The year was 2020 in a world nearly identical to Earth. The same technological advancements, the same everything—COVID-19 had struck here too, just as it had on earth. But the entertainment industry saw subtle changes.
In Lancaster, LA, Ethan Jones, the son of teacher Emily Jones and auditor Adam Jones, led a pretty normal life. A loving family, supportive friends, and a kid surrounded by joy and happiness, Ethan was born in 1998. At 22, just after his birthday on January 5th, he was living his best life, sorting out his future after dropping out of college—a decision that greatly disappointed his father, who had hoped Ethan would become a lawyer. Ironically, Adam wanted him to become a lawyer because he had always admired the wealth his law friends enjoyed. Despite this, he still supported his son in finding his own path.
By December 2020, the COVID pandemic had ravaged the country, with millions dead. Yet, the Jones family remained upbeat and supportive. The family's spirit hadn't been dimmed.
"Ethan, come get your lunch. Mom's finished cooking!" came the voice of his younger sister, Precious. She was a senior in high school, head cheerleader, and the most popular girl in school—according to her, at least.
"I'm coming!" Ethan called back, reluctantly pulling himself from his bedroom where he had been binge-watching The Blacklist season 7. Despite the pandemic, the show had continued its run, and Ethan was hooked. "I'm telling you, Precious, you need to watch The Blacklist. It's insanely good. Raymond Reddington has to be the smartest character ever."
"Yeah, watch a show where an old white man is secretly running the world... yeah, no," Precious retorted, rolling her eyes.
Ethan smirked. "Well, I didn't expect you to have taste when your favorite show is a K-drama."
His sister stormed into his room, throwing her phone at him. Fortunately, his bedspread saved him, but unfortunately, her phone was also lucky.
"Hey, you better put some respect on Crash Landing on You. It's the greatest piece of fiction to ever come out!" she fired back.
"Yeah, yeah," Ethan muttered, too scared to argue further.
After narrowly surviving his sister's wrath, Ethan went downstairs. He entered the kitchen and saw his father—who was balding with a white-blond buzz cut—watching the news. His mother, Emily, was at the dining table, her sunny green eyes and golden locks making her look angelic. "Ethan, dear, come eat before it gets cold. We all know you don't like cold food."
"Okay, Mom, I'm coming." He smiled at her before sitting down.
The Jones family sat together for a homemade meal of meatloaf. As they began eating, his father, Adam, said, "Ethan, say grace."
Ethan bowed his head and said, "Oh Lord, bless this meal and thank you for keeping us safe during these trying times. Amen."
"Amen," his family responded.
"So, anything new?" his mother asked.
"Mom, we literally can't step outside. Nothing new is happening," Precious grumbled.
"I was talking to your brother, dear. Maybe he has figured out what he wants to do after the virus ends," Emily replied.
"Well..." Ethan hesitated. "I'm thinking of maybe getting into Twitch, TikTok, or YouTube. I want to try singing my songs. It's now or never."
"Wow, that's great, dear! Your voice is beautiful. I've been trying to get you to pursue this since you left the church choir!" Emily cheered.
"Ew, is Ethan really going to start singing? I guess he's never leaving the house now," Precious teased.
"Hey!" Ethan shot back, but his sister's laughter filled the room.
Before his mother could retort, Adam stood up. "Ethan, let's talk in the office," he said in a commanding tone.
"Ooooo, you're in trouble," Precious teased.
"Ethan, son, are you serious about this?" his father asked once they were alone.
"Yes, Dad. I've been writing songs, and I really think I can make it in the music industry," Ethan replied.
Adam hesitated. "I've always supported you, son, but the music business... well, it's messy. I don't know much about it, but from what I've seen in the news, it's not easy."
"Dad, I know who my parents are. I know the values you and Mom have instilled in me. I'm not going to lose myself in this. I can handle it," Ethan said, his tone firm.
Adam said nothing more. Instead, he simply stood and hugged his son. "I love you, son," he whispered.
Later, in his room, Ethan sat at his desk, writing lyrics for a song called "Shape of You." What he hadn't told his parents—or his bratty sister—was that since the beginning of the year, he had been getting lyrics and beats from where he couldn't fully explain. Once he finished, he switched to YouTube and created a channel.
