hollywood billionaire

Chapter 240 Celebration Party

"Okay, let's see..."

Huddled in the corner of the corridor connecting the kitchen and dining room, Madison Beer clasped his fingers, glanced back and forth in the room like a high-precision monitor, and muttered something.

"Stella Maxwell."

"Check." Billie Eilish folded her arms and made a report in a serious manner next to her friend, "On the far right, I am drinking and chatting with G-Eazy."

"Did she take that song seriously?"

Madison's little fox eyes narrowed and she gossiped loudly in Billie's ears.It wasn't that she wanted others to hear it, it was just that the music in the apartment was too loud.

"Not so much."

"Really...oh, that's right." Madison patted her forehead and realized later,

Bi Li nodded in response, and after a few seconds, she grinned with malicious intent, "What do you think?"

"What?" Madison was confused.

"That blonde doll." Billie pursed her lips in Stella's direction, "Is it your type? It feels like the one you will like."

"I don't like girls...not in that way." Madison looked at her new best friend who had been with him day and night for more than two months with a look of laughter.

"That's such a pity." Bi Li shrugged, "I bet you are definitely one of the most popular ones. You are cute, sexy, have a good figure, perky lips, and a nice ass..."

"Stop, stop." Madison quickly gestured for Billie to pause, "Where did I make you have this misunderstanding? I mean, I don't think there is anything wrong with it. If I really Like girls, then I must be...so what is sending the wrong signal?”

"What other signal do you need to send?" Bi Li snorted, "You don't seem to be interested in boys at all. This is not just my opinion."

"Who said I'm not interested in boys anymore?" Madison raised her eyebrows and raised her voice as if she had a huge grievance, "I..."

"What's wrong with you?" Bi Li looked at her sideways, "How long was the last time you dated a boy?"

"Dating……"

It does seem like a long, long time... Then again, can those really be considered dates?I just found a random restaurant in Changdao to eat.

"How long was the last time you labeled a boy as bae, love, or boyfriend in your phone notes?"

"These nicknames are so cheesy."

This comment has never been changed, this is the real answer.

I don’t dare to change it, for fear that others will see it and misunderstand it.

"You don't have to answer any of these, they don't matter." Bi Li raised her index finger and pressed, "How long was the last time you kissed a boy?"

Oh, this.

This is too many times.

When did you ask?

It was supposed to be available today, but it was stopped at the last minute.

"Well, just...a little over a month ago." Madison's pretty face was slightly tipsy, she cleared her throat and answered honestly.

"Really? Who? Say a name."

"Yosef."

"Yosef-who?"

"Yosef Hancock."

"Yosef Hancock." Billie shook her head back and forth with a look of hatred on her face, "Listen for yourself to see how outrageous the name you made up is. I need to explain further, how can I tell you?" Are you queer?"

"But I'm really not cool..." After a moderate mental struggle, Madison relaxed her shoulders, raised her eyelids, and gave up the resistance, "Whatever you say, when I...find a boyfriend, every day I’ll send it to everyone on Snapchat, but I’ll send it to you alone, so you can watch it until you feel like vomiting.”

"How kinky are you?"

Billie obviously misunderstood the meaning of wanting to vomit. After being punched hard on the arm by Maddie, the stocky little girl threw herself at him with all her teeth and claws.

The two underage girls who had secretly tasted alcohol were a little dizzy at this time and deviated from their normal behavior patterns.

After playing without any aggression for a while, the two panting people called a truce to each other and continued the unfinished work just now.

"That, um... lovely lady is..."

Billie looked at the two o'clock direction and asked hesitantly.

"Which one do you say?"

"That's the one with super long legs."

"The legs of her companions can reach our chests. Who are you talking about?"

"Oh, God, I'm going to hell." Bi Li sighed helplessly and said quickly, "It's the one with the map around his mouth... No matter who is up there, forgive me."

"You said her...her name is Winnie Harlow."

Madison suddenly realized that it was not the fault of Billie's inaccurate description. In this politically correct society, as a Gen Z vegan who grew up in a blue state, the buff Billie would naturally not use her physical defects to benefit others. attach a label.

But for Winnie Harlow, it's hard to say whether the vitiligo spots all over her body are a physiological defect or an advantage that made her career take off.

After all, she relies on those highly recognizable tattoos to emerge as a representative of diverse casting in a fashion industry that increasingly emphasizes inclusivity.

Whether it is Chanel or Valentino, Victoria's Secret or Estee Lauder, every brand hopes to declare the brand's commitment to disadvantaged groups and the so-called "individuality" by hiring this African-American girl who, except for vitiligo, fully meets the traditional supermodel standards from appearance to figure. "beauty".

