Folk wonder

In the history of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, there are not only explosive singles that debut at number one in their first week, but also popular singles that stay in the top ten for over thirty weeks, as well as slow-burning singles that gradually gain attention after entering the chart, eventually achieving breakthrough success.

In 2008, an unknown female singer named Lady Gaga released the first single from her debut album, "Just Dance".

Initially, this single's release went unnoticed, garnering little attention. Lady Gaga had to continuously promote it in various nightclubs and clubs, slowly building the song's reputation through word of mouth and widespread acclaim. Eventually, after twenty-two weeks, over five months later, "Just Dance" climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming Lady Gaga's first chart-topping single.

Such inspirational stories are not uncommon on the Billboard charts. Compared to instant success, the U.S. music market is known for its endurance in the long run; an album can remain popular for five or six years, a common occurrence.

Currently, the longest-reigning champion on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart is held by the Spanish duo Los del Río with their single "Macarena", released in 1995. It spent a whopping thirty-three weeks on the chart before reaching the top spot, and remained there for fourteen weeks. This record also stands as the second-longest time spent at number one in Billboard's history.

This time, the opportunity to create history fell to "Cleopatra".

From its release in March of last year to its first appearance on the chart in May, "Cleopatra" has been in the world for a total of forty-one weeks, with a remarkable thirty-two weeks spent on the chart, finally securing a place among the top twenty singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Compared to the many singles that have made history, "Cleopatra" still hasn't received radio airplay, publicity, or even a record deal, to be more precise. Whether it's Lady Gaga or Los del Río, they were relatively unknown independent artists when they made history, but they all had record labels behind them. Regardless of the size, record labels can provide resources and carry out promotions.

In the American music industry, lacking promotional support and radio play is akin to participating in a Tour de France race where everyone else is cycling, while one person is running on foot.

Yet, under these circumstances, "Cleopatra" wrote history completely through word of mouth, the hot topics surrounding Renly, the song's own outstanding quality, and the unyielding spirit of independent music. In a way that is both unconventional and absurd, it created its own history.

Perhaps someone might say that merely entering the top twenty isn't much, let alone clinching the top spot or even the top ten. However, considering that "Cleopatra" still remains under the name of the song's performer and hasn't been signed by any company, this feat far surpasses the initial record of "Macarena", which took thirty-three weeks to top the chart, and is even more astonishing!

Undoubtedly, this is yet another folk music miracle in the 21st century.

Rock is dead, that's been the consensus since the turn of the millennium. The once dominant rock of the 70s and 80s, the rock that once ruled with unparalleled might, has gradually declined. Except for Linkin Park, there hasn't been a rock band whose album sales can surpass ten million copies. That golden era of diversity and fierce competition, where a hundred flowers bloomed and a hundred schools of thought contended, is gone for good. Along with it, vanished the prosperity and clamor of the music market.

But people forget that disco, which flourished for a whole decade, is now forgotten, jazz, which sustained half a century, is struggling, and folk music, once vibrant, is now on its last legs.

In its heyday, folk singers were hailed as modern poets. They used melody as bridges and lyrics as weapons, releasing their aspirations for society, expectations for the nation, critiques of politics, interpretations of literature, and understanding of life in a heartfelt manner. Once upon a time, folk was the modern poetry; those singers were akin to Shakespeare, leaving behind valuable artistic wealth in the river of history. Their contributions to society, culture, and their times are indelible.

But what about now?

What is folk? It's nothing more than antiquated, aging, ignorant, uninteresting, outdated, feeble, insipid, and belonging to the past of grandparents. It's accumulated thick layers of dust, and some are even reluctant to acknowledge its existence. Even Bob Dylan's name is unfamiliar to the younger generation.

In the 21st century, is there anyone who can win the Nobel Prize in Literature with the literary quality of folk songs, like Bob Dylan did? Is there anyone who can imbue folk with profound literary artistry, to the extent of being comparable to enduring classics? Is there anyone who can make music a part of social progress, wielding their guitar as a weapon and becoming a societal pioneer, like Bob Dylan?

No, there isn't. Even the standing ground of Bob Dylan himself has vanished from the trends of pop music.

Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for an impressive seventy-six weeks, breaking the record for the longest duration on the chart. This revived people's fond memories of folk music's beauty, but it was only a brief moment of brilliance. Despite the quality of the several singles that Jason released afterward, they lacked the same earth-shattering energy.

However, today, "Cleopatra" slowly and steadily entered the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart without any promotion. In a trance, it allowed people to once again glimpse the glory of the golden era of folk—a time when the entire nation reveled and revered.

Following The Fader, the official Billboard magazine, for the first time ever, reported on "Cleopatra" this week.

"It's hard to imagine that in a time dominated by pop and hip-hop, a singer would so boldly embrace the arms of folk. This isn't a fusion of other genres into folk, nor is it a folk catering to contemporary taste, let alone conforming to trends.

With just a simple guitar and an unadorned shaker, it revives the most pure, most unadulterated, most sincere arrangement, letting the emotions and beauty of each note blend into the melody. The poetic lyrics are like the whispers of a troubadour, expressing lament for history, insight into life, memories of life, and the literary depth that's potent enough to evoke memories of Shakespeare. It brings the allure of lyrics to its zenith, akin to a poem, timeless and profound.

This, this is folk.

Even for an independent artist, even for Bob Dylan, even in the 60s, this is a song worthy of admiration, a song that captivates."

As the leader of American pop music, the authority of Billboard is beyond doubt and almost comparable to Rolling Stone. They defined this week's hot topic as "The Return of Folk", not introducing Renly but rather "Cleopatra", and other contemporary folk songs deserving attention. Once again, this provided ample affirmation to "Cleopatra".

Forty-one weeks ago, if someone had said that a folk song would make its way into the top twenty of the Billboard chart, most people would've scoffed, finding it even less amusing than a joke. Thirty-two weeks ago, if someone had said that "Cleopatra" would be in the top twenty of the Billboard chart eight months later, it would've caused a room full of people to burst into laughter, tears streaming down their faces.

Yet, all of this has happened in reality.

Even Ellen DeGeneres couldn't have anticipated that a spur-of-the-moment idea would lead to a historic event; even Andy Rogers couldn't have imagined that what was originally meant to promote "Buried" would result in Cleopatra's brilliance; even The Ellen DeGeneres Show production team couldn't have foreseen that a casually edited video would surge on YouTube and become a trending topic.

"Your Bones" debuted, igniting a topic of focus and ultimately leading to putting "Cleopatra" into the limelight. For most ordinary listeners, this single was a new release in 2011. But for the veterans of Village Vanguard, it was the result of a year of anticipation.

"Hudson! Hudson! Hudson!"

The voice of Neil Tuson's shouts came through clearly on the other end of the phone. The orderly chorus of voices in the background could be heard as well. It seemed like everyone from Village Vanguard had come out to join in the cheering, leaving Renly laughing without control.

When "Cleopatra" initially entered the charts, he and Neil made a bet. If this single could reach the top fifty, he would take Neil for a ride on the Hudson River in New York. Who would've thought that a casual jest from the past would turn into reality? And not just in the top fifty.

Seeing the Billboard chart, Renly still felt a sense of absurd unreality. Even a novel wouldn't dare to describe this, yet it was happening in real life.

"Hudson! No problem!" Renly replied loudly, then added, "Not just Neil, anyone at the bar who wants to go, we'll all go together. I'll rent a private yacht and we'll enjoy ourselves on the Hudson River!"

His voice spread through the loudspeakers of the phone, inviting deafening cheers from everyone in the bar. People were pounding on the tables, creating a lively cacophony reminiscent of the bar scene when watching football on Thursday nights.

"Stanley! You can't escape. Without you, none of this would've happened, so you have to go." Renly seemed to anticipate Stanley's refusal, and by taking the initiative, he blocked all of Stanley's retreat. As expected, a burst of laughter followed, and Renly could even imagine Stanley's embarrassed and helpless expression in his mind. This made a smile creep onto his lips as well.

Hanging up the phone, the scene outside the window unfolded—a tranquil, snow-covered valley stretching far and wide.