"Old Flames?"
"Oh, Director Miller's going for a nostalgic vibe this season, huh?"
"This theme is actually quite simple. The first episode is just a warm-up for the contestants, right?"
The audience at this point still didn't understand the full meaning of the "Old Flames" theme, but Celeste Monroe on the mentor panel's eyes subtly moved, already comprehending. Liam Reed, however, feigned ignorance, seriously discussing with Emily Chen which songs would suit the theme. Amelia Quinn subtly lowered her head, masking the unnatural expression on her face.
Soon, the first contestant took the stage. It was a pretty girl who sang one of Celeste Monroe's songs. The entire venue erupted in enthusiastic cheers, and the girl, her face beaming with excitement, sang with exceptional effort.
After her performance, the mentors began their critiques. Amelia, wanting to please Celeste Monroe, gave the girl an extremely high evaluation, scoring her 90 points. Liam Reed did the same, also giving 90 points. Emily Chen was more objective, feeling the girl's vocal skills still needed improvement, and gave her 75 points. James Dawson was the most exaggerated: "Since you sang Celeste's song, I absolutely have to give you this honor: 95 points!"
A cheer swept through the audience.
"That's not scoring the contestant; that's confessing to Diva Celeste!"
"King James is truly devoted!"
"All the next contestants should just sing the Diva Queen's songs! Definitely high scores!"
Finally, it was Celeste Monroe's turn. With an expressionless face, she spoke: "In the verses, the first line and the third line of the second stanza came in too early. In the chorus, the second line of the first stanza and the third line of the second stanza were off-key. Your lower register lacked resonance, and your high notes lacked power. 40 points."
The entire venue fell silent. Amelia and Liam looked embarrassed. They had tried to curry favor with Celeste Monroe by giving high scores, but Celeste Monroe had slapped them back. Amelia shot a somewhat resentful glance at Celeste Monroe. Aunt Celeste, aren't you making me look bad?
The female singer's face went pale, tears welling in her eyes. She bowed and said: "Thank you, Ms. Monroe. I'm your fan. I didn't sing this song well. I'm sorry." With that, tears streamed down her face.
"Even if the singing wasn't perfect, she didn't have to be so merciless, did she?"
"She's truly the Diva Queen, cold and unfeeling!"
"This is a competition stage; should it be about professionalism or just about being nice?"
The audience murmured, some sympathizing with the girl, others supporting Celeste Monroe. In the control room, Director Miller rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Excellent, excellent! Truly the number one Diva. She's filled the show with buzz right from the start!"
The assistant director said: "Director Miller, Frank Castle is still to come. That's the real drama."
"Hahaha, indeed! This episode is definitely going to explode!"
Ultimately, the female contestant received 390 points from the mentors and 416 from the audience, for a total of 806 points. This was even with the audience giving her a lot of sympathy points because she cried. The girl ran off stage in tears.
The contestant backstage area was utterly silent; everyone was stunned by Celeste Monroe's strictness. Everyone had seen that the girl had temporarily changed her song after seeing Celeste Monroe. Some disdained her opportunism, while others eagerly copied her, approaching the production team to change their own song choices to Celeste Monroe's songs. But they never expected Celeste Monroe to be so ruthless; she showed no mercy even when someone sang her own song.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." A man stood up and walked out. He was one of those who had temporarily changed his song. Now, he wanted to quietly go out and ask the production team to change his song back. He could tell that Diva Celeste disliked those who tried to be clever; the more they sang her songs, the stricter her demands became.
Seeing him leave, the others who had changed their songs looked at each other and also stood up one by one. "I also need to use the restroom." "I drank too much water just now; I need to go too." In an instant, the contestant backstage area seemed infected with an urgent need to use the facilities, with nearly half the people heading out to the restroom.
Chloe Campbell, with her baby face and bombshell figure, looked confused, opening her mouth in a bewildered manner: "Why are they all suddenly having to pee?"
Pfft!
A girl next to her couldn't help but burst out laughing. Like Chloe Campbell, she had chosen an original song, and she said proudly: "They just suddenly realized their shortcut wasn't going to work."
Just then, a staff member came over to announce: "Contestant number 2, Crystal Liang, it's your turn to go on stage!" "Okay!" It was this proud, original singer who abruptly stood up and walked out with her head held high. She was performing an original; she was sure to impress everyone!
Five minutes later, Crystal Liang finished her performance, and the mentors began their critiques. This time, Amelia and Liam still gave 90 points. After all, it was a rare original, and her singing was decent. Aunt Celeste should like this kind of thing.
Emily Chen rested her chin on her hands, blinking her watery eyes. "Hmm... I feel it's a bit flat, and the lyrics aren't deep enough, but the piano playing was good. Is 80 points okay?" The audience laughed, and host Dana Peterson also chuckled: "Emily, you're a mentor; your score is yours to decide."
"Oh, then 80 points it is. Sorry about that." Emily Chen stuck out her tongue, adorable and sweet, drawing another wave of cheers from the audience. Amelia's eyes subtly narrowed, her wariness towards Emily Chen deepening. So far, Emily Chen had more standout moments than her.
Next was James Dawson, who looked amiable: "Female singer-songwriters are rare and deserve encouragement. I give 90 points!"
Finally, it was Celeste Monroe's turn. The entire venue instantly fell silent. Crystal Liang also looked at the mentor panel with anticipation; she was very confident in getting a high score.
Celeste Monroe said flatly: "The singing was too rough, with too many minor flaws, and the original song's quality isn't high. 50 points."
The entire venue erupted in an uproar. Crystal Liang's eyes widened, and she spoke in disbelief: "Ms. Monroe, this song is very difficult! I believe I did my best!" She was full of confidence, thinking she would definitely get a high score from Celeste Monroe. The discrepancy now was simply too great.
Celeste Monroe suddenly sang a line – a segment from Crystal Liang's song. Everyone immediately recognized it. Celeste Monroe's rendition was far more beautiful than Crystal Liang's original, even sung a cappella. The audience immediately buzzed with excitement.
"Oh my god, I heard Diva Celeste sing live!"
"Holy cow, Celeste Monroe only heard it once, right? She sang it better than the original, and it was a cappella?"
"Is this the Diva Queen? My scalp is tingling!"
Crystal Liang was utterly stunned. Moments later, tears streamed down her face. She bowed to Celeste Monroe: "Ms. Monroe, I was wrong. I give up. Wuwuwu..."
"Great, another one made to cry!" In the control room, the assistant director clutched his forehead and gave a wry smile. "Will the next contestant be too scared to stand steady?"
Backstage among the contestants, silence fell once more.
"Covers don't work, originals don't work. I don't dare go up there." A female contestant's face turned pale. She felt she would also be made to cry by the Diva Queen if she went up. Everyone else's expressions were also solemn. No one expected Celeste Monroe to be so strict; she was completely a music fanatic!
Only Frank had a hint of a smile on his face. Over the past month, he had spent his time under this kind of demanding, almost perverse, tutelage. Although it was through texts, Celeste Monroe's critiques of him were far harsher than what she had said now.
And honestly, hearing his aunt's beautiful, strict voice again now felt rather kind!