In a safe, innocuous way.

"She has become very famous in the fashion circle in the past two years. Together, we can't even make a fraction of her money."

Madison carefully introduced Billie, who didn't know much about the various people and connections in the fashion industry. The so-called high-end fashion and luxury brands were not what she was passionate about... Yes, after receiving the advance payment, Billie really ... I spent a little money and bought two or three bags from Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, but this is the innate and irresistible nature of every girl, isn't it?
As far as Billie's personal preferences are concerned, she still prefers trendy clothes that are loose and not revealing, as well as a variety of collectible sneakers.

"Beside her, chatting with Calvin Harris were Jon Smalls and Jasmine Tox. One was the former world's number one supermodel, and the other was the current Victoria's Secret Angel... Wait, who Invited Calvin Harris?"

"I."

Dua Lipa poked her head out from behind Billie and Madison and put her head on their shoulders.

"You actually knew him?"

"Yes, everyone in the UK knows each other, we have a Facebook group."

Dua Lipa joked with a smile that although she is still a bit shy and reserved when dealing with outsiders, with these two little girls who are similar to her own age, Dua can fully show her cheerful side that belongs to a lion rather than a virgin.

"No, seriously, he approached me during the award ceremony. Anne-Marie and I were sitting diagonally behind him."

Speaking of this, Dua Lipa's deliberately restrained smile contained a bit of coquettish pride.

"He said he listened to my songs when he returned to the UK and liked my voice very much. He even left a Whatsapp message with me, saying that he would have the opportunity to collaborate in the future."

"Wow!" Madison gossiped in an exaggerated tone, "Someone is really busy tonight."

"That's not the case." Dua Lipa shook her head like a rattle, "Calvin only talked to me about music and didn't even hint at anything else. And...and! Her ex is Taylor Swift. Te, can you like me?"

"Both are tall, beautiful, and sassy, ​​both are singers, and both want to collaborate. What's the difference?" Madison Beer chased after him. "You haven't seen his CK commercial, have you? Wearing only underwear, revealing The one with six pack abs.”

"I've seen it." Dua swallowed unconsciously. Calvin Harris went from an ordinary electronic music producer who collaborated with Rihanna to a popular lover that every girl wanted to have something with him. It was done with just one advertisement and one poster.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Madison raised his hand, his tone as urgent as if he was talking about something life-threatening.

"Why don't you go?" Dua Lipa responded, "It sounds like you can't wait any longer."

"I……"

Madison Beer was slightly startled. The reason why she wanted to persuade Dua Lipa to give it a try was precisely because she was also brewing such an idea in her heart.

It's just that it's not Calvin Harris.

Many things can be excused using alcohol as an excuse.

Today is a perfect opportunity.

"Leave her alone, she's driving on the other side of the highway." Billie answered first with a metaphor that seemed euphemistic, but in fact everyone knew its hidden meaning. "That's nonsense again." Madison's eyes widened, "I obviously told you that I have a boy I like."

"Who?"

"Yosef..."

"Hancock."

Under Dua Lipa's blank stare, Madison Beal and Billie Eilish, who have a boring secret code name, looked at each other and smiled.

"Let's continue counting... I remember Stella brought someone else, Park So-joo. Why didn't you see her? Did you leave early?"

"No, she just went out to socialize. I just saw her... This next sentence will make me sound like a racist born in 1920, but... she was with a group of Korean boys. Together."

Looking in the direction of Bi Li's finger, fellow villagers from the same country who are working together overseas are chatting enthusiastically... It is better to say that it is a warm greeting, but it is better to say that the boys are bowing to Pu Suzhu in different ways to express their respect for their seniors. respect.

Bulletproof Teen Squad, abbreviated as BTS, is a completely unpredictable and strange name. It is the name of the K-Pop group formed by these Asian boys.

Madison doesn’t know much about popular music on the other side of the ocean. In 2016, she had not yet taken over the role of Evelynn in the KD/A group of “League of Legends”.Before that, she had never heard any K-Pop and could not recognize any stars from South Korea.Madison’s only connection with that country is probably that she also likes to use emojis.

Madison also didn’t know much about why these idols with smoky eye makeup would appear in Han Music’s lineup for the VMA Awards. She only knew that Han Yi seemed to be very optimistic about the popularity of Asian pop music in Europe and the United States. Due to her development prospects, her manager Zhao Youzhen negotiated an agency distribution agreement for BTS.

Is it an agency release?Or a joint release?
Is Yoo Jin pushing forward, or Karen taking charge?

Madison had no interest in knowing more.

