Chapter 125: AMA
[Chapter 125: AMA]
The experience as a tight end in football came in handy as Ryan faced a swarm of fans. He forced his way through the crowd, cutting a path like a slice through a freshly baked loaf of bread, and then dashed into the narrow corridor fenced off by barriers. This was the only route to the stage. Just as Ryan entered the corridor, the staff quickly shut the gate behind him.
"Run!" one of the staff members shouted as he blocked the iron gate, resembling a determined character from a zombie movie covering for the main hero's escape.
With the staff creating a protective barrier, Ryan finally made it through the sea of fans and onto the stage without even catching his breath. His recent intense training and strict diet paid off, putting him in peak physical shape. However, wearing an oversized linen shirt obscured his muscular physique. The shirt was designed with "layering" in mind, where the inner shirt needed to be longer than the outer, completely covering his backside, even intentionally giving a slight "short legs" visual effect -- this was the essence of high street fashion, which, of course, needed long legs to pull off.
The sTRay collection had rushed out its first sample garments, and Ryan wore pieces from this line whenever he hit the camera recently.
As the music started, this marked Ryan's first public performance since his makeover. With a laid-back rhythm kicking off the melody, Ryan sang while smoothly swaying his body. The five female backup dancers moved almost in sync with him, performing simple footwork and gentle side-to-side sways.
When the main verse hit, Ryan bent down and quickly arched back up, executing a body wave, followed by finger dancing while slightly bobbing his head. Ryan wasn't the most agile dancer, and he felt a hint of nervousness; his arm movements seemed somewhat stiff.
But the audience didn't catch these details; as this was Ryan's debut "sing and dance" performance, many fans were already cheering in excitement.
Then came the most challenging drop portion of the dance. Following the beat, Ryan started performing high-frequency "jump steps," with his body squatting slightly and his legs bent. He shuffled to one side and then the other, back and forth.
Simultaneously, his hands mirrored the beat's rhythm, extending forward. After eight counts, he glided two steps to one side; this was a classic street dance move flawlessly integrated into the choreography. Ryan had struggled with the drop sections in the past, for him, the difficulty was almost as much as a football game.
This time, however, he pulled off the entire performance smoothly. As the song transitioned into the second half, he stepped onto an extending stage for a solo dance, getting closer to the audience. At this point, he could see some nearby fans nearly fainting from excitement.
Just when everyone expected the show to wrap up, the biggest surprise of the night unfolded. As the music faded, Ryan took off his cap and tossed it into the crowd, letting his light blonde hair shine for everyone to see. The excitement level in the venue skyrocketed.
"Ryan, I love you!"
As he took his bow, Ryan heard the sea of enthusiastic shouts from the audience.
...
A reporter from ABC approached Ryan for an on-the-spot interview. Simultaneously, fan forums erupted into a frenzy online.
[10000: omg, omg!]
[167: Did he dye his hair? When did that happen?]
[16Olsen: I declare, the Jonas Brothers are done for!]
[4444Paris: What's all the fuss about? What's happening?]
[17Irina: Did you watch the AMA live?]
[4444Paris: Shit! He really did change it up?]
[5854: I'm sweating just watching him.]
[167: Are you sweating or just wet?]
[5854: Sweat is just water, and water is just sweat.]
[3471: Facts.]
...
Ryan's performance stood as a highlight before the awards began; the attention it garnered wasn't any less than the awards themselves -- as planned by the organizers to attract a younger female audience.
"Your new look is impressive..." the female host said, licking her lips and gazing at Ryan with exaggerated flirtation.
This was still the AMA, airing live on public television. If it were the VMA, the host could have done far more than just lick her lips. After the interview, wearing the same outfit, Ryan stepped onto the red carpet, where Taylor was already waiting for him.
She wore a sexy silver mini dress, a rare sight for her.
"Does sTRay have a women's line?" Taylor gripped Ryan's hand. She had picked up on the unique details in the collection's naming and was excited to support it herself.
Ryan imagined Taylor in this style and quickly dismissed the thought.
"I think you look better than before," Taylor whispered in his ear, admiring his transformed golden hair.
On the red carpet, with cameras flashing, Taylor leaned against Ryan, posing slightly sideways. When she lifted her right foot, Ryan noticed the high heels he'd bought her back in Miami.
He instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, capturing the moment in a couple's snapshot.
"How's the 'big plan' coming along?" Taylor asked.
"I've written several episodes already; Trey and Julie have reviewed them and think they're fantastic. The dynamics between the two lead female characters are really dramatic," Ryan replied.
The script was not written by him, but by a team of screenwriters specially assembled. Ryan was responsible for dictation, one person was the main writer, and the others were responsible for discussion and polishing, and adding some additional segments. The creative model of Hollywood's inherent "script room" worked quite smoothly.
Recently, they had both been close to busy. Taylor was meeting fans like a movie promotional tour, racing from city to city, and just signing autographs was a physically demanding job. Ryan was equally busy, leaving them little time to catch up since parting ways at the hospital.
"So, can you start preparing for casting, crew building, and scene setups?" Taylor inquired tentatively.
"Pretty much. How many nominations did you get?" Ryan suddenly asked.
"Just one for Favorite Country Female Artist. Why?" Taylor followed Ryan's gaze, quickly realizing the reason behind his question.
At the front of the red carpet stood Taylor's biggest competition, Carrie Underwood.
"She looks like a giant garlic bulb today," Ryan whispered.
Taylor snorted with laughter but immediately turned her gaze when Carrie glanced their way.
"I lost to her last year; I really don't want to lose again," Taylor muttered as they walked into the venue.
"What about you, Ryan? How many nominations did you get?"
"Just one for Best New Artist." Ryan smiled as he noticed the Jonas Brothers already seated.
The three brothers looked ashen. Their position as teen idols faced a significant blow with Ryan's style transformation, solidifying his status while they lost out. With a limited fan base, although there were no rules against a single fan liking more than one idol, people's attention spans were finite. Ryan's meteoric rise effectively ended that runway.
"The AMAs were decided by votes; you're safe this year," Ryan reminded her quietly.
...
A few hours later, the awards presenter announced Taylor's name!
Taylor rushed to grab the clear, diamond-shaped trophy, her words tumbling quickly as she thanked her fans. She mentioned that this was her first American Music Award and held profound significance for her, especially thanking fans for their enthusiasm that landed her album at number one on the Billboard 200.
Finally, she pointed to Ryan, seated in the audience.
"Thank you, Ryan! Without you, I might never have written those songs. Although I often forget to say I love you, I won't forget this time; I love you!" Taylor smiled warmly.
The crowd erupted in cheers, and the camera panned to Ryan, who stood and applauded, remembering to send his love back to Taylor.
Next came the equally important "Best New Artist" award for Ryan, a category Taylor had failed to even get nominated for last year...
*****
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