Ascending the stairs, the faint "clank, clank" of iron steps resonated beneath their feet. It took hardly any effort, and they effortlessly found their target on the second floor.
"You fool."
The mocking word hung on the door in a flamboyant manner, and as they turned around, their gaze fell upon the name of the room behind them: "The Loser". Renly couldn't help but smirk. It seemed that the reserved room they had booked wasn't too bad after all.
Just as they were about to push open the door, unexpectedly, the door swung open first. Renly's footsteps abruptly halted, and at the doorway, a face appeared. Simultaneously, it was met with a shock, causing a sharp intake of breath and widened eyes. In such close proximity, one could even discern the rapid pulsations of the dilated pupils.
Both individuals involuntarily froze for a moment, faintly hearing the chatter from the open space downstairs. It was lively but not noisy, and the second floor, in contrast, grew eerily quiet. The scene had a touch of humor to it. After a brief silence, the other person chuckled, and Renly's lips curved into a smile.
"If I'm not mistaken about the room, that means you're my recording engineer, right?" Renly said with a smile, as their gazes met.
The other person's eyes shimmered slightly, their brilliant smile subsided, and they nodded gently. "If George didn't lie, then yes, I am your recording engineer."
Standing before them was none other than Herbert Jones.
Back in the Sound City of Los Angeles, Herbert had recorded "Cleopatra" and "Ophelia", two singles for Renly. Although it was a brief collaboration, the two had ignited some sparks in the recording studio. After a hiatus of over half a year, their reunion was once again in a recording studio, only this time it had shifted from Los Angeles to New York.
From their conversation, it could be inferred that Herbert had received George's invitation to handle the recording of Renly's album this time. But why? Among the countless recording engineers, why did George choose Herbert? Was it because of their previous collaboration?
Renly was slightly surprised. Just as he was about to continue the conversation, a voice from behind interrupted them, "Hey, why are you all here already?"
Turning around, George had paused on the steps, looking up at the two of them with a puzzled expression. Although he had addressed both of them, his gaze was fixed on Renly.
If it had been Herbert arriving early as the recording engineer, it wouldn't have been surprising. After all, as a recording engineer, his primary job today was to work with the producer to establish the album's direction. But if it was Renly...
George had expected Renly to maintain his usual casual and somewhat lazy demeanor, arriving just on time. After all, George had no knowledge of Renly's working habits on set.
Renly noticed George's gaze. Without concealing or explaining, he simply replied, "An unexpected turn of events."
Faced with such an honest answer, George tilted his head, his eyes revealing a hint of resignation, and he shook his head gently.
Standing by the door, Herbert was an impatient character and forcefully interjected into their conversation, "Since we're all here, let's get to work now." His eager expression clearly conveyed his enthusiasm. "But before that, I'll go downstairs and get us some coffee."
Having finished speaking, without waiting for the response of the two, Herbert swung open the recording studio's large door and rushed downstairs, leaving only Renly and George standing in place.
George took a step forward once again, ascending the last two steps. "Honestly, how many surprises have you still left for us?" There were no formal greetings; George pushed open the recording studio's door as he cut straight to the day's agenda. His cheerful expression, though not particularly bright, radiated with an unmistakable sparkle. "Twenty-seven songs? I don't believe that's your limit."
Twenty-seven songs, that was the self-composed song list Renly had put together—a total of twenty-seven songs.
For the creation of an album, song selection marked the first step on the long journey. Choosing songs that matched the artist's style and catered to market demand was a crucial foundation for a successful album.
If, for instance, Jason Mraz were to choose Justin Bieber's "Baby", it would undoubtedly be a disaster. Or if Norah Jones selected Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger", the album's performance would likely be abysmal.
Hence, the importance of song selection was evident.
For singers who couldn't compose their own songs, producers had to pick from the extensive catalog of original songs within their record label. At this point, producers with broad networks and deep connections would have the upper hand, as they possessed invaluable resources. Therefore, among producers, those with powerful connections were always more in demand than those with exceptional skills.
However, for singers who could compose their own songs, producers needed to evaluate the artist's current compositions, selecting outstanding songs with commercial potential. Or, they needed to pick songs that aligned with the artist's identity and album style.
