Chapter 462: First Rotation

Chapter 462: Chapter 462: First Rotation

The staff announced the next contestant’s number, and the backstage passageway slowly opened.

A seventeen-year-old Black boy with a slender figure, bright eyes, and a face full of youthful vigor strode out.

Completely different from the restraint and apprehension of the previous few contestants, there was no stage fright on his face at all, and his eyes were filled with pure love and expectation.

His steps were brisk, his posture was relaxed, and his whole body exuded a vigorous youthful aura.

The boy quickly stepped onto the center of the stage, steadily took the microphone handed over by the staff, and his fingertips gently rubbed the edge of the microphone, unable to conceal the excitement and joy in his heart.

Facing the empty auditorium, the four top mentors with their backs to the stage, the camera equipment and director lenses running throughout the process, he did not show the slightest stiffness or panic.

Instead, he closed his eyes slightly, took a few deep breaths, stabilized his breathing, adjusted his state, and instantly settled down, entering the preparation state for singing.

A soft and highly rhythmic accompaniment slowly sounded.

Different from conventional pop ballad tracks, this song had a unique beat and a novel style, carrying the pioneering texture of niche trends.

In the first ten seconds of the performance, the boy’s vocal line was soft and soothing, narrating gently.

The melody was smooth and gentle, but it did not show overly stunning strength, still maintaining the level of a high-quality amateur.

The four mentors were still lazily leaning on the revolving chairs, relaxed and motionless.

No one raised a hand, no one was moved, and they still maintained a cautious and wait-and-see attitude, as if they were just listening to another ordinary cover track.

But when the performance reached the thirty-second mark, the musical style suddenly switched.

Crisp and dynamic beats blasted into the air, and a smooth, silky, and rhythmically excellent rap section unfolded naturally.

The boy’s vocal delivery instantly switched freely, with the transition between fast and slow, and the grasp of lightness and weight being just right.

His articulation was clear and crisp, relaxed yet high-class, carrying a unique personal style—a stage aura that a seventeen-year-old boy should not be able to handle at all.

What shocked everyone the most was that this was not any mature track circulating on the market, but a completely original work.

The unique arrangement ideas, highly attitude-driven lyrics, and expressions fitting the perspective of the new generation instantly allowed the whole song to break free from the shackles of assembly-line covers.

It was vivid and unique, filled with exclusive personal musical inspiration and creative attitude.

At this moment, the states of the four mentors changed simultaneously.

Kanye West, who had been nonchalant before, instantly straightened his body, and the casualness in his eyes completely faded, replaced by intense interest and astonishment.

As a top American hip-hop producer and a leading figure in the new generation of rap, his sensitivity to original rap, pioneering rhythm, and niche creative talent far exceeded ordinary people.

Just a few rap bars allowed him to accurately capture the boy’s endowed creative talent, superb rhythmic language sense, and advanced musical aesthetics.

Kanye turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the three mentors beside him who still had not moved, a confident smile quietly curving the corners of his lips.

He knew very well the scarcity of such talented hip-hop newcomers, and he was certain that only he in the whole venue was most suited to discover, polish, and cultivate this boy.

As the performance continued to progress, the boy’s stage state became increasingly relaxed.

The rap sections flowed like clouds and water with full infectiousness, and the melody sections were tender and healing, progressing layer by layer.

The completion of the entire original track was shockingly high.

Kanye’s smile grew wider, and the determination in his eyes became increasingly intense.

His fingertips hovered constantly above the button, ready to strike and lock in the talent at any moment.

On the other side, Steve Winwood also gradually restrained his relaxed posture, furrowing his brows slightly and listening intently.

Having deeply cultivated the music industry for decades, having seen countless singers and musical styles, he heard a rare soul texture and musical depth in this boy’s singing.

The boy’s vocal delivery combined the tenderness of R&B, the healing quality of soul music, and the attitude of hip-hop.

The integration of musical styles was natural and unique, and the empathy and thoughtfulness in his singing far surpassed the naivety of his peers, showing extreme potential for refinement.

Bonnie Raitt and Britney still maintained a wait-and-see stance.

The pop and rock tracks that the two excelled in did not have high compatibility with this original musical style.

Adhering to an attitude of being responsible to the contestant and rigorous about professionalism, they did not turn around blindly, but still listened quietly, waiting for the track to conclude.

The one-minute performance duration passed in a flash, and the entire track was about to come to an end.

Seeing that Kanye was still the only one in the audience showing strong interest, just when everyone thought this would be Kanye’s solo harvest match, in the last two seconds of the ending, two crisp button-clicking sounds broke the silence of the studio almost simultaneously.

The red indicator lights suddenly lit up, and the two iconic red revolving chairs started simultaneously, slowly rotating 180 degrees to face the stage directly.

Faint exclamations instantly sounded in the studio, and even the staff in the control room were slightly moved.

No one expected that the first round of talent-grabbing in this show would come so unexpectedly, so wonderfully and fiercely.

The moment Kanye West turned his head and saw Steve Winwood at the furthest position beside him also complete his turn, astonishment first appeared in his eyes, immediately followed by an even stronger surge of joy and determination.

In his inherent cognition, this extraordinarily talented Black boy, focusing on original hip-hop and avant-garde R&B, was entirely his exclusive track, with a compatibility that no one could match.

Furthermore, the two shared the same skin color and a homologous musical aesthetic; the other party would undoubtedly choose to join his team, and Steve’s turn was nothing more than futile competition.

Kanye’s lips curved high, his aura was flamboyant, and his eyes were full of certainty and confidence.

He had already classified this boy into his team territory in advance.

On the other side, Steve Winwood maintained a calm and gentle expression throughout, his gaze looking at the boy on stage softly, hiding the cherish and appreciation of a senior musician for a new-generation genius deep in his eyes.

There was not the slightest utilitarian sense of scrambling, leaving only pure musical resonance.

The remaining two revolving chairs still stood quietly.

Britney and Bonnie Raitt carried full curiosity as they leaned forward to look toward the center of the stage, eagerly wanting to see what the boy who had simultaneously conquered the hip-hop top stream and the music legend looked like.

Carson Daly immediately seized the highlighting rhythm, controlling the stage and pushing the process with a passionate voice: "Oh! What a surprise! I did not expect that our first successful revolving stage tonight would directly usher in the wonderful iconic scene of dual mentors fighting for a contestant! This is definitely your lucky moment, young singer! Come on, let us invite the remaining two mentors to revolve their chairs simultaneously and get to know this boy who has amazed the whole audience together!"

As the voice fell, the remaining two red revolving chairs rotated simultaneously.

All four mentors faced the stage directly, their gazes collectively focusing on the seventeen-year-old boy, gathering all the focus of the audience.

Carson Daly: "Please introduce yourself."

The boy was unhurried, with a straight figure and a slight bow in salute.

His voice was clear, clean, calm, and generous as he introduced himself: "Hello mentors, my name is Christopher Francis Ocean."