Chương 171: Chapter 170: Mutual Pursuit

The next day, before Link had even reached the office, Anna called to say that someone named Bruno Mars was there to see him. By the time Link arrived at the office, he met the legendary Mars.

Mars was Latino, with coffee-colored skin, an afro hairstyle, and a height that seemed shorter than in his music videos—about 165 cm. He had two dimples on his face.

Compared to his playful and flamboyant image in "Uptown Funk," the Mars in front of him seemed a bit green, like a small potato.

"Good morning, Mr. Beck!"

Seeing Link enter, Mars immediately stood up to greet him.

Link also greeted him, "Just call me Link. Have you looked at the sheet music for 'Lighters'?"

"Yes, I've seen it. It's excellent!" Mars praised.

Link smiled slightly, looking at him, "I heard that you're mainly responsible for songwriting and music production at Atlantic Records, with two years of experience in that field. I'd like to hire you as the producer for this song. Are you willing to take on this job?"

Mars was taken aback and said in his unique South American accent, "Mr. Beck, you're willing to entrust the song to me as a producer even though you've never heard my music?"

After Anna set down the coffee, Link said with a smile, "Even though I don't know you well, I do know Eminem. He's a very proud and even rebellious person. If he recommends you, your ability should be unquestionable."

Mars hesitated for a moment and then took out a silver Apple music player from his pocket.

"Mr. Beck, I'm very happy to accept the job, but I'd like you to listen to my music first."

"Sure!"

Link opened the music player and spent half an hour listening to more than a dozen of Mars's songs. One of them, "Nothin' On You," sounded very familiar, like a hit song.

"Bruno, are all these songs yours?"

Link turned off the player and looked up at him.

"Yes, these are songs I wrote during my time at Atlantic Records. I also wrote six songs for other artists, which have been released, including Brandy Norwood's 'Long Distance.'" Mars said, spreading his hands.

Brandy Norwood is a well-known R&B singer. Last year, she released her fifth studio album, "Human," which ranked 15th on the Billboard 200 chart.

Link had heard that song too. "These songs are great, especially 'Nothin' On You,' which I like the most. Are these the songs for your next album?" Link asked.

Mars scratched his head and said, "No, the company hasn't planned to release an album for me yet. They think I'm more suited for songwriting and production work."

Link nodded, understanding that Mars might be considering a job change, which coincidentally matched his intention to poach.

This was a mutual pursuit.

He called Mr. Graham to introduce Mars and offered him a short-term contract as the producer for his single.

After Mars left, Link thought for a moment and called Miss Ivaka to ask for help with recruitment.

Link Music had a partnership with Atlantic Records, so with Ivaka's skills, recruiting an unimportant production staff member shouldn't be too difficult.

"No problem, I'll handle the recruitment. How's the recording of 'Keep On Movin' going?" Ivaka asked.

"'Keep On Movin'" is the name of the second album, also called 'Move Forward,' with 16 tracks. I wrote 10 of them and collected 6 from other sources. The album includes songs like 'Give me reason,' 'Believer,' 'Trouble I'm In,' 'Keep On Movin,' 'This Is Me,' 'Rainbow,' and so on, featuring pop and rock styles.

Originally, I planned to include the rap songs 'Lighters' and 'I'm the One' in this album.

Graham and David Kahn thought it wasn't suitable because having too many styles in one album made it appear chaotic.

Graham suggested releasing the two rap songs separately. Whether they succeed or fail, it wouldn't affect the performance of the second album.

Link agreed with their suggestion, so he decided to take out the two rap songs and have Mars produce them.

"The initial version of the second album is already recorded, and Graham and the others are working on the post-production sound effects. It should be completed by May."

"Great, very efficient," Ivaka praised, adopting a CEO-like tone.

Link smiled lightly, "Of course, I've been working overtime in the recording studio every day, sometimes leaving only at midnight. I've put in so much time and effort for this album, so remember to give me a bonus at the end of the year."

"No problem!"

Ivaka then asked, "Have you seen any recent news about me?"

