Chapter 176: A Lucky Break

[Chapter 176: A Lucky Break]

On the other side, Ryan and Usher spotted Jimmy Iovine's arrival. "Should we go say hi? Ryan," Usher suggested.

Ryan didn't refuse, raising his glass and greeting Jimmy Iovine.

"Ryan! Haha, I've been eager to meet you!" Upon seeing Ryan, Jimmy instantly broke into a smile and pulled him in for a hug.

"I mobilized quite a few old pals to vote for you as Best New Artist. This time, the mission to take on the Brits is all yours," Jimmy chuckled.

American girls have a filter for the British, and American pop music has also experienced two "British invasions". The first invasion occurred in the '60s, led by bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, who dominated the American music market. The second wave hit in the '80s, a time when music videos were just becoming trendy.

Now it seemed the third British invasion might be underway, with artists like Amy Winehouse from last year and this year's powerhouse, Adele, making a strong impact.

On the October 18, 2008 episode of Saturday Night Live, Sarah Palin was the main guest, nominated as the Vice Presidential candidate by her opponent, John McCain. Adele performed as the musical guest, and that episode marked the highest ratings for SNL in fourteen years, drawing over 17 million viewers. From that moment on, Adele catapulted into American fame, and her music sales surged online.

Looking ahead, Adele's reign as the "Queen of Adult Contemporary" seemed to seal the fate for competitors like Leona Lewis. Her "adult contemporary style" was a hit among Grammy voters, naturally earning her praise from critics.

At just nineteen, Adele racked up four nominations, including Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year, which underscored just how lauded she was by the critics.

Ryan scored three nominations as well -- Best New Artist in addition to Best Dance Recording for Wake Me Up and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for Unstoppable, a nomination he shared with Leona.

In terms of nominations, Ryan understandably fell short against Adele. His only edge was that he was fighting on "home turf," being an American, yet his odds weren't the lowest; Adele held that title.

"This isn't going to be easy," Ryan mused. Although this year's competition wasn't as strong as Amy Winehouse last year, defeating Adele would be no small feat.

Electronic music was still a relatively new genre, and since he only had an EP in the running, it was definitely going to be a challenge.

"Miracles happen all the time," Jimmy reassured him.

"By the way, how's the clothing line doing?" Jimmy suddenly asked.

Ryan was puzzled as to why that came up, but he replied, "Not too shabby. You know, once Anna Wintour took notice, a lot of folks in the fashion industry jumped on the bandwagon."

"You're right; you have massive commercial value, and a lot of devoted fans are backing you up," Jimmy said with a grin.

"That's why I want to collaborate with you and Taylor to launch a joint Beats headphone line. No need for you to worry about design; the staff will handle it and send you the designs for review. You and Taylor just need to do some promotions, and you both will enjoy a share of the licensing profits."

Ryan had never ventured into the headphone market before, but this collaboration sounded incredibly appealing. Plus, if the headphones sold well, wouldn't that lead to further brands wanting to partner with him and Taylor?

He recalled the last CK underwear ad -- the revenue from that deal was significant.

But then again, shouldn't this sort of business be initiated by someone from the Beats team instead of Jimmy? Did the big boss really need to get involved personally?

Ryan glanced over at Taylor, only to find her looking troubled. She had a frown etched on her face.

He waved her over. At first, Taylor thought Ryan was calling someone else and confirmed it multiple times before finally coming over.

"This is Jimmy Iovine, the president of Interscope Records," Ryan introduced.

"He wants to do a collaboration on Beats headphones for us."

"Mr. Iovine, did you ask Lady Gaga to replace me?" Taylor suddenly directed at him.

"Replace?" Ryan's eyebrows furrowed at this news.

Jimmy looked bewildered. "Is that a thing? I had no idea."

Ryan and Taylor exchanged glances and realized Jimmy might be playing dumb.

"Mr. Iovine, if you want to work with us..." Taylor began.

Ryan cut her off abruptly.

