Hollywood:Starting out as an MV director

By the time Ethan arrived at Republic Records, the sky had already darkened.

However, Giorgio and the recording engineer in the studio hadn't clocked out yet—they were waiting for Ethan.

"Is the new song ready?" Ethan wasn't too familiar with pop idol songs from his past life, but he could at least provide suggestions. He was confident his taste in music aligned with public preferences.

"It's ready. I had someone record a full demo. Give it a listen." Giorgio nodded to the recording engineer, then looked at Ethan expectantly, seemingly satisfied with the song.

The track played, and Ethan listened intently. Once it finished, he nodded thoughtfully. "It's alright…"

"Right? I think this song should be no problem," Giorgio said with a smile. "I even got Matthew Knowles as the producer."

Matthew Knowles was the producer for Destiny's Child's debut album and had significant experience in producing girl group music.

But after a moment of praise, Ethan shook his head. "I said it's alright, not perfect."

"Why not?" Giorgio frowned, puzzled.

Ethan pulled up a chair and sat down. "Don't you think the style of this song is a bit outdated?"

"Outdated? Isn't this the kind of music Destiny's Child used to make? People loved that!" Giorgio didn't understand what Ethan was getting at.

Ethan spread his hands. "That was in 1998. It's already 2003, Giorgio. You should be more sensitive to pop trends."

"Alright…" Giorgio fell silent for a moment. "Maybe I've just listened to it too much. You know how it is—listen to garbage enough times, and it starts sounding normal."

Giorgio then suggested they step outside for a smoke. After finishing his cigarette, he returned to the studio to listen to the song again. After a more critical evaluation, he admitted, "It does feel a bit old-fashioned. What should we change?"

"Start by changing the synthesizer sounds," Ethan said, tapping the desk lightly with his fingers. "Keep it as simple and upbeat as possible. I've said it before—we're aiming for 'girl power' music. Right now, it feels more like 'auntie music.'"

"Auntie music." Giorgio burst into laughter.

"Find younger producers. They might have a better understanding of how to craft this kind of music. In short, make it trendy—don't lean too much on nostalgia. One nostalgic track in the album is enough."

"You're right. I'll think it over in the coming days," Giorgio replied. He had been putting in a lot of effort for this yet-to-debut girl group.

Republic Records was not doing well financially at the moment. They hadn't had a breakout artist in the past year, and sales had been mediocre. Ironically, the company's current top performer was a track called Unstoppable by Raymond.

If Ethan didn't know that Republic Records would later sign big names like Ariana Grande and The Weeknd, he might have thought the company was on the brink of collapse.

As Ethan and Giorgio discussed the song, Giorgio's secretary knocked on the door and handed over a cassette tape.

"What's this?" Giorgio received numerous tapes and demos daily, but 99% of them were trash in his eyes.

And the remaining 1%? Still just harmless garbage. These days, he had his staff listen to the submissions first before passing them along.

"It just came in. It's from a stockbroker named Scott Kingsley…" The secretary glanced at the business card and read aloud.

"Doesn't matter who it's from!" Giorgio interrupted, waving dismissively. "I don't have time to waste on amateur music. Just leave it on the desk. I'll get to it when I can."

"Alright," the secretary nodded and casually placed the tape and card on a desk already piled high with other submissions. Listening to them all would take three days, at least. No wonder Giorgio had little patience.

After the secretary left, Giorgio chatted with Ethan for a bit longer before stepping out to take a call from his wife.

Ethan, intrigued, wandered over to the desk and sifted through the tapes. Some had business cards, some had photos, and others were scrawled with youthful declarations of their musical dreams.

The influx of demos from middle and even elementary school students amused Ethan. He could only imagine Giorgio's daily routine of listening to kids confidently belting out songs they thought were amazing—it was quite the funny picture.

As Ethan browsed, his eyes landed on the cassette the secretary had just left. The white business card gleamed under the light.

He softly read the name on the card: Scott Kingsley Swift... Wait... Swift?!

His eyebrows shot up in surprise as a realization dawned.

Could this be Taylor Swift's demo?

