hollywood billionaire

Chapter 248 The Holy Grail filled with poisonous wine

"Stayed in time?"

Han Yi frowned lightly and repeated Haili's words.

"If that's what I understand..."

Dua Lipa bit her lower lip, thought carefully for a moment, and gave a different opinion.

"Then I don't agree. Neither Paramore nor you yourself have been left in time. When "Still Into You" was released, I had not been to the United States and didn't know the situation here, but in This song is being played in the streets and alleys of London, from Tesco to Indian restaurants on the street, you can hear it in every store."

"And that's not even the pinnacle of the new Paramore."

Post Malone stroked the beard that covered his whole face, and always had an accent that was more relaxed and lazy than the French Riviera.To be honest, he should have changed his stage name to Marshmello more than Marshmello.

"The first time I listened to "Ain't It Fun" I was shocked. It was my friend who was playing music on the car's Bluetooth, and I asked him whose song it was, and he said Paramore, and I thought, 'What?' This is Paramore?! Power Pop, Pop Rock, Funk, New Wave, plus a little bit of gospel music. To this day, it is one of the most complete and rich rock music I have ever heard."

“I love this new Paramore,” Khalid echoed. “Honestly, compared to the previous pop-punk band, I think this version…is really you. Talented, in a diverse way. "

"But this is not the Paramore that people remember!"

Hayley Williams opened her arms and shouted in a frenzied way of expressing pent-up emotions after finally being recognized.

“Fans don’t think about whether you put six or eight styles into a song, and how difficult it is to make it sound seamless. They don’t think about how you’re growing as an individual. In the process, have new concepts about the world, humanity, and art emerged? Are you tired of the previous music style, and do you want to express yourself with a more mature voice..."

"They will only ask you, why don't you do "Misery Business pt.2" and "The Only Exception pt.3"? Why don't you roar anymore, no longer headbang, and no longer only three songs per song?" Chords? Paramore is no longer Paramore, you are no longer yourself, Hailey... Can you imagine? A music fan I have never met actually knows what I should be like better than myself, and actually thinks ... He should guide me and tell me what I need to live to be considered 'meeting expectations'."

"The departure of Josh and Zach at that time made the situation even worse. Many people felt that it was my greed that drove Josh away, and that I made Paramore soulless. Josh was the creative mastermind of this band... …The subsequent releases of this series, whether it’s “Still Into You” or “Ain’t It Fun,” all prove the ‘accuracy’ of their conspiracy theories.”

"Hailey turned Paramore into a pop band."

"Sure enough, this is her personal solo project."

"Paramore will never be the same again."

"But this is just the opinion of some haters." Lana Del Rey supported the back of her head with her right hand, raised her left hand upward, and lay on the sofa lazily like Cleopatra, "You know, I just When I released my first album, some media even compared me to you...and those who said Taylor Momsen was imitating you. I mean, they are just a bunch of boring kids, from reporters Even the fans. They want to see conflict and hope that you will become worse every day, so they say so many hurtful words."

"But actually...it's not just a hater, Lana."

When saying this, Hayley Williams' eyes slid past the energetic and young faces of Han music artists.

"You may have just entered this industry and haven't felt it yet... Maddie, can I call you Maddie?"

"Of course." Madison Bill smiled.

"Maddie, you were No. [-] on Billboard not long ago... Oh, no, it seems like you're still No. [-] now, right?"

"It won't be the case in two days." Madison pointed to Holsh not far away, "100% sure that Ashley will directly drive Thomas and me down."

"Well, what?" Struggling repeatedly between the hallucinogenic drugs and the sleepy spirit, the half-asleep Holsh suddenly raised his head, staring at Madison with blurred and confused eyes.The New Jersey girl didn't participate in the conversation just now, because she didn't know where she had left her soul. "Who are you chasing?"

"Don't rush anyone, I love you, Ash." Madison gave Holsh a heart sign, "Go on to sleep, my princess."

"Okay." Holsh changed into a more comfortable position, curled up like a cat on the backless black leather sofa, and smacked his lips, "Call me when you have dinner. You can eat anything, Billi. Just help me, she and I are both..."

Before the word "Vegan" came out of his mouth, Horsi snored slightly.As the only artist from Han Music to perform on stage tonight, she was indeed extremely exhausted.

"Whether it's "Cold Water" or "Closer" next week, you have achieved an honor that I have not achieved until now - the number one singles chart. I hope you know that at the age of 17, you can get the Billboard No. .1, is such an amazing thing.”

"I know, I will always be grateful for this." Madison covered her chest, glanced at Han Yi, and the lines at the corners of her eyes became softer.

"This kind of enthusiasm should have been transferred to the scene, right?" Like a big sister who is proud of her younger sister's achievements, Hayley Williams's voice was hoarse but warm, "I accidentally I heard a chat from your colleagues at Han Music at the party, saying that you were about to surpass Nick and Demi in popularity during this year’s Honda Civic tour.”

"No, they were..."

"I testify that it is indeed the case." Bili, who was still lying comfortably in Yuzhen's arms, responded first, "Before, I could tell who bought tickets specifically to see her, but now I can't, because when Maddie's music starts , basically everyone can sing along, no matter who it is... Two days ago in Calgary, Demi and Nick specially put the song "Cold Water" in the encore part of the performance, and the three of them sang it together. "

"Let me guess, have you tried secretly, closed your mouth, pointed the microphone at the audience, and listened to how loud the singing voice was?" Hayley Williams winked at Madison and asked.

