Chapter 30: Chapter 30: A Resounding Victory
The buzz around "Re-Invention" continued to grow.
Nylon Music Magazine, which usually focused on song reviews, had shifted its attention to the MV this time, barely touching on the song itself.
"If I had to highlight the standout aspect of this song, it would definitely be the MV. The melancholic blue perfectly complements the style of the song. The concept of killing oneself—what does it represent?
"It represents the current self killing the past self, akin to a rebirth or re-invention, which fits well with the song's meaning. Although the lyrics are somewhat cliché, it's still better than the usual materialistic themes. However, it's worth noting that the song's drumbeats and accompaniment don't quite match. Reducing the drumbeats might have made it more enjoyable."
This was the opinion of chief music critic Blackjack. Other critics had their own takes as well.
For instance, the sharp-tongued critic Tony had this to say:
"To me, the song itself isn't particularly noteworthy. The style is outdated, and the vocals are mediocre. When I saw that big guy singing in the MV, it didn't seem gentle at all; rather, it came off as pretentious and petty.
"However, the MV is well-made, using a lot of metaphors. At the beginning, Raymond in a suit is suffocated by a plastic bag, representing the killing off of his showy past self. The killer in the black jacket then symbolizes Raymond's return to his true self.
"And when he picks up the pink cross and smashes everything, it's the same symbolic act of destroying the flashy elements, just like the lyrics suggest. It signifies Raymond's return to his roots, no longer floating above reality.
"The album cover is similar, with the black jacket and gold chain—perhaps it's Raymond's personal preference or the MV director's design? It's quite cohesive. I like this creativity. Still, without this MV, I wouldn't listen to this song."
Apart from the detailed reviews, there were numerous short comments and reader messages about the song. Ethan noticed many while flipping through magazines and newspapers.
"Exquisite colors! This MV stunned me! Far better than those black-and-white hip-hop MVs!"
"Interesting, the album cover also has collectible value. I didn't expect each song to have a different color scheme. Honestly, I'm not interested in the song; I just want to collect the covers."
"Just like the classic pop art piece 'Marilyn Monroe,' I'm in love with this color!"
"Can I ask who the MV director is? Does he have other works?"
"See, Ethan, people are already asking about your name!" Jimmy, sitting on his couch at home, had brought the magazines and newspapers.
Ethan smiled, "Unfortunately, this is my only work so far."
"But there will definitely be more impressive works in the future!" Jimmy was confident in his buddy's abilities.
While they were chatting, a phone call came in. Ethan answered and found it was Raymond.
"Hey BRO! The ranking has gone up again! I can't believe it's now at thirty-nine! Really! Thank you, brother!"
Raymond's excitement was clear from his voice.
"It's my job."
"Are you free tonight? I'm performing at the Frenzy Night Bar. Come and see! And let's drink! We'll party till we drop!"
Ethan looked at Jimmy, "Sure, no problem. I'll bring Jimmy along."
"Jimmy, great! Let's go! Wow, awesome!"
After hanging up, Ethan shrugged at Jimmy, "Looks like Raymond wants to buy us drinks."
Jimmy straightened up, "Perfect, let's go!"
Just as he was about to put his arm around Ethan's shoulder, another call interrupted them. Ethan picked up his phone to find it was Giorgio calling.
"Ethan, a complete victory!"
"What?" Ethan didn't understand.
Giorgio explained, "Edmond, that arrogant guy, is in trouble. His faulty strategy caused SBK to lose a lot of money, and now the higher-ups have impeached him. He's been demoted."
"Demoted? Not fired?"
"Firing him might be difficult. After all, he's a long-time employee of SBK and has factional support. Honestly, if he hadn't insisted on using SBK's resources to block Raymond's new song, he wouldn't have given anyone the chance to attack him."
Ethan smirked, "Pride often leads to downfall, doesn't it?"
"Yes… You're right. Pride does lead to downfall," Giorgio reflected on the statement and continued, "By the way, I'm not just calling about this. More importantly, I've been in touch with CAA, and as you suggested, they've started internal evaluations. I think they'll offer a satisfactory price."
Ethan chose to go through Giorgio rather than Apollon because their relationship was more reliable with mutual interests but no conflicts.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. It's what you deserve!"
After speaking with Giorgio, Ethan took Jimmy to the Frenzy Night Bar to watch Raymond's performance.
However, without the MV's support, the song seemed somewhat weak and struggled to energize the crowd. Raymond had to belt out "Beast Star" to get the atmosphere going.
After performing, Raymond came to the private room with a large sum of dollars, first distributing some to his brothers, then handing Ethan a few hundred dollars.
Ethan passed part of it to Jimmy.
"Brothers, let's get wild! I'm picking up the tab tonight!" Raymond drank heavily, looking exceptionally confident under the dazzling lights.
He no longer resembled the despondent figure he was when the song initially flopped.
He then clapped his hands, and several women immediately entered and joined them.
The revelry lasted all night, and even Ethan got a bit drunk. When a girl helped him to the restroom, she took the opportunity to surprise him.
"Ah!" Ethan gasped as she crouched down to take advantage.
After standing by the urinal for a while, he finally relieved himself once she stood up.
When he woke up the next morning in the private room, he found several notes on his body and lipstick marks on his face.
At the sink, Ethan washed his face, removing the lipstick, feeling a sense of release after this intense period.
He looked at his phone; Scarlett's message was still from that night in Los Angeles.
"I'll win you over sooner or later." Ethan whistled, dampened his hands, fixed his hairstyle, and walked out of the bar.
....
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