Ethan didn't remember all the details, but he knew Taylor's first song had been sent to a New York record company by her parents, leading to her first contract.

However, due to the company's policy of releasing her album only after three years, Taylor canceled the contract a year later.

She eventually met her first producer in Nashville and joined Big Machine Records, becoming its first signed artist.

That she would later sign with Republic Records was something that happened after she became a global superstar.

Ethan hadn't expected to stumble upon Taylor Swift's demo here at Republic Records. This was an incredible surprise.

If Giorgio, now on the phone, knew he had almost missed out on a future global sensation, he would undoubtedly lose his mind.

Ethan's heart raced like a dragon discovering treasure. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he slipped the cassette and the business card into his coat pocket.

Perfect—Taylor Swift was his now.

Though Angel Proclamation didn't have a dedicated music department before, it did now. From today onward, the department would exist solely to serve Taylor Swift.

Once her album was released, every penny invested would return a hundredfold, a thousandfold. This was the best deal he could imagine.

After securing the tape, Ethan exchanged a few more words with Giorgio before leaving Republic Records.

As Ethan departed, Giorgio returned to his office, glancing at the pile of tapes on the desk.

"Quite the mountain," he muttered, picking up a business card from one and then a photo from another.

After a cursory search, he couldn't find the tape the secretary had just placed.

He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Forget it. Better get home."

With that, he grabbed his car keys and left in a hurry, leaving the tapes behind under the lonely glow of the office lights.

The next day, Ethan had Kane call the number on the card.

"Hello?" came a steady male voice on the other end.

"Hello, is this Mr. Swift?"

"Yes, speaking."

Kane smiled. "I'm Kane from Angel Declaration's music department. Our CEO recently listened to your daughter's demo and sees great potential. Would you have time to come by and discuss this?"

"Really? Angel Declaration? I've never heard of your company. Also, I don't recall sending you a tape," the man replied cautiously. While he sounded pleased, he didn't immediately agree.

Kane glanced at Ethan. "That's right. You didn't submit it to us directly, but you sent it to Republic Records, correct? They're our partner. Since their focus isn't on children's music right now, they passed it along to us."

"Oh, I see," the man said, finally convinced. Only Republic Records and he himself knew about the submission, so a call this quick had to mean a close connection, not a scam.

"Exactly. When would you be available to meet?"

"I'm at work now. How about tonight at six? No, wait—five o'clock. I'll come by then. Give me the address."

"Of course. Our address is…" Kane gave the details and ended the call, then looked at Ethan, who was calmly sipping tea.

"Boss, it's all set."

"Excellent," Ethan nodded, satisfied.

"But do you really think she can make it big?" Kane asked, puzzled by Ethan's judgment. His boss often made unexpected moves, seemingly acting on instinct.

Was it really worth investing so much in a young girl just because of her voice?

Kane had heard the demo himself. While it was catchy, he wouldn't describe it as extraordinary. Why was Ethan so confident?

Ethan chuckled. "Because she belongs to the future… and so do her songs."

Kane didn't fully understand but figured his boss was just especially optimistic. With no other choice, he smiled and went back to work.

At five in the afternoon, Scott Kingsley Swift arrived at Angel Declaration. Kane welcomed him upstairs to the office.

"Come in," Kane said, opening the door. Ethan was inside, discussing creative ideas with Jimmy.

"Hello, please have a seat," Ethan gestured, introducing himself as Scott sat down. "I'm Ethan, CEO of Angel Declaration."

"You're so young," Scott remarked, surprised to see such a youthful CEO.

Jimmy chimed in to explain. "Are you familiar with the MTV Music Awards? Or the Grammys?"

"Of course! Those are prestigious music awards," Scott replied, confused about the connection

"Look," Jimmy casually pointed to the mirrored cabinet beside him. "Our CEO, Ethan, is a renowned music video director in the industry. He's directed videos for Avril Lavigne, Nelly, and others. Last year, he won MTV's Best Director award, and this year, he just received the Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. The trophy is right there. Oh, and last year's musical film Chicago was also Cinematographed by Ethan. You can catch the rerun or the movie when you get home."

"OMG!" Scott exclaimed in shock upon hearing this.

....

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