"So, are you still planning to go to the recording studio for recording? Or are you thinking of waiting until you've signed with a professional music agent before making a decision? If needed, I can make a few calls right now." Andy's face still carried his signature benevolent smile, although Renly's tightly closed eyes couldn't see it.
Renly could sense the frustration in Andy's words. He casually waved his hand, "Why the rush, then?" His nonchalant posture almost threw Andy off guard. "At least, I need to freshen up first." With that, Renly stood up confidently and, with a leisurely gait, walked towards the direction of the bathroom.
Watching Renly's silhouette disappear behind the bathroom door, Andy let out a long breath, allowing his turbulent emotions to calm.
He knew too well that he had been a bit out of sorts today. The main reason was that within less than forty-eight hours, there had been far too many surprises.
Before the Emmy Awards, he had just taken over Renly's management, and there hadn't been enough time to get the business rolling. So, his initial target had been the Toronto Film Festival. But who could have anticipated that last night's awards ceremony would bring such a surprise? Renly's win disrupted the rhythm, leading to even a rookie mistake of not receiving Renly's call.
Following that, the celebration banquet had brought about significant changes in Renly's status. Moreover, several top-tier industry producers and actors had attended the event, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for Renly. Guided by Steven Spielberg, Andy introduced Renly to numerous top figures. And then, he got himself drunk.
And now, it was this morning.
One unexpected occurrence after another, each followed by a misstep. Though they were minor blunders, for Andy, they were avoidable mistakes. That was why his emotions had started to stir. Now, he needed to calm down, regain his rhythm, and make the most accurate arrangements in the shortest possible time. This was a golden opportunity he wouldn't easily let slip by.
During Renly's preparations, Andy opened the hotel room's desktop computer.
If it were any other agent, not only would Renly be a newcomer, but he had also just signed less than forty-eight hours ago. They might have settled for just any hotel room, dealt with the Emmy Awards first, and then made further plans. However, Andy had foreseen this situation and booked the deluxe suite at the Sunset Tower Hotel. As the first step in Renly's image transformation, this decision had undoubtedly proven to be correct. Setting aside whether reporters were waiting downstairs, Andy's work had become much easier now.
Opening YouTube once more, the video for "Ophelia" had already entered the top twenty on the trending video list. The Emmy Awards' boost effect was evident, and the speed of its ascent exceeded expectations by far. People's attention was drawn not to a street performance but to the street performance presented by an Emmy Awards winner after leaving the celebration party.
Andy felt that he still knew too little about Renly. While he was aware of the single "Cleopatra", it had been nothing more than a popular YouTube video. Such videos appeared in abundance every day, and the single's performance on the Billboard charts was lackluster. It seemed more like a playful cameo, not worth mentioning. But now, it seemed there was much more to unearth about Renly's experiences in Village Vanguard.
Suddenly, Andy remembered something. Renly had a background in London's West End and Broadway. So, besides stage plays, had Renly also appeared in musicals?
If possible, he could completely arrange for Renly to take on a theater play or a musical. To outsiders, choosing London's West End or Broadway might seem like a thankless endeavor—unimpressive and financially meager. However, only those truly knowledgeable understand that participating in a stage play is an absolute plus for the classical approach. Once a Tony Award is won, it's like putting up a signboard in Hollywood, showcasing exceptional talent and solid foundation.
Hugh Jackman rose to fame in Hollywood with his role as "Wolverine". Commercial movies and animated characters, in theory, are what the classical approach dislikes the most. However, in reality, the classical approach always favored Hugh. Ultimately, this was because Hugh had spent a long time on Broadway and had even won a Tony Award.
Andy's thoughts suddenly expanded, growing somewhat excited. He was becoming increasingly eager to see the extent of Renly's potential.
Subsequently, Andy refocused his scattered thoughts and typed "Cleopatra" into the search window on YouTube. Originally, he intended to check the video's current trending status. Unexpectedly, a slew of related videos appeared, something he hadn't anticipated.
Looking closely, Andy arched his eyebrow, his surprise deepening. These related videos were actually cover videos!
Social networks led by YouTube and Facebook were changing people's lives. In 2008, Justin Bieber's sudden rise on YouTube became a new symbol of the internet era of the new century. In the past two years, Justin had swept through like an idol, his meteoric rise leaving people astounded. He had almost become a cultural phenomenon.
