Songs

As they climbed into the van, Prince barely had time to settle in before Rocky elbowed him with a sly grin.

"What made you so slow back there?" Rocky teased, his eyebrows wiggling. "You were totally flirting with the bunny cop, huh?"

"Oh, shut up," Prince muttered, rolling his eyes.

CJ wasn't about to let that go. "Ohhh, you're like that, huh, Prince?" he said dramatically, leaning closer with a mischievous smirk. "What about Kitty, huh? What if she finds out? Won't you still give her that kiss you owe her?"

"Go away, man," Prince shoved him as he laugh.

The teasing kept up for a bit, but soon the ride grew more relaxed, and the three of them stared out the windows as the city passed by. Zootopia was a breathtaking mix of districts and cultures. Skyscrapers stretched high into the clouds.

After half an hour, they pulled up in front of an enormous, modern building with a towering star-shaped "A" logo gleaming in the sunlight. The Rising Star Studio.

"Man, this place is insane," Rocky whispered, eyes wide.

CJ let out a low whistle. "I feel like we're about to walk into some next-level stuff."

The contestants were ushered inside, flanked by the ZPD officers. The hallways were sleek and expansive, with giant posters of past Rising Star winners lining the walls. When they finally reached the entrance of the training center. A massive room with state-of-the-art equipment and multiple practice spaces.

"This training center is huge," Prince thought, his eyes scanning the room. The possibilities in this place were endless.

But his thoughts were interrupted as the atmosphere shifted. The room erupted in cheers and applause as the judges; Kitty, Dexter, and Anos entered alongside Kielben. The celebrities made their way to the front, their presence magnetic and commanding.

Anos raised a hand, his powerful voice cutting through the noise. "Now that you're all here, the true round will begin."

Kitty's eyes sparkled as she stepped forward. "We're moving on to the next challenge, one that'll test your creativity, teamwork, and individuality."

Excited murmurs filled the room, though a few contestants looked understandably nervous.

"In this challenge," Kitty continued, "each team will be assigned a song from a renowned producer, musical masterpieces created by some of the greatest artists across the borders."

Dexter's grin widened. "That's right! You're not just performing — you're taking on original songs from famous producers. This is your chance to show what you can do with fresh, unique material."

"And here's the twist," Anos added, his eyes gleaming. "The song choices have already been made for you. We've handpicked tracks based on your styles and strengths but how you interpret them is entirely up to you."

The room exploded into chatter again.

"I hope we get a power ballad!" someone whispered excitedly.

"I want a sexy concept," another voice chimed in.

"You? A sexy concept? You look like a sea urchin," a buffalo snorted.

"Hey! You got a problem with sea urchins?" a tiny urchin in a fishbowl snapped.

"Uh… no! Definitely not!" the buffalo backpedaled.

Prince couldn't help but grin at the chaos, but he kept his focus. CJ leaned closer. "Man, I hope we get a good song."

"Yeah," Rocky agreed. "It's gonna suck if we end up with something that doesn't fit our style."

At the front, Anos gestured toward the massive screen. "Let's get started, shall we?"

The screen flickered to life, and the room immediately burst into excited whispers. A familiar face appeared — at least, familiar to everyone except Prince.

"Hello!" the sheep greeted with a warm smile. "It's Ed Sheepran, and I'm thrilled to present my song for the team mission."

Prince tilted his head. Ed Sheepran? But when the song titles appeared: Shape of you, Photograph, and Shivers— recognition hit.

"No way," Rocky whispered. "I can't believe Ed Sheepran's letting them use his songs for this show."

Bryce nodded. "This is huge."

But the excitement didn't stop there. The next name drew even more gasps.

The screen shifted to Kendrick Lamma. "This song combines sharp lyricism, a memorable beat, and my signature storytelling style," Kendrick explained. "HUMBLE talks about staying grounded despite success — calling out arrogance and inauthenticity."

(A/N: Say Drake I hear you like 'Em young... lol)

The energy in the room rose as the teaser played, the beat instantly infectious.

Then came Charlie Tooth's song — a funky, R&B-infused track called "How Long". The bassline and catchy melody had the contestants practically dancing in place.

But as more songs rolled out, Prince couldn't shake the feeling that none of them quite suited their style. Until… The eleventh song appeared.