"We agreed to the headphones, but the performance at the Grammys..." Ryan mumbled thoughtfully.

"Is crucial for Taylor, so I hope you can give her that opportunity," he insisted.

"That's not an easy ask; does Taylor need this chance? Don't other artists?" Jimmy shook his head.

"But I was the first to..." Taylor tried to interject.

Ryan interrupted her again.

"In exchange, I could postpone the release of my new album until after October this year."

Lady Gaga's album, The Fame, was in the running for next year's Grammy.

If Ryan's new album dropped before October, it would clash directly with The Fame.

"You know, she and I are both in the electronic category, competing for the same awards. I think it's a fair trade-off to secure a performance for one less competitor, don't you?" Ryan grinned.

"If that's the case... then it's worth considering," Jimmy mused, impressed by Ryan's quick thinking.

"Let me talk to the Grammys' producers about it... See you later." Jimmy nodded and headed upstairs.

...

"What about you?" Taylor immediately turned to Ryan.

This wasn't her intention for gaining a performance opportunity.

"I'm not affected; my singles are still coming out and qualifying for the Grammy nominations, so the only award I'm giving up is Best Electronic/Dance Album, which isn't a major loss for me. To Jimmy, though, this might be a different story -- it's a small cost for greater benefit."

"Not just that; there's also Album of the Year competition," Taylor reminded.

"Come on, you're also qualified for Album of the Year," Ryan playfully tapped her forehead.

That was his real intention -- he and Taylor's new albums needed to compete in different years to maximize their profits.

Ryan seemed to be paving the way for Lady Gaga but was actually clearing a path for herself... Taylor suddenly realized the truth.

Ryan's light tap not only nudged her forehead but also struck a chord in her heart.

She felt her cheeks flush before turning away. "I won't accept your pity."

"Don't be stubborn! Next time I talk to someone else, just keep your mouth shut," Ryan chuckled, reminding her after nearly messing things up.

"When you're negotiating, I'll zip it," Taylor made a zipper gesture.

...

Just then, a figure dashed past Taylor, nearly bumping into her.

Ryan glanced over and recognized it was Rihanna.

A few seconds later, he spotted Chris Brown chasing after her, catching up at the party entrance.

He was about to reach out to her, but Rihanna shoved his hand away, continuing to walk out, prompting Chris to follow.

"Those two are having issues," Taylor noted.

"If I got mad, would you come after me?" Taylor asked Ryan.

"I'd just carry you home."

...

"Just a few words with her, why are you rushing?" Chris Brown trailed behind Rihanna to her car, a sleek Lamborghini.

"Planning on sleeping with her too? You bastard!" Rihanna had a fiery temper and clapped her hands.

"Cut it out," Chris Brown blocked her.

Rihanna kicked him hard.

After a few hits, Chris was getting pissed.

"Don't make me tell you again! You are just acting crazy!" Chris retaliated, landing a punch on Rihanna's face.

Rihanna saw stars, but she defiantly punched back and started cursing Chris.

The couple ended up in a wild scuffle inside the car, the low-profile sports car rocking back and forth -- that was true "car sex."

Chris wasn't holding back, quickly gaining the upper hand, raining punches onto Rihanna's face.

Minutes later, Rihanna's face was swollen and bruised.

"Ugh!" Rihanna spat blood, spewing it right onto Chris's face.

...

Later, after the party, Ryan and Taylor returned to the hotel.

During the ride, Ryan received a call from the award show's producer.

"I'll tell Taylor to prepare a new song," Ryan glanced at Taylor beside him.

His deal with Jimmy paid off.

"What?" he suddenly raised his voice.

"Got it! I'll discuss it with Taylor and get back to you in an hour." Ryan hung up quickly.

"Chris Brown and Rihanna are in the parking lot fighting, and Rihanna is seriously hurt. Their performances have been canceled. Now, the producer is asking if you'd be willing to step in last minute to prepare a new performance!"

*****

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