Bones climbed onto Spotify's global single charts in its release week, reaching the top ten in more than a dozen countries.
Spotify, founded in Stockholm, is one of the largest legitimate music streaming platforms in the world. It collaborates with Universal, Sony, Warner, and others, and its library surpasses Apple Music in size.
In short, in terms of global influence, a hit on Spotify carries more weight than a position on the Billboard Hot 100.
Simply put, Bones was a worldwide single, and Chu Zhi used it to promote his new album as effectively as swatting mosquitoes with the Thunder of Nine Heavens.
From the intro to the pre-chorus, the tightly packed lyrics and low-pressure melody sounded like someone talking to themselves.
As faint female backing vocals appeared, Chu Zhi's throat and vocal cords functioned like airplane engines. With his chest voice, he launched into the song, breaking through as if a dam had burst. What had begun as a trickle became a raging torrent, especially at the line:
🎵"Is this entertaining"🎵
The sheer power of it was like a flood sweeping everything away. The chorus hit with chaotic energy:
🎵"Auntie, press down!"🎵
🎵"Come, spare no words of blame, the magic within me has been summoned."🎵
🎵"Walking on the edge of a knife, in a world of black and white, gray does not exist."🎵
🎵"Right and wrong exist as both opposing and interdependent, like climbing over a towering mountain…"🎵
During the chorus, Chatham Reno leaned toward the small TV. Being highly nearsighted and trying to look cool without glasses, he could not see the live feed clearly from the sofa three to four meters away.
He could not clearly see D'Angus Danny or the gentlemanly Quentin Peter, but why bother moving closer? Chatham Reno still thought their music lacked soul. Listening was enough.
As a side note, someone wearing glasses looks super cool!
"This guitar variation has a bit of an alternative rock feel. It's mostly pop rock, much better than that gentleman," Chatham Reno muttered.
Especially the nonsensical line Auntie, press down, it was addictive, and the lyrics carried attitude.
The audience went from curious to genuinely engaged.
Even French viewers who did not understand English could feel the energy of the song. They instinctively wanted to push against the flood of sound, tapping or stomping along.
Over half the audience waved their arms. Thankfully, the studio seats were sparsely filled, or someone could have been accidentally hit.
A distinctive feature of this song was how the melody's peak often contradicted the lyrical highs. For example, "Stay away from those who ignore me, pick up the fragments and climb to the sky" should have soared, yet the piano's heavy notes dragged the melody down.
From "I am gradually losing control," Chu Zhi lifted the song into the high points, pleasantly surprising those who understood the lyrics.
On stage, the Emperor Beast liked to stand firm. No matter how intense the crowd went, he remained immovable, arms raised toward the sky.
As a stage performance, moving could enhance the effect, but Chu Zhi's natural vocal talent and emotional energy allowed him to create a towering presence even while standing still.
The song ended, and the audience rose, applauding. Their expressions varied—some eager, some ready to act, some twitching with excitement—but in essence, everyone, young and old, was thrilled.
"The melody has an electric vibe, a bit retro, and I love it."
"Come on, face the courage of a hybrid, fully charged."
"This song will definitely be in my shower playlist."
Bones made this recording especially enjoyable.
"I just witnessed an outstanding live performance."
"Very cool. I suddenly want to have an MMA match with my brainless boss."
Audience chatter spread. The song Bones felt bone-hard.
Gentlemanly Quentin Peter and D'Angus Danny had finished their parts long ago. They hadn't left yet, wanting to watch Chatham Reno's live performance. They hid in the shadows of the C-shaped audience area, the photographers' territory.
Unexpectedly, instead of Chatham Reno, they encountered the unfamiliar Chinese singer Chu Zhi.
They exchanged glances. Danny saw surprise in Chu Zhi's eyes. Quentin Peter saw nothing in Danny's eyes, the sunglasses concealing any expression.
"The thickness of his voice is amazing, with top-tier skills beyond his age. This Chinese singer is excellent," Quentin Peter said first.