"I think you are indeed a racist." Madison grabbed Billie's arm and moved half an inch to the right. "You can obviously say that she is with our manager."

Zhao Youzhen, with her back to the two of them and only half of her face exposed, was standing in the conversation circle started by her, with an elegant and gentle smile on her face, leaning forward slightly, listening carefully to Su Zhu's praise of herself. .

The respect that Zhao Yoo Jin and BTS members have for Park So Joo is not without purpose. She was born in Seoul in 1986 and immigrated to Anaheim, California with her family when she was 10 years old.Today, Park So-joo, who is only 30 years old, has become one of the most famous Asian models in the world.She is the first Asian spokesperson for L'Oreal and one of the few global ambassadors for Chanel. Her annual income reached US$300 million last year, only slightly lower than her friend Barbara Pavin.

No matter in terms of age or achievements, in the peninsula where the hierarchy is strict, Park So Joo deserves to be treated with courtesy by Jo Yoo Jin and BTS.

Of course, Park So-joo did not put on the stinky face of her Korean predecessors. On the one hand, it is because she has been immersed in American culture for many years and has long abandoned the overly cumbersome etiquette constraints. On the other hand, it is because these two groups The achievements made by our compatriots in their respective fields are also very outstanding.

Han Yi, who has been with Zhao Youzhen day and night, it is difficult to judge the Korean girl's just-started career from an objective perspective. However, if you are separated and look at it as a bystander like Park Suzhu, then Zhao Youzhen as an artist manager has gained a lot in just half a year. His achievements can almost be described as myths or fairy tales.

Artists directly managed include Madison Beer, Billie Eilish, Khalid and Anne Marie.The same artist management company occasionally handles performances, music collaborations, and business activities with dozens of artists including Horsch, Diplo, Marshmello, and Lana Del Rey.

Usually, before a manager becomes famous, he basically concentrates on serving one or two artists.Even if he later becomes famous, it rarely exceeds double digits.Therefore, from a quantitative perspective, Zhao Youzhen has already reached the top 0.01% level in the industry.

More importantly, in the past quarter, the artists managed by Zhao Youzhen performed extremely well.Billie, Madison, Khalid, Anne-Marie, their respective singles have been on the charts for a long time.Among them, Madison's "Cold Water" won the championship for three consecutive weeks, allowing Zhao Youzhen to achieve a goal that many managers cannot reach in their lifetime in the first year of his career.

This week, the competition between "Cold Water" and "Closer" has entered a fierce stage. According to the current situation, the latest issue of the Billboard singles rankings to be announced in two days, the champion will inevitably be between the two.For Han Music and Columbia Records, this is a life-and-death zero-sum game, but as far as Zhao Youzhen is concerned, it is indeed a wonderful situation in which he can win no matter what.

It is naturally the best result for "Cold Water" to continue to dominate. Madison Beer and Diplo are both contracted artists managed by Renyu. One more week of championship means two more exposures.But even if "Closer" reaches the top of the charts, it is actually not unacceptable, because Holsh's career has developed to this point. If she can achieve zero breakthrough in the record of Billboard's number one single, it will have no impact on her next new album. The preparation, as well as the selection and contact of cooperating artists will be of great benefit.

"Both singles have your artists. No matter which one wins the championship, it is your honor." Park Suzhu praised in English. She has lived in the United States much longer than in South Korea, and she has become accustomed to using her second language. Dialogue, "Yu Zhen, this is no longer the so-called glory of Asians. Even if race is put aside, you are one of the best managers."

"Thank you, Su Zhu." Zhao Youzhen waved his hand and answered humbly in the same language.Her situation is similar to Su Zhu's, even more exaggerated. She usually works in English, communicates with Han Yi in Chinese, and only occasionally returns to Korean.

"These are all the work of the artist and the record company. The best I can say is that it is just a little paperwork."

"I don't think so. The person who has the greatest influence on artists must be managers, not other supporting roles." Park Suzhu shook her head and turned her gaze to Kim Namjoon who was standing aside and hesitated to speak.As the leader of the team and the one who speaks the most proficient English among them, Kim Namjoon has been playing the role of BTS spokesperson at today's celebration party, "You are right, Namjoon, you should understand it deeply."

"Yes, without the vision and insight of our president, it will be useless no matter how well others do... Manager Zhao should also be playing the same role. It is very hard."

The first half of the sentence was in English, using all the big words that could be used with a weird accent. The second half of the sentence was switched back to Korean, flattering Zhao Youzhen more implicitly and subtly.The president Bang Sihyuk mentioned by Kim Namjoon originally planned to attend this year's VMA awards ceremony, but in the end he was unable to make the trip due to various reasons.

