Adele smiled and said, "So, I have already started recording the song, but I want to hear your opinion, as it seems you know more of how the song sounds good to the ear." Although Adele could have done that with professionals, she decided to see what Hamza was made of and test him. With that, she nodded, and they played the song.
Hamza closed his eyes as the song started, focusing on every note and nuance. He could hear Adele's voice, rich and soulful, blending with the melody and the rhythm. He could also hear his own lyrics, expressing his emotions and thoughts. He felt a surge of pride and joy, but also a sense of critique and improvement. He noticed some parts where the song could be enhanced, where the sound was not as smooth or harmonious as it could be. He frowned slightly, making a mental note of those parts. Adele observed him closely, curious about his reaction and feedback. The song played on, with Hamza frowning and smiling alternately. It took about four minutes. After that, Hamza removed the headset from his ear and opened his eyes.
Adele then asked, "So, what do you think?"
Hamza just smiled and said, "Well, it does sound good, but it can be better, if you get what I mean." He then turned to the operator and said, "Can you take it back to the beginning, around one minute and thirteen seconds?" He then looked at Adele. "If you listen carefully, you will find that the tone of the sound is a little bit high, but if you tune it down, it would sound better."
Hearing this, Adele turned to the producer, who did what Hamza asked, and then played the part again. Listening to it, Adele could hear the difference. She smiled and looked at Hamza. "Not bad. You have a good ear for music. So, what else did you notice that can make it sound better?"
Hamza then proceeded to point out several other areas where the song could be improved, such as the tempo, the volume, the pitch, and the balance. He explained his reasoning and suggested some solutions. He also praised the parts where the song was well done, such as the chorus, the bridge, and the ending. He showed respect and appreciation for Adele's work, but also honesty and confidence in his own. Adele listened attentively, impressed by his knowledge and skill. She agreed with most of his opinions.
Deborah, who saw this, was surprised. She had seen producers when editing or correcting mistakes, but not like Hamza. It was then that it dawned on her that Hamza did have the right to be arrogant.
Hamza just smiled and started sharing his feedback on how he felt the song should sound, using his perfect pitch skill to detect and correct any flaws. He suggested some changes in the high pitch or mixed tone parts, as well as the rhythm, the harmony, and the dynamics. He explained his reasoning and demonstrated his solutions, using his voice or his instruments. He also complimented the strengths of the song, such as the lyrics, the melody, and the emotion. This went on for about an hour, and throughout, he left both the producer, Adele, and the rest of the people there speechless. They were amazed by his musical talent and insight, as well as his confidence and passion. The producer looked at Hamza, puzzled as to how someone so young could have such a deep understanding of music. He wondered where he had learned his skills and what his background was. He decided to take note of Hamza, and he would report back to his boss. He had a feeling that Hamza was a rising star in the industry.
Adele looked at Hamza, still perplexed as to how he was able to point out so many areas of improvement and the appropriate solutions to solve them. The skill that Hamza had shown was a skill that a veteran would find hard to master. Even she, who had been in the industry for a long time, couldn't really do it. She had to admit that Hamza had a good ear for music and a creative mind for composing. She was impressed by his work and his attitude, and she enjoyed the collaboration. She felt that he had brought a new perspective and energy to her song, and she was curious to see how it would turn out. She had a feeling that Hamza was going to shake the music industry. She just chuckled and said, "Well, since you're exhausted, let's take a break and grab a bite downstairs." She wanted to get to know him better and learn more about his story.
With that, they moved downstairs to have a quick snack. Just as they did, a man could be seen walking inside the building. As he strolled in, his eyes met with someone, and the color of his face changed. It could be seen that he was not happy. The man was Todd, Bruno Mars' manager. Seeing Hamza, he remembered when he had called Matthew, Hamza's presumed agent, and he had refused to come. Seeing Hamza, Todd decided to do some digging as to why he was with Adele. He called someone. "Hello, James. Yes, I wanted to inquire something from you, and if you could help me."
James just smiled on the other line. "What is it, Todd? Just say it. I will see what I can do for you."
"There is a boy following Adele now. They seem to be close. Since you work here, it wouldn't be hard for you to find out," Todd said.
"Oh, that's all? From what I heard, she would be having a meeting with the person who she got the lyrics from. But I heard he was a newbie. Did anything happen?" James asked.
Then, Todd went on to narrate how he had told Matthew that Hamza should come and help Bruno Mars with the production of the song, and he had refused to come. Hearing this, the face of James also changed. He also believed in seniority in the industry, so for a newbie like Hamza to shun a veteran like Bruno Mars was unacceptable. But he had his doubts, as he had also met Hamza on his way, and he didn't look arrogant.
"I want you to pull some strings for me," Todd said, with a clear intention of making things hard for Hamza.
"Hmm, I make no promises. I'll see what I can do," James said, but his intentions were not that. He was assigned to help Adele, so making things hard for Hamza was doing the same for Adele. After the call ended, he immediately called Deborah and explained everything without mentioning Todd.
As they were about to leave, Deborah received a phone call from James, a colleague of hers who worked at the studio. He told her that Todd, Bruno Mars' manager, was there and he was asking about Hamza. He also told her that Todd had a grudge against Hamza, because he had refused to work with Bruno Mars on a song that Hamza had written. James warned Deborah that Todd might try to cause trouble for Hamza, and he advised her to be careful.
Deborah thanked James for the information and hung up. She quickly went back to Adele and whispered in her ear, telling her what she had just heard. Adele's eyes flickered, and Hamza noticed it. But he stayed calm, and he didn't ask any questions. He had learned from Adekunle, his mentor and father, to not mind other people's business, as it would do no good. With that in mind, Hamza just kept quiet as Deborah whispered in Adele's ear.
Adele, who heard the whole story, looked at Hamza, trying to reassess him again. The Hamza she was seeing was not someone who would act that way. She wondered why he had rejected Bruno Mars' offer, and why he didn't care about the song that Bruno Mars had sung. She asked him, "So, Hamza, do you know Bruno Mars?"
Hamza was taken by surprise by Adele's question. His face showed a mix of surprise, anger, and calmness as he answered, "Partially, yes, I do."
"Care to explain?" Adele asked, as she saw Hamza's expression and knew that the matter was not that simple.
Hamza just sighed and explained the whole story of how he had woken up one day and found out that his song was no longer his, and how he had seen that Bruno Mars had already sung it and sold it without his consent.
Adele was shocked by the whole thing. First, she couldn't believe that the song that was Bruno Mars' top song in his album was actually an original of Hamza's. And second, she was stunned by how Hamza didn't even put up a fight to get it back and let it go. She came to the conclusion that Hamza was far more mature than she thought. "Well, it seems that Bruno Mars doesn't know about this, and you don't seem to want to talk to him about it," she said.
Hamza just smiled. "Well, there is no use, and I know very well what that can do to his reputation if words get out. So it's best to just stay clear."
"Even if there is a risk of it hurting you?" Adele said, hinting at Hamza.
Hearing this, Hamza understood a bit of what was going on. He knew someone was trying to make things difficult for him, and it was probably a person from Bruno Mars' side. But he understood the industry, so he just remained calm and didn't react. "Yes, it's better this way," he said.
Adele smiled. She now knew that Hamza understood the industry well, but she decided to help him, even if it was a little, to not make things complicated for him. She whispered something to Deborah's ear. "Well, that's all. Let's get back to work," she said.