Link thought for a moment and replied with a smile, "The New York Post mentioned that you're dating Kutcher and speculated that the two big families are preparing for a marriage. Is that true?"

"What do you think?"

Ivaka asked淡ly.

Link shook his head. It was hard to guess. According to the previous pattern, they should have been engaged by now. It's hard to determine their relationship status now.

"It should be false, right? You mentioned before that you didn't want to get married for the time being. Also, Kutcher was at the Atlantic City party last time. If you wanted to get married, you wouldn't choose him."

"No! It's true!"

Ivaka snorted coldly and hung up the phone decisively.

Link smiled and sent a text to Ivaka, advising her to focus on work instead of dating, as it wasn't good to be preoccupied with romance.

Ivaka replied that the company planned to start his global tour after the release of the second album. Since he was in good shape, the first global tour would not be less than 100 shows, so he should prepare himself.

Link felt a shiver down his spine, remembering the advice he had given himself about not provoking this woman.

How did he suddenly forget such a crucial matter?

---

"Mr. Graham, is this the recording studio at Link Music? It looks amazing."

At the Link Music studio, Mars admired the décor of the recording studio.

"Yes, it was just renovated," Graham replied vaguely, while observing the young man beside him.

According to the information, Mars was only twenty-four years old, hadn't attended college, hadn't gone to music school, and had no notable works. He had only worked at Atlantic Records for a little over two years.

Graham didn't believe he could handle the job of a producer.

However, since Mars was hired by Link, and the contract was already signed, even if he couldn't be used, they would still give him a try.

"Bruno, this is Studio 3. During the production of 'Lighters,' you can use all the equipment in the studio. If you need any assistance, you can find your own or ask me to arrange it. All expenses will be covered by the company. If you need anything else, feel free to ask me."

Graham pointed to Studio 1 next door.

"Okay!"

Mars thanked Graham and, seeing the numerous pieces of equipment in Studio 3, excitedly explored and examined them.

All the equipment was new and mostly brand-name. Even the unremarkable piano in the corner was a custom-made Steinway, priced over $500,000.

He couldn't help but marvel at Link Music's wealth. It was more luxurious than the recording studios at Atlantic Records.

Atlantic Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, was a large company with many signed artists and producers. Applying for a recording studio often required weeks of advance notice.

Well-known musicians could quickly access recording studios, but lesser-known musicians like him sometimes couldn't even get one in a month.

Thinking about Atlantic Records made Mars envy the environment at Link Music even more.

It would be fantastic if he could work here.

Mars thought to himself.

He started his career as a child star. At age 5, he gained media attention for his ability to imitate Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles, and even appeared in a movie, "Honeymoon in Vegas."

After graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles to seek opportunities. In 2004, he signed with Motown Records. However, due to his short stature and average looks, he was classified as a behind-the-scenes songwriter and didn't produce any notable songs.

In 2006, after being unilaterally dropped by Motown, he wrote two songs and was hired by Atlantic Records, continuing to work behind the scenes, including as a composer, songwriter, and production assistant.

But his dream was to become a singer.

During his time at Atlantic Records, he met many famous artists, including Philip Lawrence, B.O.B., and Eminem. His talent was gradually recognized, but the company still had no plans to debut him as a singer.

This discouraged him somewhat.

Until a few days ago, Eminem called and said Link was preparing to produce a rap song and needed help.

He recommended himself to Link, who agreed to let him give it a try.

Upon hearing the news, Mars was thrilled.

Link was one of the most famous pop singers in the current music scene, with his first album selling over 2 million copies in North America and nearly 5 million globally. If he could collaborate with Link and become the producer for his new single, it would undoubtedly be a huge opportunity.

After receiving the sheet music for "Lighters," he rushed over to prepare, to avoid someone else taking the chance.

The song's sheet music and lyrics were quite mature, and producing it wasn't difficult. The only consideration now was how to make the

song the best it could be, to satisfy Link and make him appreciate Mars, hopefully leading to a long-term partnership.