"His enunciation is American-style, the arrangement mainstream American pop. With this song on his new album, he will do very well," D'Angus Danny said, admiration evident behind his sunglasses.
Quentin Peter searched for Chu Zhi online and found that Sugar, a song that went viral on YouTube months earlier, was also by him.
His creative ability was extraordinary. Even Quentin Peter wished for his music to gain global fame.
Back in the center of the studio, Naji guided Chu Zhi to the black sofa with red cushions. The floor lights were red, the design aggressive and dramatic.
"We originally planned to discuss controversies in the newspapers. Most critics said the new album The One Gazed Upon by Gods had nothing to anticipate," Naji said. "Mr. Chu Zhi, your performance just settled that debate."
"So we have to improvise the next question," Naji continued. "About the second news story involving you: Laird Bagon invited you to star in his film after seeing you at the Venice Film Festival. Was it really just your looks that got you the role?"
"More accurately, my film happened to attend the Venice Film Festival, and my role probably showed potential that Mr. Bagon noticed," Chu Zhi said. "So he extended the invitation."
European and American news about Chu Zhi was scarce. After discussing this, Naji brought up Sugar.
The half-hour interview passed quickly. Chu Zhi then passed the stage to Chatham Reno.
He did not stay long on French TV. From Paris to Manhattan, New York, was a ten-hour flight, and he slept on the plane.
The Black population in New York was lower than in Paris, where they accounted for about forty percent. With a birth rate exceeding sixty percent, in ten years, white people would be a minority on Paris streets.
"Qian-ge, Sister Wang, Little Bamboo, rest at the hotel," Chu Zhi said. "The recording starts at night."
"Fine. I was exhausted; I couldn't sleep on the plane," Old Qian said.
"Brother Jiu, you should also rest and adjust your voice. You still have to sing tonight," Wang Yuan yawned.
The hotel rooms were booked early: the New York St. Regis, three rooms.
The Carl suite, two-bedroom suite, and the presidential suite for Chu Zhi. Little Bamboo and Wang Yuan shared a room. This was their usual setup when traveling.
"Already organized everything?" Wang Yuan asked. She had just sat down to rest for five minutes, not even showered yet, when Little Bamboo returned.
"Chu-ge told me to rest first and tidy up in the afternoon," Little Bamboo said.
It was normal. Brother Jiu always considered the people around him. Wang Yuan rested enough and brought out a roll of portraits to hang nearby.
The portrait was of Gouchen Shanggong Tianhuang Da Di, one of the Four Emperors, overseeing the West. Wang Yuan felt that both America and France belonged to the West, so seeking Tianhuang Da Di's blessing for brother Jiu to go smoothly seemed reasonable.
Little Bamboo, accustomed to this, did not find it strange. The surface image of Big Sister Wang was that of a cold queen, but those who knew her understood she was quite superstitious. She had knowledge of tarot, astrology, and the I Ching.
In the afternoon, Chu Zhi and the others arrived at one of America's landmark buildings, the Rockefeller Center, which houses the NBC headquarters.
America's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon—nicknamed the Fallon Tonight Show—was, of course, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, not some small milk tea princess. Just the name alone gave a sense of his personal style, a mix of humor and American jokes, some of which Chu Zhi did not fully get.
After a half-hour interview, Chu Zhi performed Bones again. The audience feedback on the Fallon show was even better than on the French show because…
Shockingly, even four-year-old children in America could communicate fluently in English. Was it the rise of "tiger parenting" or a moral decline?
Several young white girls at the live show came up for autographs, barely recognizing Chu Zhi's name in pinyin. Perhaps the live stage performance had won them over.
The first few fans happily took their signed albums and left the building, discussing among themselves:
"I don't know whether I fell in love with his music first or him as a person. Tomorrow when the album is released, I must buy ten copies for my friends."
"This Chinese singer looks just like my future boyfriend."
"Linda, watch what you say, or your boyfriend might get jealous."
"I always thought only mixed-race Chinese looked good. By the way, dear, I am your friend, right?"
