Huo Ren’s first solo album, “From This Day Forward,” was released on all platforms on July 19, 2018.
Both online and offline purchases are paid, with a pre-order discount of 12%, allowing for multiple purchases of the same album and the sharing of digital codes with friends and family for gifts and participation in a lottery.
Before Huo Ren, many celebrities had released albums on digital platforms, but most achieved lukewarm results.
Many chose a safer model—paying for a few songs while allowing free listening to the entire album and online streaming.
This was a move of confidence bordering on arrogance.
Now, having left Corona, Huo Ren is regarded by some as an outlier ‘going solo for money,’ and his past leadership of the pop group has become a point of skepticism.
Not just for going solo after the group disbanded, but also because he admitted to a failed pursuit of a well-known figure right before the album release, which diminished his mythical aura and made him more relatable as a fallible human.
A human capable of emotion and failure.
Yet, the pre-sales alone reached 1.4 million, and sales skyrocketed after the launch, breaking the online record with 3.19 million copies sold.
Priced at seventeen per digital album, the total sales amounted to over fifty million, a thunderous success in the currently sluggish record industry.
This was not solely the result of Huo Ren’s fans’ efforts.
When Qi Lin held a concert, Huo Ren’s performance of “The Ship” in the middle of the show astounded everyone, with many online and offline eager to find the full version of the song and wondering when Huo Ren would release his album.
In the past, within Corona, Mei Shengyao was known for his dancing, Chi Ji for his soulful singing, and Xie Lianyun for his strong songwriting. Huo Ren’s talents seemed to lie in being the ‘top student’ and ‘group pet,’ not particularly shining in the main business.
Now, with the disbandment of Corona, Huo Ren’s solo songwriting and singing have opened a new window for everyone to reassess him.
How did Huo Ren achieve such a transformation in his singing?
His voice quality remains as clear and pure as years ago, but his interpretation of emotions and mastery of technique and breath control seem to have ascended to a whole new level!
Initially, most bystanders bought the album with the thought of “just listening to the new songs of the former boy band leader,” considering it was not expensive, just the price of a cup of milk tea.
After listening, they began to endlessly loop and recommend it.
“It’s so good, I’m dead, I’m cured, I’m blown away—”
“If you listen to ‘From This Day Forward,’ I’ll give you everything, my last bite of watermelon, half-ripe cheese, just take it all!!! Eat this recommendation, sisters!!”
“There seems to be no specific promotional track for this album? But the quality of every song is so high, I’m in tears.”
Out of the eleven songs, four were successively played as movie soundtracks, variety show themes, and TV drama OSTs, becoming widely popular whether or not the composer was known.
The most successful was “The People Who Listen to the Dusk” released on June 20.
This suspense film became an undeniable box office champion, making a surprise success online after “Wild House,” another brain-burning masterpiece.
As the movie became a hit, its repeatedly used soundtrack, “Evening Voice,” was enthusiastically covered by many YouTubers, and sharp-eyed fans soon recognized it as Huo Ren’s work, though they were in disbelief.
…Such storytelling and singing coming from the idol group’s leader?!
It’s too good?!
Huo Ren’s fans were well-prepared since the album’s announcement date, though they were worried about backlash against Huo Ren’s revealed sexual orientation.
While some clamored about abandoning fandom and demanding explanations, they quietly bought the album and listened to it in silence.
After listening, they couldn’t help but rave.
“I’ve seen the light!!! Whether he likes men, women, or Charizards, I don’t care!!! Huo Ren’s songs are divine, I have to shout it ten times, so beautiful, I’m blown away!!! I have to listen to ‘Evening Voice’ before I sleep!!! I can’t fall asleep without hearing my brother’s song!!!”
“Hello everyone, today I’m going to show you a slap in the face live, I thought I liked this man’s body, but no!!! The moment he starts singing, he defeats me!!!”
“Nightfire like a blade is fake!! I don’t believe, I don’t believe, I’ve already married Huo Ren unilaterally—”
And then the sales just kept soaring, without needing much effort from the promotional teams.
Leaving Huo Ren’s fans somewhat melancholic as they cracked sunflower seeds while watching the record-breaking news.
This star chasing is too worry-free, other fandoms would mobilize all friends and family, even borrowing money to boost sales, what’s going on with us…
On July 19, two groups were screaming in frenzy.
One was the fans of the CP Nightfire and Huo Ren.
They had been spreading the word since the release date was announced, almost wishing to hang banners all over the world.
The first song!! The comeback album!!!
And the date is the birthday of the dominant partner in the CP!!!
Huo Ren, could you be any more obvious!!!
The birthday of President Pei was no secret. On this day, he not only attended the new album release and an interview for “Chosen by the Gods” with Huo Ren but also had dinner with four instructors celebrating with a beautiful three-tier champagne cake photo.
Then he reposted the album’s promotional post, saying it was very good and recommended everyone to get a copy.
