Chapter 191: The Quirky Newcomers
[Chapter 191: The Quirky Newcomers]
Ryan sat behind his desk while a group of female singers lined up in front of him, barely fitting into the office.
"Boss, there's another batch on the way; they'll start arriving over the next couple of days," Teresa whispered into Ryan's ear.
She had spent an extra fifteen minutes cleaning up in Ryan's office and had spritzed a bit of perfume to mask the smell lingering from her previous meeting. With all that done, she called the singers in.
Ryan couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. He had asked Jimmy to bring in one singer, and even if he needed to sift through three or four more, that would make sense. But what was happening here?
After a moment's thought, Ryan realized the reason. His career was on a high streak; his past singles had all outperformed one another and he was a strong contender for Billboard chart-toppers. Clearly, his new song had attracted a swarm of female singers.
Chasing trends in the entertainment industry was all too common. If one movie did well, the pay for the next project would immediately double. If Ryan's last song flopped, the crowd in front of him would shrink considerably.
He scanned the room, recognizing just a couple of faces, while most of the others were unfamiliar to him.
...
"Let's start with self-introductions. Tell me what kind of songs you specialize in," Ryan said.
"I'll go first! Ryan, I'm Nicole Scherzinger, the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls," a Black woman announced, stepping forward. Clearly, she had the most recognition among the group.
"I'm skilled in dance and I'm also the vocalist in the group; I can sing all kinds of music," she smiled at Ryan.
Next up was Kacey Musgraves, who surpriseingly shared a background with Ryan as they were both alumni of Nashville Star. However, Ryan had been eliminated in the first round, and Kacey had moved a step ahead of him, currently performing as an unknown country artist.
Ryan felt a little sensitive about Kacey's country artist status; on one hand, she competed with Taylor, but on the other, if he brought her in, could she leverage Taylor's fame to draw in part of the audience?
That thought flickered through Ryan's mind as he looked toward the next candidate.
Ashley Simpson, the younger sister of Jessica Simpson, came next. Her sister had been a pop star in the early 2000s, but she had always been overshadowed by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
Then there was a bunch of lesser-known singers, like girl groups such as the Paradiso Girls.
As for looks... these women didn't even come close to Teresa.
That was the difference.
Ryan had them sing a couple of lines each and eliminated the vast majority on the spot. He then took the few left out of the office to the audition room, mainly because it had sound equipment.
...
Ryan had them come in one by one, starting with Nicole.
As she spotted a few mirrors in the corner of the room, she immediately understood what they were for.
Younger people really knew how to play things up, Nicole thought.
Ryan instructed her to start singing. She moved one of the mirrors behind her and began to showcase some dance moves.
"It's just a sound check, Ms. Scherzinger," Ryan reminded her.
"Sound checks also include body checks," she replied with a nod.
She then played one of the Pussycat Dolls' tracks and, with a deep beat in the background, started dancing suggestively, moving around Ryan, clearly showing off her meticulously prepared routine.
"What do you think?" she asked, already sweating after finishing the dance.
"If you were auditioning as a dancer, I wouldn't refuse," Ryan replied. Though she might be past her prime, having her perform in a nightclub could help alleviate racial tension for him.
"As long as you let me sing, I could dance at your club for a month!" Nicole quickly said.
"You seem desperate for this collaboration?" Ryan could sense her eagerness.
"Of course! Because collaborating with someone as talented and young as you is an honor for me," Nicole awkwardly laughed, but the flattery felt forced.
'Forget it...' Ryan thought her compliments weren't genuine.
"Ryan, you know, the Pussycat Dolls are about to disband, and I need to think about my next steps," she finally admitted, revealing her true situation.
It wasn't unusual for groups to disband when tensions arose; one member might feel held back, while others thought that member was too attention-seeking, leading to easily ignited conflicts. The Pussycat Dolls were no exception.
"Have you considered what to do next?" Ryan asked.
"Hehe," Nicole smiled broadly.
"Don't get too excited just yet; let me ask you a few questions first. Who informed you that I was selecting new collaborators?" Ryan changed the subject.
"One of the A&R managers. What's up? You're not suspicious of Jimmy, are you?" Nicole hesitated. "And you might not believe what I'm saying, but as far as I know, Jimmy is more focused on you as a person, not just your song style," she added.
It was evident that Lady Gaga and Ryan belonged to the same competitive group, which naturally caused some conflicts of interest.
"Maybe electronic music won't be popular in a few years, or even in just six months?" Nicole continued.
However, her words couldn't shake Ryan's doubts. Nor would he promise Nicole anything concrete.
Ryan had Nicole try singing again, and it turned out well, though she still fell short of the original Beyonce. But she wasn't far off.
...
"Bring in the next person," Ryan decided.
Next was Ashley Simpson, more straightforward than Nicole, hinting directly to Ryan.
Ryan felt increasingly like he was a breath of fresh air, wondering how other male singers auditioned singers.
...
Kacey Musgraves entered next, greeted Ryan with enthusiasm and briefly mentioned their Nashville Star days before starting to sing.
However, her performance left a bit to be desired.
Nonetheless, her voice was unique -- sharp and childlike, which set her apart from Taylor.
Although it didn't mesh well with Hymn for the Weekend, Ryan believed she had potential.
"I'll reach out to you later. Just know, when I do contact you, it might not be me; it could be someone else," Ryan said thoughtfully.
She assumed he meant his staff, nodded, and then exited.
...
The day's auditions wrapped up quickly, and considering everything, Nicole Scherzinger's qualities stood out the most.
With another batch arriving the next day, Ryan hesitated to confirm anyone right away.
The following day, one woman indeed intrigued Ryan with her distinctiveness.
Her name was Elizabeth Grant, and her singing style was unconventional, reminiscent of tragic opera, with a lot of breathy techniques.
Looking at her appearance, she wore simple jeans and a white tee, unmade-up, her eyes half-open, like she hadn't slept.
"How old are you?" Ryan noticed this girl had an unusual demeanor.
"Age is just a countdown to death; it doesn't matter," she spoke softly.
"Do you want to be a star?"
"What is a star? Just a puppet singing other people's songs. One who is seen by everyone yet can never truly express themselves; that's the curse of a star," she replied slowly.
"Alright, alright, let's move on," Ryan waved his hand.
Given the way this conversation was heading, who knew what philosophical quotes might come out of her mouth next?
She quietly turned and slowly exited the office. If encountered at night, she might give someone a scare.
...
Just then, Taylor called, beginning with good news.
"The six concerts were a huge success! I just finished performing the second show in London. The attendance was 100%."
Ryan expressed his concerns and encouraged Taylor to keep up the momentum, though he found himself falling into the typical problems that come with success.
"Once we finish recording this song and sorting through the newcomers, I'll come to you..." Upon mentioning newcomers, Ryan recalled Kacey.
"How about I pass her your contact? She's a country artist, and training her could help alleviate some pressure," Ryan suggested.
"I'm quite strict with my artists. Send me her contact information, and I'll reach out to her myself."
"There's another one who's a bit unique; I'm not sure how to communicate with her, but who knows, she might bring a special surprise. Signing one more wouldn't cost much; it could be like a lottery..." Ryan also brought up Elizabeth Grant.
"Doesn't sound sane. She isn't an escapee from a mental hospital, is she? Fine, let's have Kacey try with her..." Taylor agreed for now.
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