On April 16, Chen Fei'er's new album went live for crowdfunding online, and that same evening, it was released on WeChat Music.
This 'Flower Woman' album marked Chen Fei'er's transformation, having been delayed for a full six months. Even outside the show-business community, it had already attracted wide attention. Coupled with prior marketing and promotion, the album's launch immediately made a huge splash.
WeChat Music officially released it at 7:30 PM, and by 9:30 PM, sales had already surpassed 100,000 copies.
The industry was shocked!
Nowadays, domestic pop music and popular singers no longer rely on album sales to make a living. Miraculous albums selling millions or tens of millions of copies exist only in memory.
With the massive growth of the entertainment industry and rampant online piracy, singers no longer depend on physical album sales; commercial ventures and advertising endorsements are the real money-makers.
Even for well-known singers today, combining digital and physical album sales, reaching 200,000–300,000 copies is considered a major success. Platinum certifications are celebrated with parties.
Online album releases are now commonplace. Typically, sales during the first three days, the "Top 3 days", account for a third to half of total sales, making the first-day figures especially crucial.
There's even a popular formula in the industry that estimates total album sales based on first-day numbers.
But that formula clearly didn't apply here.
100,000 copies in just two hours? That was unprecedented!
For most singers, surpassing 100,000 sales within 72 hours, combined with physical copies, would be enough to earn a platinum certification, a dream achievement in itself.
Chen Fei'er had done it in just two hours. A platinum certification was a given; 5 million copies for a crown certification was unimaginable, and even 1 million for a diamond certification was now within reach.
Many people had long forgotten the last diamond-certified album in the domestic pop scene.
Last year's best-selling albums, Lu Chen's My Old Classmate and MSB's Not Yet Lovers, were respectable, with all ten tracks of My Old Classmate topping the Original Sound charts.
Yet compared to the just-released 'Flower Woman', those albums paled in comparison!
The Heavenly Queen was still the Heavenly Queen. Even as a transformative work, thanks to accumulated anticipation, her explosive popularity from Autumn in My Heart, and her solid foundation, Chen Fei'er effortlessly crushed all other albums released during the same period, no one else could compete.
If all the singers who released albums on WeChat Music, NetEase Music, and popular radio stations recently were gathered for a meeting, Chen Fei'er could proudly stand and say:
"Everyone here is trash!"
When Chen Fei'er's official Workshop and fan support accounts posted the two-hour sales data on their blog, it caused a huge sensation even outside the show-business community.
Fans, of course, cheered and congratulated their idol for this sales miracle, anticipating her transformation's success. Chen Fei'er's show-business friends sent congratulatory messages, and even many outside-the-industry influencers offered their blessings.
The industry, meanwhile, was left speechless. Many pop-music media and professionals fell silent, analyzing Chen Fei'er's new album.
Several of the ten tracks had already been previewed. Fans were already familiar with Your Eyes, the album's only duet, which had gained international popularity following the massive success of Autumn in My Heart.
There was also I Crossed the Ocean to See You, recently performed by Chen Fei'er during livestreams. Even in its impromptu form, it had gone viral online, being shared countless times on blogs.
Whether intentional or not, this was part of the album's marketing and offered a glimpse into its style and characteristics.
With 'Flower Woman', Chen Fei'er had definitively shifted from sweet-pop to love songs. Both leaked tracks were 100% love songs.
Based solely on these two tracks' quality, the album's sales would be strong, not to mention Chen Fei'er's own talent. Most importantly, there was Lu Chen, who not only crafted half of the album specifically for Chen Fei'er but also personally supervised its production!
With such a powerhouse collaboration, if 'Flower Woman' failed, it would have been shocking.
The industry expected the album to perform well, but no one anticipated this level of success: 100,000 copies in two hours was simply unbelievable.
Whether out of professional curiosity, sheer amazement, or ulterior motives, many industry insiders immediately began a detailed analysis of 'Flower Woman'.
