Chapitre 115: Sensation

(3rd Person POV)

Just hours after James played "Lake of Fire" on Horn Coast 69.9 FM, music stores saw an influx of curious customers.

An old demon casually strolled into a store and approached the cashier. "Hey, do you sell James Blaze's single here?"

The imp demon cashier looked puzzled. It was the first he'd heard of it. "Um... What record label is he under?"

The old demon paused, trying to recall. "He's under Hellfire Records, I think."

Recognition dawned on the cashier's face. "Ah!" He pointed to a less-frequented section. "You can look for his song over there."

The old demon nodded, found the single "Lake of Fire," and made his purchase.

Minutes later, another demon entered with the same query. "Do you have James Blaze's song here?"

The cashier nodded and directed them to the right section.

As hours passed, the cashier noticed a pattern. More and more people were asking about this James Blaze.

"Who is this James Blaze?" the cashier wondered to himself.

The next day brought another wave of customers seeking James' music.

Two days later, the cashier's curiosity got the better of him. "Who is this James Blaze? I've been hearing so much about him recently."

A group of demon teenagers chuckled. "Hehe, you don't know?"

"He's the guy we heard on the radio!"

"Yeah! His song is so good!"

Intrigued, the cashier pressed further. "Where did you guys hear about him?"

"We heard him on the radio," a monkey demon teenager explained. "I heard him on 69.9 FM."

"Really?" another chimed in. "I heard him on 66.6 FM."

"I heard him on 42.0 FM."

Watching the teenagers excitedly discuss James Blaze, the cashier made a mental note to tune into a radio soon. He'd been stuck listening to music on his phonograph, but it seemed there were interesting developments happening on the airwaves.

In music stores across the city, James Blaze's single was flying off the shelves. Word of mouth spread like wildfire, and within days, thousands had heard of "Lake of Fire."

James' unique sound stood out in a sea of similar-sounding songs. In just a few days since his debut, he'd already amassed thousands of fans, thanks to his radio appearances and hundreds of enthusiastic listeners spreading the word.

The impact of James' music was felt even in unexpected places. In a upscale restaurant, patrons looked up in confusion as the owner switched out the usual vinyl on the phonograph.

As the new record began to play, the elegant, calming background music was replaced by something entirely different. While not as polished or soothing as the usual fare, it was undeniably refreshing.

A gentleman at one of the tables caught the waiter's attention. "What song is this?"

"It's a new song called 'Lake of Fire' by James Blaze," the waiter replied.

"James Blaze?" the gentleman mused. "First time I've heard of him. I'll have to look into his music."

His fancy girlfriend, however, wrinkled her nose. "You like that? It sounds so weird and... unpolished. I don't care for it at all."

The gentleman tried to explain, "What's wrong with it, sweetheart? It's refreshing."

"Oh, so you prefer this unpolished nonsense to our love song?" His girlfriend pouted.

Backpedaling quickly, the gentleman chuckled nervously, "It's not that, sweetheart. I love our song, it's heartwarming. This is just... new and different."

Seeing his girlfriend's continued displeasure, the gentleman hastily claimed he didn't like the song after all.

This scene played out in various forms across the city. Many who heard James' music fell in love with it instantly, drawn to its raw energy and uniqueness. Others, however, recoiled from what they perceived as a lack of polish and effort.

But love it or hate it, people couldn't stop talking about it. The controversy only fueled sales, cementing James Blaze as a rising star in the music world.

Newspapers and magazines quickly caught on to the buzz surrounding James Blaze's first song, with some media outlets featuring it on their front pages, largely due to James being signed to Hellfire Records - a company owned by the infamous ex-prince.

Headlines blazed across newsstands:

"Ex-Prince's Protégé Takes Horn Kingdom by Storm: James Blaze's Debut Single Skyrockets to Fame!"

"Raw Genius or Bold Gamble? Arthur Morningstar's Artist James Blaze Divides the Music Scene with an Unpolished Smash Hit!"

"Experts Debate: Is Arthur Morningstar Ushering in a New Genre with James Blaze's Groundbreaking Sound?"

"From Film to Music: Can Arthur Morningstar Transform the Industry as He Did with Cinema?"

These headlines only fanned the flames of James Blaze's growing popularity.

"Who is this James Blaze?"

"Maybe I should give his song a listen."

"An unpolished and raw song? Now that's something I've got to hear."

What started as thousands of curious listeners quickly grew to tens of thousands.

Now tens of thousands were curious about James Blaze.

Many more heard his song.

Gradually, James was establishing himself, and thousands of people - whether demons, elves, or dwarves - became his fans.

About a week after James' debut, most people in the Horn Kingdom had somehow heard of him.

Although the media outlets helped, and their controversy fanned the flames, it was the unpolished and raw nature of the song that attracted many people and further spread James' name.

A few days later, James attended a music festival. To James and Leo's surprise, a large crowd gathered in James' area.

"Oh, James! So that's how you look in person!"

"Can I have an autograph on your single, please?"

More and more people were shouting at James.

James felt incredulous. He waved at his fans and said into his mic, "Thanks for the support!"

Someone shouted, "James, will you release more songs?"

James smiled, "In fact, I'll perform my unreleased songs here."

The crowd cheered in excitement, "Hell yeah!"

"That's what I'm talking about!"

James, with his guitar in hand, began performing songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Something in the Way", "Creep", and "The Man Who Sold the World".

Initially, only dozens of people surrounded James and his band. Soon, the crowd swelled to hundreds.

The audience was captivated by the songs - unpolished, raw, and energetic. They weren't used to such music, having grown up listening to jazz. Yet, they couldn't stop listening to James' singing.

After James ended his performance, fans clamored for autographs, their excitement palpable.

Leo seized the moment, whispering to James, "Quickly, promote the songs you just sang."

James nodded and spoke into the mic, "Guys, the songs I've just performed are available for sale. You can buy them at our booth here."

The crowd's attention shifted to the Hellfire Records merchandise stall nearby. Within minutes, fans swarmed the booth, quickly depleting the stock of James' singles.

Hours later, at Hellfire HQ, Arthur observed James' growing fan base. He instructed Leo to set up a concert for James, striking while the iron was hot.

James' fame was on the rise - he was new to the industry, a fresh face with refreshing songs. Arthur knew they had to capitalize on this momentum. If they didn't organize a concert soon, it would be harder to promote James later, especially once people started copying his style.

Plans were made for a concert in two weeks. They partnered with media outlets and radio stations to promote ticket sales.

Simultaneously, Arthur negotiated agreements with record labels in other kingdoms, including Morningstar, Choson, Japon, and countries in South East Anatolia.

The new sound also caught the attention of several record labels from Empirica, some of which had branches in the Horn Kingdom. These established companies, known for their keen ear for emerging talents, were intrigued by James' unique style.

As word spread and deals were struck, it became clear that James Blaze's name would soon reach far beyond the borders of the Horn Kingdom.

From the bustling cities of Empirica to the distant shores of other realms, more and more people around the world would soon be introduced to the raw, energetic sound of James Blaze.