Leon walked into the recording studio with trepidation. As soon as he entered, he saw producer Max take off his monitor headphones and complain to Ariana: "This is the fifth time, Ariana. Why can't you find the right state?"
"Listen, you are no longer the sweet girl acting spoiled in your parents' arms. You are now a fashion darling, the queen dominating the party, the bad girl breaking all boys' hearts! Boys can only line up and crawl at your feet, hoping for a chance to kiss your high heels!"
"Wait..." The more Leon listened, the more wrong it felt. He pulled out a swivel chair and sat down next to Max. "I'm curious what kind of song Little A wrote."
"You'll know when you listen. This is definitely a masterpiece, not inferior to Señorita." Max sighed. "This girl can write such lyrics, but she can't find the correct performance state. I don't understand why."
Seeing Leon's arrival, Ariana in the glass booth became even more nervous. She kept taking deep breaths to adjust her state, striving to show her best in front of the boss.
"Listen to the accompaniment first." Max handed him a pair of headphones and pressed the play button. "The first two verses sample My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. This is a genius idea, but you have to settle the licensing issue as soon as possible."
"OK, that's a small problem."
Sampling is very common in songwriting. This practice of adding old song elements to new songs can be said to be one of the most outstanding inventions in pop music history.
Extracting classic elements from old albums, paying tribute and surpassing, countless more creative works were born, from Janet Jackson's That's the Way Love Goes to D'Angelo's Send It On.
Especially the currently popular R&B music.
An increasingly clear trend shows that it seems every commercially successful R&B single today is built on a sample of a classic track, or is just a remake of a past hit.
This phenomenon reveals the essence of humans as repeaters.
As an immortal classic, the copyright licensing fee for My Favorite Things is around $20,000, which is nothing for the production cost of an album.
"I'm worried the girl will be more nervous with you present." Max smiled and put on the monitor headphones again. "Ready, Little A? Adjust your state and let's do it again. Ignore Leon; just treat this guy as air."
"Mmhmm!" Ariana nodded seriously.
The accompaniment sounded. She lifted her jet-black shiny high ponytail, eyes alluring, firing on all cylinders!
"This time seems a bit different..." Max stared straight at Ariana, fascinated. "She seems to have found the state."
Leon was equally shocked by Ariana's state. It wasn't that he hadn't seen her sexy posture, whether in bed or in live performances.
But in Señorita, she showed more of a girl's posture in love, teasing with a hint of shyness.
And now her state is completely different, like a btch girl walking out of American Pie.
Confident, sexy, strong, ambitious...
Ariana ignored Max's advice and stared straight at Leon while recording.
Yeah, breakfast at Tiffany's and bottles of bubbles
Girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble
Lashes and diamonds, ATM machines
Buy myself all of my favorite things
Almost without any foreshadowing, entering the verse accompaniment and lyrics can grab the listener's ears in a second.
Leon breathed a sigh of relief. He originally thought Ariana would create a Cardi-style btch work. Now it seems he worried too much.
Although Ariana tried her best to show a rebellious bad girl image, she couldn't hide her sweet girl essence at all.
Before carefully savoring the melody of the verse part, the more catchy chorus came.
My wrist, stop watchin', my neck is flossy
Make big deposits, my gloss is poppin'
I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it
I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it
I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it
I like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it
Ariana recorded while flipping her high ponytail, twisting her body, staring straight at Leon with sharp and arrogant eyes.
Repeating the chorus continuously: "I got it, I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it..."
Just like Frankie said, like a queen high above.
"Awesome, you guy are like a magician. Why did Ariana find the best state as soon as you came?" Max exclaimed repeatedly. "This girl has completely mastered the essence of a big hit single. This chorus is simply too brainwashing. She is simply talented..."
Leon shrugged and didn't answer. As the inspiration source of this song, as long as he appears, he can always arouse the emotions buried deep in Ariana's heart.
According to Frankie, the inspiration for 7 Rings came from Ariana shopping with her besties.
In a period of emotional low, she had a whim and walked into a Tiffany store to choose a ring for each of the six sisters.
She thought this was crazy and interesting. On the way home, her best friend persuaded her to write this into a song.
She filled the lyrics and simplified score in just one afternoon.