As a result, Zhao Youzhen's first meeting with his negotiating opponent and new partner had to be postponed with regret.Although the two have never met offline until now, their confrontations on the phone, email and video conference gradually began in May and reached their peak before the signing of the framework agreement last month.

According to Han Yi's plan, Asian groups such as Blackpink, BTS and BABYMETAL, which will shine in Europe and the United States in the future, are strategic assets that Han Music must strive for. Their joining will allow the group to grow over time. , gaining a first-mover advantage that daunts the three major players on a segmented front.

For Asian music, if it wants to surpass Hollywood or survive independently from the constraints of the three major music groups, there is still little hope in the short term.However, as a strong growth point that will promote the recovery of the world music market in the 2020s, Asian musicians, their popular works, and their related commercial development rights are imperatives that Han Yi, as an Asian, must not rely on others. Fight for land.

In order to maximize the chances of success in cooperation negotiations, Han Yi specially assigned two Asian leaders in the team, Zhao Youzhen and Karen Guo, to take the lead in promoting the Asian artist project.

Zhao Youzhen of Renyu Management is mainly responsible for negotiating artist management rights and performing arts brokerage rights in North America and other parts of the world, while Karen Guo of Han Music is tasked with obtaining the master tape copyrights and music copyrights of three groups of artists. The more the merrier.

Facing the olive branch offered by Han Music, the three groups of artists had different reactions.Babymetal, already a client of UTA, was very interested in Han Live's proposal to fund a world tour. However, the group's behind-the-scenes controller, Amuse boss Kei Kobayashi, simply rejected Han Music and Han Publishing's offer in Japan. Proposal for agency issuance in overseas regions outside of China.

On March 2016, 3, Babymetal's second studio album was released.With the help of Sony Music, this album called "Metal Resistance" not only ranked second on the Oricon weekly chart in Japan with sales of 29 copies, but also ranked 13.3th on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, setting a record It was the best record for a Japanese singer in the U.S. market since Kyu Sakamoto in 39.

With such a strong development momentum, Babymetal will naturally not leave the embrace of Sony Music easily. Moreover, the Japanese overseas are a group that is more united than Koreans and Indians, and is more resistant to cross-border cooperation.For problems that can be solved by domestic companies, overseas partners will never be considered.

Compared to Babymetal who rejected the offer neatly, Blackpink's attitude is more subtle. So far, YG has not explicitly said no to Han Music's various cooperation proposals, but it is still far from a true agreement.

Although Blackpink itself is a new group that has officially debuted less than a month ago, the company's own globalization strategy has been firmly implemented for many years.Actively working to win the Best World Artist Award at the MTV European Music Video Awards for Big Bang, and laying out his own distribution system in the United States, Big Bang's fifth EP "Alive" historically broke into the Billboard Album chart, becoming the first Korean-language album to enter the Billboard chart.

Compared with the gains and losses of one city or one place, YG cares more about the activation of the company's internal value. In other words, even if Han Music can bring sufficient exposure and substantial income to Blackpink in a short period of time, they will not be happy about it. , because outsourcing the most promising artists will only damage the company's ability to expand overseas, which will in turn affect YG's investor confidence and its stock price on the Korean Stock Exchange.

When the business has developed to this point, how much money the artists themselves can make is no longer the most important concern.How much money the outside world thinks they can earn and how many assets they have at their disposal at any time are the most important issues.

Sony and Warner, who are actively developing the Korean market, have also discussed agency issues with YG. Since two of the three major music groups have received a gentle rejection from YG, the situation of the start-up Han Music will not be any better. go.

However, Han Yi did not give up. Zhao Youzhen and Karen Guo, who he entrusted to promote this project, are not the kind of weak people who raise the white flag after a setback.They are still actively negotiating cooperation with YG, settling for the second best, starting with performance cooperation and single collaboration, so that YG can see the sincerity and strength of Han Music before making the next step.

The responses from the first two groups of artists more or less disappointed Han Yi, but this disappointment was quickly made up for by BTS. Bang Si-hyeok, the president of Big Hit Entertainment, not only agreed to sign an entertainment management contract outside of Asia with UTA, but also signed an overseas distribution agency agreement with Han Music for the next studio album "WINGS".

Yes, it is still a bit different from Han Music's cooperation method of agent based on years or number of albums, but it can already be regarded as a moderate victory.

You know, BTS in 2016 has already entered the conquest mode in the Asian market, and has begun to carefully test the water temperature of the European and American markets. In 2015, "In the Mood for Love pt.1" topped the Geon Album Chart and the Billboard World Album Chart, and also made a historic breakthrough on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Chart. It was on the list for one week, reaching its highest ranking of 171st.

