在过去的几个月里，薛之谦凭借在综艺节目中的幽默表现和微博上的冷笑话而受到大众喜爱和追捧。这位33岁的歌手以一个段子手的身份强势回归。但他坚称，自己唯一的梦想就是唱歌。
Xue makes no bones
薛之谦从不讳言他想成名的渴望。他相信只有红起来，才会有更多的人听他的歌。然而，每每谈起音乐，薛之谦嬉皮笑脸的样子就会消失，口气也变得严肃起来。他曾在脱口秀节目《拜托了冰箱》中表示，“无论如何，音乐都是我生命中最重要的东西。”
Xue claims that he creates music purely out of love, not for money. Last year, he released an EP called Gentleman (《绅士》), featuring three songs he wrote. According to Sohu Entertainment, Xue spent 19 months on the three singles. For the title track alone, he tried five different versions, *tweaking the sound mixing. But during an interview with CCTV, Xue told his fans they didn’t need to purchase the album: He would be satisfied so long as some of them listened to the songs online.
薛之谦称他做音乐是出于对它的热爱，而不是为了钱。去年，他发行了一张名为《绅士》的迷你专辑，其中共收录了三首他创作的歌曲。据搜狐娱乐报道，薛之谦花了19个月来创作这三首歌。单单是专辑同名的主打歌，他就尝试了五种不同的混音版本。然而，在一次中央电视台的采访中，他告诉粉丝们不需要去买这张专辑；只要有粉丝能在网上听他的歌，他就感到十分满足了。
On July 17, Xue is going to hold a free concert in Beijing. Being back on stage is likely a dream come true for Xue, but it has been a long time since he has had to prove his chops as a singer. Xue first experienced fame in 2005 when he participated in Dragon TV’s singing competition My Show (《我型我秀》). But just like many reality TV stars, Xue then gradually disappeared from the public eye. Over the next decade, he wrote and released dozens of songs. Only one, his debut single Snow With All My Heart (《认真的雪》), made a splash.
7月17日，薛之谦将在北京举办一场免费演唱会。对他来说，再度站在台上唱歌就像美梦成真一样。然而要证明自己是位合格的歌手，他花费了很长时间。2005年，薛之谦因参加东方卫视唱歌比赛《我型我秀》一举成名。但就像很多选秀歌手一样，在那之后，薛之谦逐渐淡出公众视线。在接下来的十年里，他创作并发行了不少首歌，但只有他的首只单曲《认真的雪》曾是热门金曲。
In recent years, some washed-up singers have returned to sing on programs such as I Am a Singer (《我是歌手》), including Li Jian, Huang Qishan and Julia Pang (彭佳慧). Their *sophisticated singing skills have allowed them to endure.
近几年，《我是歌手》等（音乐）节目为李健、黄绮珊、彭佳慧等一些过气歌手提供了演唱的舞台。他们老练的歌唱技巧让他们得以持续走红。
Xue, meanwhile, has built up a large fanbase. But his popularity is largely a credit to his *self-deprecating humor. As he prepares to return to the stage, audiences may find themselves wondering: Will his singing abilities live up to his skills as a *wisecracker?
同样地，薛之谦也拥有了一个庞大的粉丝群。然而，他受欢迎很大程度上却是源于他的自黑幽默。现在，就在他即将重返舞台之时，观众们或许也会产生怀疑：他的唱歌才华是否能和他超强的幽默感相提并论呢？