"Hello, everyone. Sorry, this might look sloppy, but this is my first time here. My name is Ethan, and I'd like to sing my song. It's called 'Shape of You.'"
' The club isn't the best place to find a lover
So the bar is where I go
Me and my friends at the table doing shots
Drinking fast and then we talk slow
Come over and start up a conversation with just me
And trust me I'll give it a chance now
Take my hand, stop, put Van the Man on the jukebox
And then we start to dance, and now I'm singing likeGirl, you know I want your love
Your love was handmade for somebody like me
Come on now, follow my lead
I may be crazy, don't mind me
Say, boy, let's not talk too much
Grab on my waist and put that body on me
Come on now, follow my lead
Come, come on now, follow my leadI'm in love with the shape of you
We push and pull like a magnet do
Although my heart is falling too
I'm in love with your body
And last night you were in my room
And now my bedsheets smell like you
Every day discovering something brand new
I'm in love with your body
(Oh-I-oh-I-oh-I-oh-I)
I'm in love with your body
(Oh-I-oh-I-oh-I-oh-I)
I'm in love with your body
(Oh-I-oh-I-oh-I-oh-I)
I'm in love with your body
Every day discovering something brand new
I'm in love with the shape of youOne week in we let the story begin
We're going out on our first date
You and me are thrifty, so go all you can eat
Fill up your bag and I fill up a plate
We talk for hours and hours about the sweet and the sour
And how your family is doing okay
And leave and get in a taxi, then kiss in the backseat
Tell the driver make the radio play, and I'm singing likeGirl, you know I want your love
Your love was handmade for somebody like me
Come on now, follow my lead
I may be crazy, don't mind me
Say, boy, let's not talk too much
Grab on my waist and put that body on me
Come on now, follow my lead
Come, come on now, follow my leadI'm in love with the shape of you
We push and pull like a magnet do
Although my heart is falling too
I'm in love with your body
And last night you were in my room
And now my bedsheets smell like you
Every day discovering something brand new
I'm in love with your body
(Oh-I-oh-I-oh-I-oh-I)
I'm in love with your body
(Oh-I-oh-I-oh-I-oh-I)
I'm in love with your body
(Oh-I-oh-I-oh-I-oh-I)
I'm in love with your body
Every day discovering something brand new
I'm in love with the shape of youCome on, be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come onI'm in love with the shape of you
We push and pull like a magnet do
Although my heart is falling too
I'm in love with your body
And last night you were in my room
And now my bedsheets smell like you
Every day discovering something brand new
I'm in love with your body
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on (I'm in love with your body), be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on (I'm in love with your body), be my baby, come on
Come on, be my baby, come on
Come on (I'm in love with your body), be my baby, come on
Every day discovering something brand new
I'm in love with the shape of you'
a new book I wanted to create cause people don’t create super star books that starts in the 2020s
In an upscale neighborhood in Manchester, UK, a young girl sat scrolling through her phone. One of the long-term members of her K-drama fan group had posted a link, writing: "My brother created a YouTube channel. The song makes sense. You should check it out when you're free."
Out of curiosity or boredom, Cynthia clicked on the link. It directed her to YouTube, where she saw a video titled Shape of You. The video had already amassed 4.9 million views and 200 k likes within hours of being posted. Cynthia couldn't help but be shocked. She clicked the video to watch.
The video opened, and she was immediately captivated by the sight of one of the most handsome guys she'd ever seen. With curly blond hair, dashing blue eyes, and the cutest dimples, he spoke into the camera.
"Hello, guys. My name is Ethan. Sorry if this is a little rough—I'm new at this. But I'd like to sing a song I wrote. It's called 'Shape of You.'"
Aww, she cooed to herself. He looks like a nerd. A cute, lovely nerd. Then the music started.
"The club isn't the best place to find a lover…"
Cynthia was immediately blown away by his voice. It was smooth, rich, and heartfelt. Before she knew it, she had watched the video three times, giving it a like each time. Excited, she quickly sent the link to all her group chats.
Meanwhile, in a lavish mansion in LA, Lucian Grainge, the CEO of Universal Music Group, was on a call with his board members.
"So, as I was saying to Lucas earlier, Mariah's new album is dropping soon. We need the necessary hype to get it going. Also, how's the new album coming from Justin? When will it be ready?" Lucian asked.
