Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 89: Half-Step Diva]

Three days later, in the recording studio, they had just played the demo of Unstoppable that Taylor Swift had recorded. She delivered it with a hint of vulnerability, much like the theme song of Powerpuff Girls. "Looks like you two get along pretty well," Scooter remarked, a smile creeping across his face.

"Is that Taylor singing?" a man in the studio chimed in.

His voice had a thick British accent. With a prominent nose, deep-set eyes, and questionable skin up close, he wore a signature white T-shirt. Simon Cowell -- his influence in the entertainment world was well-known, having been a judge and executive producer on three top talent shows: American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent. He was a flag bearer of the British entertainment scene.

However, his record label had a closer relationship with Sony Music, releasing music for artists under that banner, which puzzled Ryan as to why he was here.

"Young man, we received a mysterious performance request for an extremely important event. I can't reveal the venue to anyone. In response to this performance, we've been allowed to release a song. I've been searching for the right one for the past three months, and when I heard the demo from UMG, I realized it was exactly what I had been looking for," Simon explained.

Just from that description, Ryan could vaguely guess the so-called "mysterious performance" was something that simply couldn't be disclosed.

"So, is she here?" Ryan asked.

Upon discovering who the collaborator was, Ryan immediately agreed to the project without hesitation, moving swiftly to meet Scooter, causing Taylor and Abigail to complain about Ryan's evasive nature, feeling like he had enjoyed what he wanted and left them hanging.

"Of course, but she's quite busy and not on the same flight as I am... Let me make a call," Simon said, pulling out his phone as he exited the studio.

...

After waiting for only about ten minutes, Simon came back in, followed by a black woman. She was not wearing high heels and her dress was not very special. Her hair was straightened and curled at the bottom, the same style as Beyonce's. She had a long, lean face that Ryan noticed.

When she greeted them, she shyly raised her hand, looking a bit awkward, even though the young female singer was more popular than Ryan.

"Leona," she introduced, her voice barely above a whisper.

It was clear she seemed overly shy.

Leona Lewis was the woman who had held a spot in the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 since Ryan started following the chart. Even now, she remained there, displacing many renowned artists like Low and Madonna with their past hits.

Ryan couldn't believe it; she was still standing in that top tier.

And this was just in America. In the UK, things were even more dramatic. That year, she was breaking records left and right. Bleeding Love was the number one single in the UK market the previous year. She launched her career by winning a talent show, and during the competition, she was compared to iconic diva figures like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston, performing classics from all three. After signing with her label, she gained prominence solely through Bleeding Love and Better in Time.

It can be said that in 2008, the most likely to take over from the three and the most popular adult lyrical singer was Leona Lewis, not Adele. The theme song for James Cameron's Avatar, I See You, was produced and sung by her using the same team from My Heart Will Go On, further solidifying her vocal prowess.

Yet, despite all this, Leona struggled to break through that last barrier to true stardom. After missing out on several potential hits, she began a rapid decline, fading from the spotlight within just a couple of years -- truly a cautionary tale in the music industry.

Had she managed to release more good songs in succession, the dynamics of pop music might have shifted completely ...

...

"Can we start recording now?" Scooter broke the silence, noting the awkwardness in the room.

"Absolutely," Simon nodded enthusiastically.

"Do you need to prepare?" Ryan asked her.

Leona shook her head. "Not at all."

At least in terms of her singing abilities, she remained very confident.

She entered the recording booth, put on her headphones, and began recording according to the lyrics. Her voice transmitted outside the studio, allowing Ryan, Scooter, and Simon to be immersed in the experience.

At first, her voice provided a sense of peace, but upon closer listening, it wasn't overly thick; it carried her unique quality, with a hint of sweet youthfulness. When she hit high notes, her clarity and resonance genuinely impressed Ryan.

Accustomed to Taylor's booming voice, hearing Leona sing felt like entering a completely different world.

"Can we do that again? The ending was a bit shaky," Ryan said into the microphone after her first take.

Through the glass, Leona made an "okay" sign.

...

Scooter was already discussing promotional strategies with Simon at that point.

With the popularity of this rising male artist and the hottest new female star in the mix, combined with solid song quality, they were looking at serious potential -- the makings of a hit!

"That's going to be tricky; as you know, we have to prepare for that secret performance..." Simon muttered.

Implying they wouldn't be able to actively promote it in the near future, Scooter understood Simon's concerns but still managed to secure a few opportunities for Ryan, who needed to travel to London.

Leona Lewis was busy, constantly shuttling between Europe and America, but in just those few hours, she managed to record most of her parts. Compared to the version Ryan had in his head, this song had taken on a completely different and equally beautiful style.

Ryan had great confidence in this song; he believed it would explode in the market.

...

"How much?" When Taylor's mother heard the offer for Ryan's current nightclub performance, she was so surprised that she was speechless for a while.

"Will there be any nightclubs inviting you?" Taylor asked as she munched on some vegetables. That evening, Ryan was a guest at her family's dinner, having been invited over.

With Unstoppable released, it entered the top ten within the second week; that same week, Ryan had three songs in the top ten, an impressive feat that practically guaranteed him the Best New Artist award at next year's Grammys.

Though the next week, Harlem Shake's rankings started to plummet and completely disappeared from the charts in a month, it had served its historical purpose.

Ryan still had two songs charting, with Wake Me Up stabilizing at ninth for three weeks. Taylor's Love Story managed to climb to sixth, but Ryan's Unstoppable held a solid third position, keeping her in the shade.

As for Leona's old hits, they seemed to lose momentum after the release of Unstoppable, and dropped directly to the top ten, two weeks after.

At that moment, Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl occupied the number one spot, while the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up debuted at fifth.

"Definitely less than before, but at least I'm making more and finding it easier," Ryan admitted.

His rates had skyrocketed to levels that even top clubs in big cities couldn't keep up with. They thrived on alcohol sales, and even the highest earnings had a cap.

Ryan had already reached pop-star status, elevating him above regular DJs. His appearance fee could cover three top DJs combined.

"So, is there any way to make even more money?" Taylor mused.

Ryan's earnings were never enough for her.

"Well, there's always the option of learning from Europe and creating a new nightclub format..." Ryan began explaining. He had been contemplating this idea but hadn't formed a feasible plan yet.

"Are you thinking about being a nightclub owner? Maybe you should reconsider," Taylor quickly shook her head. While she had contacts that could help with Ryan's endeavors and had seen his success, the idea of being surrounded by nightclub girls every day made her shudder.

She could only imagine what might happen; it could quickly become a nightmare if a couple of those girls ended up pregnant!

Ryan didn't respond but glanced at Taylor's father instead.

"Scott, are there any investment avenues..." Ryan cautiously asked. With his recent nightclub gigs, coupled with splits from four hit songs and various other revenue streams -- sound effect plugins, remixing fees, and YouTube video earnings -- he had already surpassed his goals for the year and became a millionaire. However, with inflation, that money needed to be put to work.

"Of course! What kind of investment do you have in mind?" Taylor's dad perked up at the mention of investing.

"My investment direction might be a little unconventional; I want to bet on a crash in American real estate," Ryan replied slowly.

*****

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