The core of the song is simple and straightforward—"Old Lady (I) has money and looks, doesn't need a man at all; Sister (I) is the queen myself!"
When the recording ended, everyone in the recording studio stood up and applauded for her, flattering her in various ways.
"You did a great job, Ariana!"
"I have a hunch that this album will open a brand new era. Taylor and Rihanna should make room for you!"
"Unparalleled, Billboard number one reserved!"
Ariana was immersed in happiness, flipping her hair while walking through the crowd with confident steps, enjoying the flattery and applause to the fullest.
Until Leon stood in front of her, a simple compliment made her instantly break her composure. "You did great."
Light was in Ariana's eyes, about to drip water.
No amount of flowers and applause is as important as this man's affirmation.
She suppressed the urge to throw herself into Leon's arms, rolled her eyes slightly, looking arrogant. "I told you this album wouldn't disappoint you."
"You are a genius girl; there is no doubt about this." Leon rejoiced immensely how correct it was to sign Ariana at the beginning and give her the inspiration-refreshed Señorita to sing.
Some women add the talent points that should have been added to the brain to the body, frantically adding points to height, chest, and butt.
Obviously, Ariana is not in this category. She added all the talent that should have been on the figure to the brain, showing top-level creative talent.
"Recording is physical work, but you completed the task excellently." Leon said with a smile, "Want to come to my office for a cup of coffee? We haven't had a good chat for a while."
"Of course..." Ariana almost blurted out agreeing, but swallowed the words back. "Better not; I agreed with my sisters to have a couple of drinks tonight."
"Is that so?"
"Of course, you'd better spend more time on Miss Taylor~"
After speaking, Ariana turned around without hesitation, leaving a dashing back figure.
The conspiracy of "drinking coffee" failed. Leon could only shake his head while laughing.
An 18-year-old girl's mind is harder to guess than the chocolate flavor in Forrest Gump's hand.
With the blessing of 7 Rings, he is full of confidence in the market prospect of this album.
7 Rings has a good chance to top the Billboard.
After leaving the recording studio, he called Sean immediately, demanding top-level promotional resources for Ariana's new album.
For record companies without a major manufacturer background to achieve top-level promotional effects, there is no other way but to throw money.
Compared to the three major record companies, Apocalypse Music's biggest disadvantage is not in volume, but in promotional resources.
Ariana is likely to fail to get ideal results in the Billboard rankings because the company drags her back.
To avoid this happening, Leon emphasized to Sean: "At all costs! Whether it's the NASDAQ big screen in Times Square, light boxes in subway stations, or bus bodies, when this album is released, I must see Little A's photos in every corner of the city!"
"Yes, yes, yes..." Sean didn't know what medicine the always stingy boss took wrong. He didn't know, nor did he dare to ask.
After hanging up the phone, the MV shooting team led by Old Mike arrived just in time.
After briefly explaining the precautions before shooting, the convoy composed of commercial vans and nanny vans drove to the shooting location. Leon drove the Bugatti at the front of the team.
The shooting location is in Downtown Brooklyn, just a hundred meters away from Apocalypse Music. This is the most prosperous section of Brooklyn.
More than ten police officers maintained order on both sides of the street. Old Mike directed the camera placement while glancing at his watch from time to time, looking anxious.
The municipal department only gave them two hours of shooting time, and it was not traffic control in the true sense, only deploying some police to maintain order.
To achieve the best shooting effect, the MV must be shot after dark.
And it's just seven o'clock now; the sky hasn't turned completely dark yet.
Every second of waiting was torture for Mike. Finally, ten minutes after Leon finished makeup and styling, he announced the official start of shooting.
Leon wore a white suit, the corners of his mouth covered with fake blood made of syrup.
According to instructions, he stood under the neon sign of a nightclub, looking like a drunkard beaten up by security guards for groping a girl's butt.
"Action!"
With the director's command, two fixed cameras and four mobile cameras aimed at Leon simultaneously.
He bent over and breathed heavily, looking extremely wretched under the contrast of the blood at the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly raised his head, revealing a ferocious smile to the camera.
Gritting teeth, hideous face, exactly the same as the smile of a villain in a movie who still wants to act cool before dying.
Normally at this time, the protagonist would act decisively, sending the villain to see God with a sentence "It's High Noon."