Of course, if the self-composed songs' style or quality didn't meet the album's requirements, the producer would have to take another route and collaborate with the record label. Not all original songwriters could fill an entire album with their own compositions, and not all producers would grant complete freedom to original songwriters, allowing them to create an experimental album with distinctive individuality but limited market value.
After confirming the forthcoming album, Renly had organized a list of self-composed songs and handed it over to George.
For the production of an album, twenty-seven self-composed songs might not be considered a large number. Producers often screened through over fifty, or even hundreds of songs to create an album with just ten tracks. However, unexpectedly, George found himself afflicted with choice paralysis because every song was exceptionally brilliant!
Even though George had mentally prepared himself, as he browsed through the twenty-seven songs, he became increasingly astonished.
The maturity and wisdom conveyed between the lyrics and melodies didn't seem like the work of a twenty-one-year-old. It appeared as if these songs had been seasoned by time and polished by experience, showcasing the beauty of the melodies to the fullest. What was even more remarkable was the innate talent that shone through, leaving one awestruck.
George had always firmly believed that Renly was meant to be a singer, a singer born for the stage.
As for actors? That was practically squandering their talents on a non-core pursuit! Only after thoroughly perusing the twenty-seven songs did George truly grasp what kind of genius he had encountered. He couldn't fathom how such a remarkably gifted singer, who possessed exceptional talent, would tirelessly strive for an acting dream. It was... utterly absurd.
Out of the twenty-seven songs, at least eighteen were greatly cherished by George, meeting the standard for recording an album, and a top-tier standard at that. However, the problem lay in the fact that having more than ten songs on an album was disadvantageous for the artist.
This specific issue was related to the calculation of royalties by the record label and distribution company. It was a complex matter, even for industry insiders, but in simple terms, albums produced with an artist's self-composed songs incurred two sets of royalties: one for the artist and another as album royalties for each song sold.
The issue revolved around the album royalties because these royalties were paid song by song. The more songs there were, the higher the royalties. For the record label and distribution company, this wasn't a profitable transaction, so they required artists to sign an agreement: the record label would only pay album royalties for ten songs, and the artist would cover the royalties for any exceeding songs.
Therefore, albums by original artists typically contained fewer than ten songs.
Furthermore, producing an album with eighteen songs was almost akin to creating two albums. Costs would rise, and the retail price would naturally increase. This wouldn't boost sales; rather, it would deter the general public due to the steep price, ultimately impacting sales. The result was that more money was spent on album production, but income decreased—a classic example of laboring in vain.
In other words, George had to make choices. Even if he were to select ten songs out of the eighteen, eight would have to be discarded. It was a cruel ordeal.
Renly wasn't aware of George's inner sighs and astonishment. He simply shrugged, "Let's finish the first album first." As for the future, he couldn't predict. "So, are twenty-seven songs enough, or should I go act in a film to find inspiration?"
"Enough. Definitely enough!" George hurriedly responded, fearing that if Renly turned around now, the recording work would be postponed again. "In fact, it even exceeds expectations. I've eliminated a batch of songs, but I'll need to continue eliminating. This isn't an easy task. You can also express your opinions."
"I thought this was your and Herbert's job," Renly said straightforwardly.
"That's true," George nodded in agreement. "But when most of the songs meet the requirements, as the creator, you can shape an album according to your own ideas, in line with your style."
For most original singers, this was an insurmountable challenge. Moreover, Renly was a newcomer without any experience, making it all the more perplexing. For this album, George was filled with confidence and anticipation. It had been a long time, truly a long time since he had felt this kind of enthusiastic vibrancy. It not only rekindled his passion but also made him feel young again.
After three years of silence, George's life was finally brightening up once more.
"Where did we leave off?" Herbert's voice abruptly barged in once again, holding a steaming cup of coffee. He rudely and directly pulled over a chair, sat down beside the mixing console, spread his legs wide, and rested his hands on his knees, his gaze burning hot as he looked at George and Renly. "In my opinion, the core soul of this album lies in one name: Renly Hall."