Chapter 146: See You at the Top
[Chapter 146: See You at the Top]
New York, at the terrace of an upscale apartment.
On a lavish and spacious terrace, a Black woman was sitting for an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
"I'm incredibly honored that Single Ladies became Rolling Stone's song of the year..." Beyonce smiled at the reporter.
In a lull of the conversation, she grabbed a bottle of water from beside her. Just then, her public relations manager, Yvette, walked over with the latest Billboard magazine.
"The newcomers nowadays are really gaining momentum," Beyonce said, glancing down and feeling a bit surprised.
"Is this Ryan really treating Billboard like his backyard? How many singles has he released now?" Beyonce's father complained nearby, who had just learned the news. He was now working as his daughter's manager, always by her side.
Although I Need Your Love didn't hit number one right out of the gate, it came in at a solid second place, with chart points very close to those of Single Ladies.
After the media frenzy quieted down, the young couple's public image remained intact, and the release of this single was seen as a natural progression, with all publicity focusing on their relationship.
Beyonce reflected on all the talk she had heard about Ryan over the past few months.
She had first come across his name about six months ago through a viral Harlem shake video online. At the time, his name didn't impress her as much as the silly song associated with it.
However, after Ryan's Wake Me Up dropped, Beyonce realized she had greatly underestimated his talent; from any angle, the song was refreshing.
Following that, just like the name of his new song, Unstoppable, and more recently with Where Are U Now, he had completely transformed, moving toward the mainstream pop music market.
He had risen at "light speed," and by the time she realized it, he had already become a significant threat to her own standing.
Nobody knew if Ryan's upcoming collaboration with Taylor Swift would turn the tide next week.
A strong sense of crisis loomed in Beyonce's mind.
"Did BET radio play Ryan's new song?" Beyonce asked her father, Mathew.
"No, they haven't really played that kind of noise before, and now that it's your new album cycle, everyone's in solidarity to not play that kid's new song," Mathew replied.
"What about MTV and VH1?" she inquired.
"Your music video will still play during prime time, but those two networks won't completely block out news about Ryan," Mathew stated.
"What promotional plans do we have left?" Beyonce turned to her public relations manager.
"Endorsements with L'Oreal, a competition for YouTube cover videos, tour plans, and promotions for Cadillac Records..." her PR manager detailed.
Beyonce shook her head. "These are too ordinary; they don't pack a punch. We need to find a topic that will attract everyone's attention..."
"Then... how about responding to some controversial questions during the interview? Like the songwriting credit issue with If I Were a Boy; that will definitely spark some interest. Or stick to the classic, talk about the injustices faced by Black people, linking it to your role in Dreamgirls from two years ago, which many criticized for reinforcing stereotypes of Black Americans."
"I think that's still not enough," Beyonce said, believing that even those topics would only serve as minor supports.
"Unless..." Beyonce seemed to have an idea. "At Jay's birthday party, announce something that would shake the nation."
...
A few days later, Ryan tossed Entertainment Weekly onto the table.
"Another Beyonce story, hasn't everyone had enough yet?" Ryan said, somewhat exasperated.
"As the standard for Black female artists, there's no mainstream outlet that wouldn't give her a nod," Taylor's voice came through on the speaker phone.
Coupled with her marriage to Jay-Z, their standing in the industry was undisputed. It was no wonder that so many would end up "thanking Beyonce" in the future.
"And the news keeps coming -- it's obvious her PR team is managing the timing of these stories behind the scenes, keeping her on the front page of newspapers and news outlets."
"Latest news, Beyonce and Jay-Z are opening their luxurious Tribeca residence to the media tonight for Jay-Z's grand birthday party, and many celebrities have been invited," Taylor continued on the phone. "Weren't they trying to stay low-key? Talking about privacy -- why are they welcoming the media this time?"
"Rumor has it they have a special announcement," Taylor said.
"Could it be..." Ryan ventured his guess.
"I doubt it; they're both at such towering heights in their careers, they wouldn't pull something like that," Taylor chuckled.
"In a few hours, the answer will be revealed. Let's see how they play their cards, and we should be prepared too."
Ryan then questioned Taylor about the band recruitment situation. Taylor informed him that they had already recruited most of the band members and needed to consider the technical team.
...
It was a large team, involving various roles just for the stage crew, like stage designers, builders, supervisors, sound teams, lighting teams, video and visual teams, special effects teams, instrument and equipment technicians, electrical engineers, network technicians, security personnel, emergency technicians, and dedicated technical coordinators, adding up to more than a hundred people. And then there was that big screen.
Some of them had slight connections with nightclubs, but the overlap was minimal.
AEG could definitely meet Ryan's requirements, but he did not intend to partner with AEG; instead, he planned to recruit independently.
That, however, was challenging -- so many people, interviewing itself was a massive hassle, and Ryan had no understanding of these technical roles and wouldn't know how to interview.
"Write up a recruitment announcement... let's post it on the fan forum, saying we urgently need senior managers with stage organizing experience," Ryan suddenly suggested.
It's just that the office looks empty.
"Get up and do some real work," Ryan joked.
A few seconds later, a head poked out from under the table.
"Okay. I'll write it up right now," Tyran Richard said while wiping her mouth with a tissue.
...
A few hours later, Taylor called again.
"You really guessed it, Beyonce announced she's pregnant at the end of the birthday party," Taylor laughed.
Ryan had suspected as much.
"What do you think the odds are that she really is?" Ryan asked.
"That's not the key issue; the real question is how we respond to it," Taylor sighed, unusually showing signs of distress.
"Talking about attention, we definitely can't compete with her now that she's 'about to give life,' it's even less possible. But now that it's come to this, it's not bad. We've shot up to number two." Taylor reassured herself. "And the popularity of the songs you and I released before will definitely rise again."
"If I remember correctly, your birthday is coming up soon too," Ryan suddenly mentioned.
"Why are you bringing that up?" Taylor was taken aback but soon chuckled.
"If Jay-Z can throw himself a birthday bash, why can't you? This time make it really big and invite all the media." Ryan encouraged.
"I'll handle it this time -- let's have it at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami," Ryan contemplated.
"Isn't that a bit extravagant? That's going to cost a lot, right?" Taylor expressed slight concern for Ryan.
"Why not keep it small this year, then plan a luxurious one for next year when I turn twenty?" Taylor then suggested.
"No way. I can't let it be any less than Jay-Z's," Ryan declared confidently.
Although this party was, in some sense, part of the single's promotion, even without a single, Ryan wouldn't hold back.
"Keeping up appearances," Taylor laughed, making fun while still feeling thrilled inside.
"Start preparing the guest list; let's try to invite as many people as we can," Ryan said, knowing this party would be part of his bigger plan...
*****
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