Fingers relaxed, feeling the resonance between the strings and the air, Hugo lifted them from the soundhole, letting the notes gradually dissipate into the atmosphere—like a spring evaporating under the sunlight, leaving behind a faint rainbow.
Hugo closed his eyes, sensing the surge of emotions within him. Although the melody of Sunburn was slow and the rhythm even, the intensity of Hugo's feelings while composing was unprecedented. Only through such inner turbulence could the emotions embedded in the lyrics feel real and believable.
Creating Sunburn today struck Hugo with extraordinary force. Unlike his previous works, where inspiration naturally flowed and shaped a song, today he forced himself to concentrate, to think and create. With no initial ideas, he built the structure of a song from scratch and then filled it with flesh and blood, ultimately completing it. It was an entirely different method of creation and a new kind of challenge for any artist.
Fortunately, Hugo succeeded—not only completing the task but doing so beautifully. Since traveling through time, his understanding of music seemed to deepen continually. From the hesitant steps of his earliest compositions to the passionate intensity of Kill Your Heroes and now the liberating soar of Sunburn, Hugo's musical talent seemed to be gradually awakening.
He wasn't certain whether it was the accumulated experience of his ten-year musical career, the unique benefits brought by traveling through time, or the untapped gift of his former self—after all, his previous incarnation had a profound grasp of classical literature, which allowed him to navigate works like Dead Poets Society and Scent of a Woman with ease. Conceivably, a hidden musical talent was also possible.
Regardless of the reason, Hugo's growth in music over this year, though not as dramatic as his breakthroughs in acting, still brought immense joy. Music had always been the most steadfast refuge of his heart.
Sunburn stirred countless thoughts and memories in Hugo's mind. He closed his eyes to calm himself, and when he opened them again, the audience had risen as one, offering the most passionate applause. This was the true climax of today's taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show!
Oprah herself stood and applauded. Hugo's brilliance had far exceeded her expectations, leaving her speechless. While others might have opinions, Oprah knew that Hugo's talent extended far beyond a single song like Next Time You See Me or even Sunburn. Her musical expertise might not be professional, but the raw, genuine emotion had effortlessly touched her soul—there was no doubt about that.
All 150 audience members, along with the production staff, stood to applaud, expressing their admiration for Hugo in the purest form.
Hugo rose, guitar in hand, bowing slightly to the audience in thanks. Compared to street performances or Rock Night shows, today's performance had a more theatrical quality. This was his first true stage performance since traveling through time and as a singer. The significance of this performance went far beyond a mere appearance.
Emotions surged within him, a smile spread across his lips, and confidence sparkled in his eyes. Hugo was so overwhelmed he couldn't find the words to describe his feelings—like being recognized after Scent of a Woman, facing public attention after the premiere of the A Few Good Men, or learning about a Golden Globe nomination after Christmas—1992 shone brilliantly for him, and for a moment, he felt almost godlike!
"Wow, Hugo, are you serious? You're serious!" Oprah exclaimed, her voice trembling slightly amid the pure applause. "This is incredible—tell me, you actually created that live, just now?"
"Yes, I did," Hugo said with a cheerful nod. The melody of Sunburn hadn't surged dramatically; the emotional rollercoaster was mostly internal. He quickly composed himself and returned to the recording.
"You really are a genius. I don't know how the experts would judge, but to me—a musical layperson—you are simply brilliant. Speechless. Absolutely outstanding." Oprah attempted to heap praise upon praise but found that the grandest words felt hollow. In the end, simple, sincere language conveyed her admiration most authentically.
Only those who witnessed Hugo craft an entire song in seven steps and experienced the emotional journey of Sunburn could truly understand Oprah's feelings at that moment.
"If you keep saying that, I'll get proud," Hugo said, his tension dissolving completely. How the TV audience would react later was not his concern for now, and his smile fully blossomed.
Oprah nodded emphatically. "You can be proud. You deserve to be proud." She knew her bet had paid off. "Today, we've uncovered Hugo's greatest treasure. I think I need to sit down with him again and talk more about music—let him explain why such a talented singer and songwriter kept this ability hidden for so long."
Hugo looked at Oprah, a smile constantly on his face. He noticed she was starting the closing remarks. Glancing around the studio, he realized nearly an hour had passed—the recording had proceeded much faster than expected.
"Unfortunately, today's show has reached its conclusion," Oprah said, her smile tinged with regret but glowing with satisfaction. "Today, we've met actor Hugo. I think, someday soon, we'll formally meet singer Hugo. Let's look forward to that day! Thank you all for watching today's show."
After wrapping up, Oprah stood, giving Hugo a warm embrace and a pat on the back, her face full of approval.
Hugo had initially planned, as he usually did, to turn and leave, but he was unexpectedly surrounded by reporters. It took him by surprise. After Joseph explained, Hugo understood that for a major program like The Oprah Winfrey Show, journalists are always invited to attend the taping. They are allowed to take photos, but everything must be approved by the production team.
After the recording, these media outlets would publish first-phase reports on the show. Sometimes they would highlight key moments, sometimes they would focus on juicy behind-the-scenes gossip, and often it served to build anticipation for the broadcast. Media invited to the studio were always familiar to the production team, so guests typically gave them respect and agreed to brief interviews.
Following today's taping, the attending media were ecstatic, immediately seeking interviews with Hugo. If the end-credits song of A Few Good Men had been just a teaser to catch journalists' attention, today's performance had done far more than that. Curiosity, excitement, and admiration all surged at once.
With Joseph accompanying him, Hugo engaged in brief conversations with the reporters. As previously noted in the Los Angeles Times feature on Hugo, he had always shown a deep understanding of music creation. Today, the journalists had the opportunity to confirm that firsthand.
The next day, the Chicago Sun-Times completely ignited the conversation:
"During the taping of the show, Hugo not only displayed his sunny, cheerful personality but also his humility and humor. More importantly, his musical talent left the audience in complete awe. It's hard to imagine that while people celebrated Hugo's strong return as an actor, they were simultaneously discovering his remarkable abilities as a singer-songwriter. Perhaps Hugo has even more charm waiting to be uncovered. Even after ten years in the public eye, we still haven't truly understood this twenty-five-year-old artist. From debuting at fifteen, navigating the ups and downs of the industry, Hugo persevered through the pains of transformation and now stands before us in a renewed form, inspiring great expectations for his future."
It wasn't just the Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Tribune, the region's leading newspaper in readership and advertising revenue, also reported on the taping. In their coverage, the paper wrote, "The talent Hugo displayed on the show rivals that of a double Golden Globe nominee."
Such top-tier praise immediately elevated A Few Good Men, which had just completed a four-week box-office streak, to an entirely new level. Public anticipation for The Oprah Winfrey Show also reached unprecedented heights.
The promotional cycle for A Few Good Men had originally been winding down, but now, thanks to Hugo's musical talent, a fresh wave of attention emerged. Various programs began extending invitations to Hugo, eager to personally witness whether his musical abilities were genuine or simply a ratings stunt orchestrated by The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Although most production teams were on holiday for the New Year's Eve period, this did not stop requests from piling up on Joseph's desk, filling Hugo's schedule for January. This was something neither Hugo nor Joseph had anticipated before the taping—his popularity had skyrocketed, ensuring that the coming New Year would be filled with celebration and excitement.
.....
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