CP fans, while looping Huo Ren’s love songs, were agonizing.
When will you two sing a love song together!!
When will you two perform together again, dance together!!!
Why not appear together at the next concert!!!
It feels like we’re going to hear wedding bells tomorrow, oh my god!!!
The other group was the fans of the crumbling Long Jue.
Their current mood is somewhat heavy.
After Bo Jue publicly wore a ring, suspecting a public romance, fans of various CPs have been closely investigating for related clues.
Currently, Bo Jue’s fans from his solo career, business ventures, and those studying for postgraduate exams are all firmly denying, saying it’s just casually wearing an accessory without any special meaning. Those who are over-interpreting, please self-soothe and do not cause chaos, alright?
However, Long Jia disappeared within the country, with no one knowing his whereabouts or whether he wore a ring.
Then, on July 19th, a certain micro-business owner attended a product launch wearing a sapphire ring that looked similar, and it was on his ring finger.
This micro-business owner is fifty-three years old and sells infrared foot massagers.
The CP fans who were previously searching desperately immediately denied everything.
It’s all fake!! All coincidences!!!
Our Teacher Bo is like the moon in a snow-covered mountain, wearing a ring is just for decoration and has nothing to do with marriage or romance!!!!
Meanwhile, across the ocean, Long Jia was almost going crazy.
Why is no one photographing me!!!
Can someone interview me and take a picture of the ring, please!!!
Where did all those previous interviews and commercial shoots go!!!!
This time, Long Jia went to Europe to attend an elite inner circle meeting, which was highly confidential, with strict management on who comes in and out, not allowing any media exposure without an appointment.
Even when calling friends and family, a company-issued anti-eavesdropping phone was required, which, due to its many internal components, looked like a pure black satellite phone without a camera.
So when Xie Lianyun called to gleefully report the news, Long Jia was utterly baffled.
Little Bo — he actually flaunted the engagement ring??
He really wore that ring on the show??
“Yes,” Xie Lianyun said meaningfully: “I heard you won’t be back for another month or two?”
“I, damn it—” Long Jia was almost swearing: “I went to France on a private plane, no one photographed me!!!”
“Ah, look at the life we lead,” Xie Lianyun sipped some orange juice and leisurely painted Chi Ji’s nails with glittery nail polish: “Today, some micro-business old man wore a similar knock-off, and now many people online are crying about it.”
Long Jia paced back and forth beside the spacious terrace: “I can’t go back now, maybe I should borrow a phone from a waiter to show off a bit, it’s rare for Teacher Bo to take the initiative—”
He couldn’t hide his smile when he first heard the news, covering his face with one hand and laughing for a long time in the conference hall.
“Hey, take it easy,” Xie Lianyun seriously said: “Bo Jue is just pretending to be casual, he didn’t ask you to make such a blatant official announcement. If you really do that, it’s a negative point for being a straight man, you know.”
Long Jia held his temple, in severe headache: “First, get rid of that bald micro-businessman’s news, all of it.”
“Today’s a holiday, that’ll cost extra,” someone with fox-like eyes slightly raised.
“What holiday is it on July 19th??”
“My dear brother is releasing a new song, right, you should also send him a red envelope.”
“Hisss— I’m using a satellite phone right now, Xie Lianyun—”
“No problem, I’ll do it for you, but the handling fee is 20%, consider it buying nutrient solution for Chi Chi.”
Right after hanging up the phone here, Bo Jue called.
“What are you busy with?” His voice sounded insincere: “It’s been a while since we last talked, shall we chat?”
Xie Lianyun leaned over to blow on Chi Ji’s nails, turned the wheelchair half a circle to let him bask in the sun a bit more, lying comfortably beside him, letting the young man lean on his shoulder to continue dreaming.
“You sound upset.”
“Not at all,” Bo Jue said dully: “How’s Mei Shengyao?”
“He went abroad for a trip, planning to visit all seven continents and oceans, I’ve already received the postcard he sent.” Xie Lianyun broke off a piece of chocolate: “Did you receive it?”
“I did, he sent quite a few.” Bo Jue relaxed a bit, slowly said: “Did the doctor go with him?”
“Ren Ren and President Pei recommended a new doctor, who has already been arranged to accompany him.” Xie Lianyun gently held Chi Ji’s warm left hand, glancing sideways: “I just spoke with Long Jia, he misses you.”
Bo Jue was momentarily speechless, his eyes smiling, still pretending he didn’t care about these things: “He’s talking nonsense, how boring.”
A long silence came from the other end of the phone.
Bo Jue was taken aback and asked: “Xie Lianyun? Xie Lianyun, are you okay?”
“Xie Lianyun?!”
“Damn…” Xie Lianyun was confused: “Chi Chi seemed to be smiling just now?”
“Could he hear what we were talking about?!”
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Ahhh Chi Chi wake up soon please 😭