Soon, after investing substantial money and resources into promotion, the 25th marked the release of Chu Zhi's first album.
Album Title:The One Gazed Upon by Gods
The cover depicted chaotic lines of teal and ochre, swirling like a vortex or water tornado.
The lines were not random doodles. The teal and ochre came from Chu Zhi's observation floats released into the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, capturing the curves of the currents.
At the center of the chaotic lines hid a cold, emotionless eye.
Any fan holding the album became the one being gazed upon by the gods.
Inside the album were small cards, all shot indoors. Clever techniques made the images appear as if taken on mountaintops, deserts, or other distant locations.
Tracklist:
The Nights
Waiting for LoveÂ
Wake Me UpÂ
Immigrant SongÂ
FriendsÂ
We Will Rock YouÂ
BonesÂ
ENEMYÂ
RoarÂ
Counting Star
The ten songs were produced with high quality and sold for $18.99, less than one hundred forty yuan at the current exchange rate, cheaper than a Hollywood A-list singer's album priced at $19.99–$21.
First-day sales: 24,000 in America, 175,000 in Europe. Among Asian fans in the West, almost 80 percent of first-day sales came from them.
Second day: 17,000 (America), 81,000 (Europe)
Third day: 7,964 (America), 29,000 (Europe)
Fourth day: 7,542 (America), 15,000 (Europe)
At first glance, it might seem Chu Zhi's English album was declining. Not at all. The two recorded programs, Taratata 100% Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, aired in France and America respectively, both with good ratings.
Bones became an arrow aimed at Europe and America, exploding instantly.
The song landed at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranked within the global Spotify top 50.
"Auntie, press down" could be heard on American car radios, and the single's popularity drove album sales steadily upward.
Bones wasn't even the lead single; every track on the album was strong.
Fifth day: 37,700 (America), 24,000 (Europe)
The curve was rising. The One Gazed Upon by Gods sold 85,000 copies in its first week in America, ranking fifth on the Billboard 200.
Popularity continued to grow. Rock fans could enjoy pop rock and hard rock, young people could appreciate electronic music and alternative styles, and there remained enormous potential.
Niu Jiangxue restrained himself. Many musicians thought of developing in Hollywood, yet few made a mark.
Chu Zhi's first-week results were impressive. Billboard 200 fifth place could have led to grand self-promotion, but brave Niu Jiangxue followed Chu Zhi's example of restraint, waiting for the potential to fully unleash before major publicity back home.
From a small perspective, back in Amsterdam, a man named Bucky Sofala decided to quit drugs.
His father-in-law and girlfriend forbade him from seeing his child while still using drugs.
But quitting drugs is not like flipping a switch. In just four days, Bucky felt like a layer of his skin had peeled away. He had heard that even if someone succeeded in quitting gambling through sheer willpower, they could end up ruined. So Bucky thought of his former Chinese friend Jack.
Bucky searched for Jack's number, but after returning to China, Liu Fusu had changed his phone, so the number was unreachable.
"I have his Skype account," Bucky realized and contacted Jack there.
It didn't take long—half an hour later, he finally got Jack's current number. During that half-hour, Bucky felt like his body was crawling out of his skin.
Enduring the discomfort, Bucky called. After two rings, the call connected.
"Bucky, what's up? I'm not in Amsterdam anymore," Liu Fusu answered. He took the call mainly because he realized his own lack of will had led to drug use.
Initially, returning to China, Liu Fusu instinctively blamed Bucky for exposing him to drugs, but now, successfully quitting, he recalled wanting to try it himself. So when invited, he agreed without hesitation.
===
"The Nights" – Avicii (2014)
"Waiting for Love" – Avicii (2015)
"Wake Me Up" – Avicii (2013)
"Immigrant Song" – Led Zeppelin (1970)
"Friends" – Led Zeppelin (1970)
"We Will Rock You" – Queen (1977)
"Bones" – Imagine Dragons (2022)
"ENEMY" – Imagine Dragons (2021)
"Roar" – Katy Perry (2013)
"Counting Stars" – OneRepublic (2013)