"In the Mood for Love Young Forever", released in early May 2016, went a step further. With 5 pre-orders, three new singles, "Epilogue: Young Forever", "Fire" and "Save Me" airborne on the Billboard Top 30 on the World Singles Chart.On the Hot 200 album chart, BTS has also improved a lot compared to before. It has been on the chart for two weeks and has a highest ranking of 107.

Judging from their performance alone, Bit Hit and Bang Si Hyuk should follow YG’s lead and handle the business in overseas markets themselves.However, the operating conditions of the two companies are very different. YG is a traditional large-scale entertainment group in South Korea. It was listed on the Korean Stock Exchange in 2011 and has been publicly raising funds in the secondary market for five years.It is not as rich as the three major music groups, but it is definitely a local snake in the peninsula.

Big Hit, on the other hand, was only founded in 2005. So far, the only influential artists it has are BTS, and its scale is not even large enough to be called a boutique studio.For President Fang, the most urgent task at the moment is to quickly expand overseas markets, increase the company's operating income, improve profitability, and then carry out capitalization operations non-stop. Only then will there be a chance to compete with South Korea's local traditional entertainment industry. High or low.

Therefore, Bang Si-hyeok has been looking for a more sincere channel partner than The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music. The services provided by The Orchard to BTS are certainly professional, but they cannot use their own financial resources to bring benefits to BTS beyond agency distribution.

But Han Yi can.

In order to win the agency rights of "WINGS", Han Yi promised an advance payment of US$50.Regardless of whether the album sells 50 US dollars overseas, the money will enter Big Hit's account in advance.In addition, Han Music will also provide a series of promotional resources for free.

US$50 is just a fraction of Han Yi's account, but for a company of Big Hit's size, having US$50 in cash at their disposal will allow them to carry out many additional development projects.

The financial generosity, coupled with the recent stellar chart performance, finally prompted Fang Shiyun to make up his mind and reject The Orchard's contract renewal proposal, leaving the life and death of his next album overseas in the hands of Han Music. .

Of course, Fang Shiyue, who seemed to be honest but actually extremely shrewd, kept several options open. He only signed out the agency distribution rights for one studio album, and only the master tape copyright. The music copyright was still represented by Sony Music, so he had both sides. , neither side should be offended. If something goes wrong on Han Music's side, the next album can be returned to Sony's arms at any time.

This kind of conservative business move is understandable, and Han Yi naturally won't mind it too much.After all, he doesn't actually care about the profit from the music itself, and even artists like BTS are not his primary goal.

How to gradually absorb Big Hit, the future HYBE, through capital operations, and directly control half of the future of K-Pop, is a question that a qualified time traveler should consider.

The world music scene has experienced the most fantastic development in the past ten years, and it would be outrageous not to take a share of the pie.

Therefore, in order to achieve this goal, Han Yi gave BTS the highest courtesy. Not only did he find a way to get VMA tickets for the group, but he also spent his own money to buy business class tickets for all members to fly to New York.After arriving here, they were given full respect and led by compatriot Zhao Youzhen. At the celebration party, they made connections with key contacts who might promote their careers.

An Asian icon like Park So-joo who can help BTS further gain popularity in the American market is undoubtedly one of the connections that needs to be fought for.

"So, the boss asked you to invite Stella Maxwell just to ask her to bring Park So-joo over so that she can introduce her to BTS?" Anne-Marie, who was listening in rapt attention but didn't understand what was going on, asked.

"Probably not." Madison thought for a moment and shook his head, "I guess we just met by chance and got to know each other by the way. Because... Yi didn't specifically ask me to invite anyone, he just told me that Han Music wanted to become famous, and this party I need more celebrities to show up and let me think of ways to see if there is room for maneuver."

"Yes." Dua Lipa echoed, "The boss told me the same thing. Invite everyone I know and can invite."

"I see..." Khalid, currently the only male in Han Music's best friend group, rubbed his chin, looked around the party scene, and said thoughtfully.

"Then...if we want to make this celebration party a hot topic in the city, there aren't enough people right now."

"I will handle it."

Hearing these words, Horsi, who had just refilled a glass of tequila and walked briskly past them, stopped, raised his phone, and seemingly casually aimed at the northwest corner of the reception area to take a photo. Then he lowered his head and clicked send while walking forward.

"What... did you take a picture of?" Madison asked doubtfully.

"Of course the DJs."

Holsh turned the screen over, shook it towards Madison, and smiled.

“Think about it, what is the most important factor for a party to be successful?”

(End of this chapter)