On one hand, industry insiders wanted to verify whether the 100,000 copies sold in two hours were inflated. After all, if someone were willing to spend big money, selling 100,000 or even a million copies wouldn't be impossible. But no one would be foolish enough to pay such a high price just to boost chart rankings. The key was the album's quality.
Artificially inflated numbers might work temporarily, but only quality could sustain long-term sales.
On the other hand, entertainment agencies were closely studying this hot-selling album to prepare for a wave of imitators.
If Chen Fei'er's album sold out, following suit would be a safe bet, just as after Autumn in My Heart's record-breaking ratings, several companies quickly started producing similar TV dramas.
By 10:30 PM, 'Flower Woman''s sales had reached 140,000 copies, with growth slightly slowing.
This was normal. The initial surge came from fan-driven purchases; over time, the market's buying potential would gradually be consumed. That's why the first three days of sales, the Top 3 days, were the most important.
At the same time, reviews related to the new album began flooding online.
Renowned blogger and music critic "Donghu Sanren" wrote in a lengthy post:
"I just finished listening to Ms. Chen Fei'er's new album 'Flower Woman', and I can't help but say something, otherwise, I won't sleep tonight. What I want to say is this: the biggest surprise in this year's pop music scene is undoubtedly this album. Chen Fei'er has completed an incredibly successful transformation. From start to finish, there isn't a single disappointing moment. Every track delivers continuous thrills and surprises!"
"In many people's minds, myself included, Chen Fei'er could only sing sweet songs. She has a naturally beautiful voice for pop, and her previous works have left us with countless precious memories. This album shows us a different Chen Fei'er, a beautiful, mature, and emotionally rich Chen Fei'er who has redefined 'love songs.'"
"Personally, my favorite is the lead track, 'Flower Woman'. Chen Fei'er's gentle, flowing performance is utterly intoxicating, and the traditional, nostalgic style gives it a special charm. If I were to rate this album, I'd give it 9.9 out of 10!"
"Donghu Sanren" was a full-time editor at a fashion magazine, and also a part-time writer, film critic, and music critic. With over 2 million blog followers, his posts were widely read.
He had unique insights into domestic pop music and was also a member of the Asian Chinese Music Awards judging panel. Whether in film or music reviews, he was known for hitting the heart of the matter.
Most importantly, Donghu Sanren didn't pander for money; his credibility was high, and his reviews were respected by the industry.
In this blog post, he praised Chen Fei'er's 'Flower Woman' to near-extreme levels, 9.9 out of 10! Many wondered: Is it really that good?
The answer was yes. At least 90% of reviews appearing on blogs, forums, and tieba were positive, drawing more and more pop music enthusiasts' attention.
Many people who weren't originally Chen Fei'er's fans became curious after reading these reviews and rushed to purchase the album on WeChat Music.
A high-quality digital album cost only 10 yuan, and members received an 20% discount, affordable for everyone.
This further boosted 'Flower Woman''s sales.
By 7:30 PM the next day, first-day sales surpassed 300,000 copies!
Without a doubt, this set a new record for online album releases in domestic pop music over the past decade. Beyond the boost from celebrity influence, the album's quality was the key.
Industry projections for total sales were raised to 1.5–2 million copies.
If nothing went wrong, Chen Fei'er was practically guaranteed to win this year's Best Album award, a performance that would sweep away all competitors. Anyone trying to undermine her success would be utterly embarrassed.
For Chen Fei'er, however, the digital album revenue was only a small portion. The real prize was the crowdfunding project.
The 'Flower Woman' physical album crowdfunding offered five packages. The lowest deluxe CD, priced at 28 yuan, sold 70,000 sets, while the ultimate supreme package, priced at 588 yuan, sold over 3,000 sets.
This demonstrated the immense purchasing power of her fans.
In just 24 hours, the crowdfunding campaign raised over 4.5 million yuan, reaching 150% of the pre-sale target, and the campaign still had 10 days to go!
Such dazzling sales made many entertainment and record companies envious.
And no one in the industry ignored the key figure behind Chen Fei'er's success:
Lu Chen!
(End of chapter)
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