Chosen Song

"Again," Kitty reiterated. "The songs have already been assigned, so don't be disappointed if you don't get the one you wanted."

The contestants had already come to terms with this decision as it had been explained to them beforehand.

"And tomorrow, the coaches will help guide you through your performances."

With that, the production crew led the teams toward a sticker-covered stand. The moment had finally arrived.

They were about to discover their assigned songs.

The air grew thick with anticipation as the contestants edged closer, excitement and nervousness intertwining.

Amidst the tense atmosphere, Rocky's lively presence took charge.

With a Cheshire grin, he stepped forward, rubbing his hands together. "Alright, alright," he said, leaning against the stand. "Let's get this party started!"

He had a way of livening up the atmosphere, almost like a real party host. If he ended up winning this competition, he'd probably become infamous for throwing legendary idol parties.

"Now that we're about to reveal our song," he continued, "I gotta know—what's everyone hoping for?"

The team exchanged glances. From the looks of it, they were all in agreement.

"Definitely Uptown Funk," Bryce said without hesitation. "That song is just too catchy. I can already imagine how amazing it'll be on stage."

Cj nodded fervently. "Oh, absolutely. Uptown Funk would be such a hit. I swear, I might just kill someone if we don't get it." He chuckled, clearly joking but equally determined.

"Let's hope that's the one, then," Rocky added. "I want it just as much."

"Seems like we're all on the same page." Bryce said.

Prince had a good feeling about this. He was teamed up with strong contestants, and from what he'd seen, they always delivered stellar performances.

Rocky shifted on his feet, barely containing his excitement. "I can't wait any longer," he declared. "Let's do this."

With deliberate slowness, he peeled back the sticker…

He was taking too damn long!

"I thought you couldn't wait any longer," Prince muttered under his breath. However, Cj seemed to have heard him as he chuckled and ruffled prince's hair.

Fortunately, Rocky sped up and removed the sticker, revealing the words "Married to the bag."

"Oh, shit."

CJ dramatically dropped to his knees. "The full rap song where we have to write our own lyrics? Why? Why?"

Just then, a cheer erupted from another group.

"Yes!" One contestant pumped his fist in the air, elated. He had just gotten a song he clearly wanted.

CJ glanced at their stand and immediately spotted the title: "Uptown Funk."

His head fell forward, and he dramatically clenched his fist against the ground. "It should have been us, not them!"

While the others were still processing their disappointment, Prince focused on the details written beneath their assigned song.

"Married to the Bag – Shotgun Willy."

And beneath it is number 8.

---

Once the initial shock wore off, the team decided to watch the performance video before delegating parts.

"Let's start with introductions," Bryce suggested, sitting beside Prince. The others nodded in agreement.

As the oldest at 24, Bryce naturally took the lead, assuming a temporary leadership role. Prince didn't mind—it wasn't like this group would last beyond a week anyway.

"I'm Brandon Bryce, 24 years old," he started. "I've been singing since I was a kid, and I used to play drums in a band."

Next was CJ.

"CJ Solibet. I'm 23, from Calatonia, and I work as a clerk. I can rap, dance and play the guitar."

"Rocky Suarez Ala," the next one said. "I'm 21, just graduated from college, and I sing rock and pop."

Finally, it was Prince's turn.

"Prince Jefferson. I work at a bar and like to write songs. Nice to meet you all."

CJ let out a laugh. "Man, we sound like total strangers."

The others chuckled at that, and just like that, the atmosphere eased.

The next hour passed quickly as they discussed the song and how they would split the parts. Performing as a group was no easy feat—good communication and harmony were essential.

And Married to the Bag was no ordinary song.

It was a rap-heavy, newly released track. Unlike what Prince had expected, the lyrics weren't the same as the version he remembered from his old world. It felt like one of those filler songs artists included in albums just to pad out the runtime. But now, they had to perform it.

"The song is 2 minutes and 22 seconds long," Bryce noted. "If we split it evenly, each of us would get around 35 seconds."

CJ shook his head. "That might not work—it'll mess with the song's structure, especially since we still need to write our own lyrics."

Prince scanned the notes provided. "It says here that we need to duplicate two roles for now. I think we should double up on the main parts—so, Main Vocal with Sub-Vocal 1 and Main Rapper with Sub-Rapper 1."

"I'm good with that," CJ said.

"Same here," the others agreed.

"Alright, let's start with the Main Vocal," Bryce continued.

CJ raised his hand, drawing their attention. "After listening to the song… there's only one voice that comes to mind."

He scanned the room before locking eyes with Bryce.

"I think Bryce should be the Main Vocalist this time."