But in Leon's own MV, this situation will not happen. He is both the villain and the protagonist.
Old Mike held the script and explained the key points of the second shot. "Remember what I told you? Find the state from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Dark Knight, and Casino."
To achieve the desired effect, he and Leon watched a large number of movie clips themed on madness and loss, and also drew a lot of color philosophy from the lens style of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai.
Leon walked through the street, a lit cigarette in his mouth, twisting his body and dancing weirdly against the cyberpunk background composed of neon signs.
"Yes, you are doing very right..."
Old Mike praised while instructing the cameraman on how to use multiple lens languages, including handheld lenses and stabilization equipment.
Ensure to record this weird and funny dance from all angles.
High state, ecstatic loneliness, woman's caress...
Leon was immersed in the state, turning a self-loathing villain into an irresistible old movie.
"Awesome! This is fcking romantic spiritual emptiness!" Old Mike, who rarely swore on set, couldn't help cursing.
Leon's performance just now couldn't find a single fault.
For a moment, Old Mike felt he wasn't acting, but displaying a real spiritual world.
After announcing shooting the last shot, Leon turned over and got into the white Bugatti. The blood at the corner of his mouth disappeared.
Putting on aviator sunglasses, shaking his head, revealing a weird smile to the camera, and then booming a floor-kick of the gas pedal.
Vroom—The huge sound wave emitted by the W16 engine made the fans watching outside the cordon scream uncontrollably.
"Faster, boys! Follow that Bugatti closely!"
"Drone operator, ready!"
Leon drove through the street. In the camera lens, neon lights blurred together into city phantoms.
After driving out of the commercial district, he headed straight for the city elevated road. Taking advantage of the fact that the traffic volume was not large now, he stepped on the accelerator hard.
"Sht, I can't keep up with him! Drive faster!" The follow cameraman popped his head out of the commercial van, squinting under the impact of high-speed airflow.
Engine roar, neon city phantoms, white beast galloping on the elevated road...
Under the combination of these elements, Leon completely found the state in the original MV.
Shaking his head while humming Blinding Lights.
"I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights. No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch~"
After circling on the city elevated road, the white Bugatti drove towards the Brooklyn Bridge. The Manhattan skyline loomed in the lens.
The follow cameraman stopped the car at this time, leaving only the receding back of the Bugatti on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Old Mike was obviously very satisfied with this shot, staring at the camera repeatedly while exclaiming: "This picture is simply superb! You look like a young king! The King of Brooklyn!"
"Honestly, no MV has ever been shot so smoothly for me."
Leon leaned his head over to appreciate the shot just taken with Old Mike. This shooting was exceptionally smooth, with no NG (No Good/retake) once throughout the process.
"It seems an MTV Best Director Award is not my end point; I can do more." Mike couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. "I never thought my career would usher in a peak at the end of my career. This is all thanks to you."
"No, you deserve it. If you were a fool, you wouldn't get such an opportunity." Leon teased.
Even if he provided the details of every shot of the MV, if the director is mediocre, the final effect will definitely be greatly discounted.
Letting two directors shoot the same script presents two completely different stories.
The shooting team completed the task excellently in two hours. Leon drove on the way back to Tribeca.
The radio was playing his work Old Town Road, which topped the Billboard this week.
The car just drove to Lower Manhattan when the phone rang. The caller was Phil.
"The endorsement offer from Tesla is too low. I advise you to give up. The boss of this enterprise is stingier than Grandet. Maybe this company will go bankrupt within a few years."
"How much do they offer?" Leon asked.
"Three-year contract totaling $4.5 million." Phil sighed. "Dare you believe this is an offer from a car company? Not even a fraction of the commercial endorsement value of Volkswagen or BMW. This is simply an insult to you!"
A total of $4.5 million in three years is indeed a bit stingy for a car company.
The contract Leon signed with Durex has an endorsement fee of $700,000 a year, and at that time his fame was far less than now.
Nevertheless, he still didn't want to give up a precious car endorsement. After hesitating for two seconds, he asked tentatively: "Is there no room for negotiation?"
"Tesla's marketing manager told me this is the highest offer he can give me." Phil said, "If you want more money, you can only talk face to face with the boss of this company, Elon Musk. That guy interferes in everything in the company personally, an out-and-out tyrant control freak."