After that, cover songs became a new trend. Many people harboring dreams of singing would release their own cover videos, hoping to catch the attention of a big-time agent or record company. Even a batch of professionals who excelled at covering songs emerged on the internet, earning a living through this means.
However, these cover artists didn't just cover any song. To attract sufficient attention, their song choices were well thought-out. They'd either choose those immortal classics that had been sung for ages or the latest popular hits from top-tier artists. Only then would people click to watch. If they only covered obscure independent music no one had heard of, they were destined to remain obscure.
Now, at this very moment, there were cover videos of "Cleopatra"? This was even hotter than the exclusive news from Us Weekly. Andy felt that the situation's development seemed to have far exceeded his expectations.
A song without radio play, an eccentric folk tune that deviated from the norm, a chilly melody without any participation in promotions or even a music video—someone was willing to cover it! This was definitely abnormal!
Andy clicked into one of the videos to take a look. While his knowledge of music was relatively limited, he had heard of some YouTube cover sensations, as certain cover artists had already become opening acts for big-name singers' concerts. Some had even successfully signed with record companies.
The one with the highest click-through rate was none other than Conor Maynard, a young British singer who was merely seventeen this year. However, his personal channel on YouTube already had over four hundred thousand subscribers. He could be described as a rising star in the world of cover songs. Not only had he covered "Cleopatra", but he also covered "Ophelia". Both covers had been uploaded for less than an hour, yet their click rates had already exceeded eighty thousand each. Their attention-grabbing momentum was truly astounding.
Ranking second was a female singer, Tiffany Alvord, a young lady of only eighteen. She gained popularity through covering Taylor Swift's songs. Her personal YouTube page had garnered a subscription count of two hundred and fifty thousand, making her one of the most sought-after cover artists at present. Her expertise undoubtedly lay in sentimental ballads. Under her interpretation, "Cleopatra" gained an additional touch of sorrow and sadness, resembling a delicate poem. The video had been uploaded less than twenty minutes ago, yet its click rate had already surpassed ten thousand. Its upward trajectory was not to be underestimated.
The development of events had not only exceeded expectations but also had an almost unstoppable momentum. Upon returning to the homepage, the live video of "Cleopatra" had already entered the top twenty of trending videos, and "Ophelia" had even entered the top ten.
Andy realized that he now needed to readjust his assessment.
It was imaginable that if within the next week or two, "Ophelia" was released as a single, it was bound to achieve remarkable sales figures. However, as an agent, just as Renly had mentioned, Andy was more inclined toward the acting aspect. He was not concerned about the single performance of "Ophelia"; rather, he was focused on the positive impact that the topic effect could bring.
For instance, if the single ignited heated discussions and coupled with the unexpected Emmy win, Renly's chances of appearing on talk shows would skyrocket. Otherwise, even with an Emmy boost, for a rookie actor, appearing on a talk show as a solo guest was a daunting task. Once Renly made it onto the television screen, the promotion of "Buried", this rootless and baseless independent work, would suddenly open up.
Furthermore, the topic effect of performing on the streets after the awards ceremony would spread throughout the industry. This was much more interesting than being known as the winner of an Emmy. This juicy tidbit could easily become a topic of discussion through word of mouth. Moving forward, whether in independent films or commercial movies, when Andy was seeking performance opportunities for Renly, the process would be much simpler.
So, at this moment, what Andy needed to consider most was not the upcoming Toronto Film Festival next week, but how to maximize the wave caused by "Ophelia" before heading to Toronto. He needed to fully utilize the characteristics of rapid online propagation to achieve his goals.
After contemplating for a while, Andy flipped through his phone contacts. After searching for quite a while, he finally dialed a number. It didn't take long for the other side to answer the call. "Hey, Jordin, it's me, Andy Rogers." On the other end of the line was Jordin Nicole, a reporter from Billboard magazine.
Just as the Billboard charts were significant each week, Billboard magazine also served as a pop culture compass. They had weakened the authoritative aspects and strived to report on the pop music market using popularity, trends, and hotness indexes, greatly appealing to teenagers. "Ha, I never expected I'd be calling you..." in the face of the teasing on the other end of the line, Andy regained his usual charm, playfully teasing back.