One of the board members responded, "Sir, it's still a while off. He's gathering inspiration. We expect it to be ready by March at the latest."
"March? That's too far. What about Taylor? Is Evermore ready to go?" Lucian asked.
"It's ready, sir," came the reply.
"Good. Let's aim for a January release."
As the meeting continued, Julia, the newly promoted head of A&R, sat in her home, listening to her colleagues. She couldn't stop thinking about a song her son had played earlier.
"Sir, I have to talk to you," Julia interjected.
"Oh, Julia, what's on your mind?" Lucian replied.
"There's this new kid on YouTube," Julia said, her voice filled with excitement. "His name is Ethan. His voice, his song—it's insanely good. I think we should sign him. He could be the next Justin, possibly even bigger."
"A YouTuber?" Jack, the CFO, scoffed. "Julia, I know you just got here, but we have a process. We can't just sign every YouTuber who has a one-hit wonder."
"I think I know who she's talking about," Lucas, the COO, chimed in. "If it's the guy I think it is, he's definitely worth exploring."
"Hmm, very well," Lucian said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "If Julia and Lucas are both vouching for him, I'll trust you. Send the link to the group chat so all the board members can hear it. We'll decide from there."
"Are you sure, sir? All the board members for a YouTuber?" Jack responded sarcastically.
"The reason I'm saying this," Lucian replied, "is because both Julia and Lucas mentioned this kid. We need to give him special attention. If he's as good as they say, he could be on the level of someone like Justin."
"Thank you, sir. I'll send over the link," Julia replied.
After the call ended, Lucian sat back in his chair, glancing at his phone. He saw the link in the group chat and clicked on it. The video had racked up 6.4 million views in a matter of hours and had 390 k likes. Intrigued, he clicked play.
The video began, and Lucian saw a young man holding a guitar. At least he's good-looking, Lucian thought. Then the song began.
"The club isn't the best place to find a lover…"
Meanwhile, in LA, Ethan had no idea that his song was blowing up. He was peacefully sleeping after staying up late the night before working on his release. Suddenly, he was startled by a loud scream.
"Are you still sleeping? OMG, Ethan, wake up!"
Ethan shot up in bed, panicking. "What's going on? Is the house on fire?"
"No, you idiot," his sister Precious laughed. "Your song is blowing up online! It's got 7 million views and counting! I can't believe this, my own brother is a star!"
Ethan quickly jumped out of bed, rushing to his workstation. He checked his YouTube account: 7.2 million views, 407 k likes, and the numbers were still climbing. He couldn't believe it.
"Read the comments!" his sister urged.
Ethan hesitated but then scrolled to the comment section. There were hundreds of messages.
ThatOneNigga: Mahn, this song slaps. Bro's gonna go places.
Belinda: OMG, his voice is to die for. Please drop this as a proper song!
ThotQueen: This boy is so handsome. I'm ready to give you a free link to my OF. Just message me, boo.
Greg (replying to ThotQueen): If he doesn't want it, I'm down for it tho.
Bilford: The song is good, damn, boy's got a nice voice.
Bella T: I just found my new favorite artist. Swifties, please forgive me.
The comments kept coming in, and Ethan was in awe. "OMG, Ethan, what are you gonna do? You're huge right now, trending everywhere! Even on Twitter!" his sister exclaimed.
Ethan, still reading comments, took his phone and checked Twitter. The trending list was full of his name.
COVID-19Ethan JonesYouTubeBidenHandsome
Ethan was blown away. "Mom! Mom, come quickly! Ethan's blowing up!"
His mother rushed into the room, concerned. "What? Ethan, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Mom," Ethan said, trying to downplay it. "Precious is just being silly."
"No, Mom, Ethan's got 7.3 million views on his song. He's huge right now!" Precious said, showing their mother his phone.
"What? Seven million? That's a lot!" his mother exclaimed. She quickly played the video.
"Aww, my baby! Your voice sounds so beautiful. You deserve all the praise you're getting!" she said, giving him a big hug before rushing out to tell his dad.
Ethan sat in shock, still reading the comments, when his phone rang. It was Paul, his lawyer friend. Ethan picked up, eager to hear what was next.
.
chapter 2 just wanted to write this hope the book is okay if any mistake please point it out would really appreciate that
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