
Yes, doubts about TMY's chart manipulation were first pointed out in the post, and surprisingly, they received strong agreement from the onlookers.
There was a crucial point in all of this. Rlex.Future's latest single was a groundbreaking creation within the Western world, causing waves as wide as the British Empire used to be. And then, something like this happened.
Naturally, Rlex.Future's fans were not convinced. Most of the screenshots uploaded were from Rlex.Future's fans defending their idol.
And at the end of the original post, one line set all commenters on fire, creating a warzone in the comment section: "Now, TMY's singles and works have been officially removed from the iTunes official chart..."
TMY's debut single on the international scene was taken down!
- - - - - - - - - -
As soon as this Weibo post went live, it not only caused a shockwave within the electronic music community but also caught the attention of a considerable portion of the broader online community.
After all, regardless of the field, bad news spreads faster than good news. People enjoy scandals, and it's inevitable because everyone has a gossip-loving heart.
What made chart manipulation successful in both China and elsewhere in the world, was the desperate need to remain hidden! Having chart manipulation exposed was an instant career ender for many up-and-coming artists worldwide!
In reality, chart manipulation is much more common than most people think. An unspoken rule in the industry is to not talk about chart manipulation because of its prevalence. The topic could only be brought up at risk of offending significant players, which was too dangerous for most artists. For the sake of their careers, most artists would rather use chart manipulation themselves, than call someone out on it.
But what was unexpected is that Gao Tucáo, a well-known stand-up comedian and a signed music critic on Weibo, openly came forward to speak about it.
Naturally, as a famous comedian, Gao Tucáo made his career on "saying what others don't dare to," and would lash out at others questioning his political correctness. Most of his fans believed him unquestionably, and due to his reputation for "saying what everyone else is thinking," their trust in him was extraordinary. Consequently, many people were swayed to Gao Tucáo's rhythm, and support started pouring in, with accusations towards TMY.
Now, both casual onlookers and professionals started paying attention to this matter. Simultaneously, the "TMY chart manipulation" topic quickly gained momentum on Weibo.
For Chinese netizens, watching the spectacle was their favourite pastime. Moreover, the question of whether the event was genuine or credible was never within their consideration.
As long as it was entertaining, that was all that mattered. What happens afterward? Who cares?
The situation escalated as TMY's fans finally responded, and her Weibo account witnessed an explosion of activity.
In the midst of this raging storm, something peculiar was happening on TMY's Weibo page. The number of followers, which had been on the verge of surpassing ten million, began to plummet, and it wasn't a slow and gradual decline! In less than two hours, nearly twenty thousand followers vanished!
Comments in TMY's low number of Weibo posts started to increase gradually, and even the usual popular comments were being overshadowed today.
Now, both casual onlookers and industry professionals began to gather and observe. Although Gao Tucáo's post didn't directly mention anyone, its aggressive language and undeniable conviction left no room for doubt. This was a public showdown in the making!
Usually, when it came to chart manipulation or competition for rankings, everyone turned a blind eye, pretending not to see. But Gao Tucáo had dared to take a shot at TMY directly, and soon other influential individuals and music critics followed suit, expressing their opinions on the matter.
There was an intriguing subtext to some of their remarks, leaving room for speculation and imagination.
Interestingly enough, most of those who joined this wave were TMY's fans and some familiar faces from the electronic music community. Weren't these the same people who had criticized TMY during The Rex incident? Could it be that they saw an opportunity now?
クリエイターの想い 
Nova_Shadowsky
Nova_Shadowsky Changed the last chapter to make it more clear who Fan Zeng and Gao Tucáo are, making it more clear that they are separate people.
I'm two birds.
Hit me with a stone.
.
..
...
I'm sorry about that, I don't know what came over me...
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