"I try every performance." Madison covered her mouth sheepishly and snickered, "And I try different arias."

"How's the effect?"

"The sound... is getting louder and louder." Madison thought for a moment, "Also in Calgary, the sound engineer directly turned the accompaniment track to the minimum volume, and let the audience sing the eight-bar verse. It was actually better than with the accompaniment. It also needs to be neat when done.”

"Feeling good, right?"

"The most wonderful feeling in the world." Madison smiled like a flower.

"Now, package that moment and that feeling." Hayley Williams squeezed her hands in the air, as if she were making an invisible ball. "Put it in your mind and repeat it ten thousand times." all over."

"Repeat it ten thousand times, and then ask yourself if it will still be the same as before. Every time you hear the screams and cheers from the audience, you will feel an inexplicable touch. If you see the searchlights that light up during the chorus, will you still feel the same? You will feel your blood boiling... Actually, it doesn't have to be ten thousand times. You are on tour, and now... No. 20, No. 30 shows? Right? If I guessed correctly, you feel it in your body when you stand on the stage. The temperature that was even more scorching than a high fever should have subsided quite a bit, right?"

Madison lowered her eyes and did not answer, but she knew that what Hayley Williams said was true.Any happiness has a threshold, and so does the sense of accomplishment.The more you experience it, the less residual emotional value you can extract from the same behavior.Just like buying a bag, Madison Beer will never forget the day when she was 14 years old, when she got the advance payment from Island Records and walked into Rodeo Drive, a place she was not familiar with at the time. neighborhood, the joy and pride when I bought my first Chanel handbag with my own money.

But this is by no means a pleasure that can be experienced repeatedly without fading. She knows very well that even if she has a seven-digit advance payment from Han Music in her bank account, she will never mention going to Rodeo Drive to get blood. Interest in fighting.Everything that should be there is there, but what is not there is just that she is not interested.

If you really want to get pleasure from shopping, you may have to hold Han Yi's arm and let him help select advisers, but that kind of joy is a completely different experience.

The lucky thing for musicians is that they can stand on the stage and accept this kind of worship that is more real and intense than the coronation of a king.

The unfortunate thing about musicians is that they can't replicate it exactly.

The peak pleasure of adrenaline, dopamine, endorphins, and all the hormones that can induce positive emotions burst out in one brain. It is a bliss that occurs once in a lifetime, or at most once in a song.

Since the birth of modern pop music, so many musicians have been addicted to alcohol and drugs, and quite a few of them are looking for equally strong feedback.

"One song, one battle to become famous. Even if you are wearing sunglasses, a large sweatshirt, and a hat on your head, and you are walking on the street very low-key, you will still be stopped by surprised fans and ask you if you are one of them. The original song of the hit single that you listen to over and over again. This feeling is so good that you want to taste the sweetness at its peak again, so you work harder to create, get up at five o'clock and tinker with the computer, and at ten o'clock I went into the recording studio at home and stayed there all day, even forgetting to eat dinner.”

"You are looking forward to serving this meal that you have carefully prepared to your online and offline fans who have been waiting for you for several years. You are not afraid of those haters, because haters gotta hate, no matter how good you are, they can always find a challenge. The place where you stabbed me. You have been mentally prepared for this kind of thing."

"What you fear most are the fans who enthusiastically praise your new album. They tell you, wow, your new album is really great, the best rock album of this era!"

"But...if they close the comment section on Twitter, they will shelve the new album and click on 'Misery Business' or even...other people's songs."

"You know what I mean? You're still great, and a lot of people still like you, but you're not the best version of you anymore."

"In people's hearts...in the context of popular culture, the best Hayley Williams remained at the moment when "Misery Business" was released. At the latest, it only lasted until "The Only Exception" was removed from the list. The moment of withdrawal.”

"After that, everything you do has nothing to do with the you they choose to show in the documentary. Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore, will always be wearing a tight tank top, jeans, and highlights. Little girl with fiery red hair. You can dye your hair into various colors, no problem, gold, blue, green, yellow, it can also be shoulder length, medium hair, over-ear short hair, or even a crew cut. It doesn’t matter.”

"No matter how you change, you can no longer become the Hayley Williams in their hearts. It's like being trapped in a transparent cage. This cage is infinitely wide, infinitely high, and infinitely long. It has no sound insulation and no sound insulation. No light is blocked. Everyone can see what you are doing and hear what you are saying, but no matter how you scream or curse at them, they will not respond because they... don't care anymore."

"You want to tell them, 'Hey, please, guys, look at me now. I'm [-] times better than I was before, please believe me'... How do you think they're going to react? ?They will look at you with a sympathetic smile, reach out across the cage, tap you on the shoulder, tell you a job well done, and then pull back and turn their attention to someone more deserving of their attention."

Having said this, Hayley Williams placed her right hand flat and raised it above her head.

"I guess that's what they say...I've peaked."

"I reached the top of my reach without knowing it. No one gave me a certificate for reaching the summit, and no one told me, 'hey, this is it,' but I just knew it. Because, when When I step on the stage at a music festival or a Paramore concert, I can feel the difference."

"When 'Still Into You' or 'Ain't It Fun' comes on, the whole audience will sing along with me. They will raise their phones to take pictures. They will recite each verse word for word. They will have a great time. ...But only when "Misery Business" and "The Only Exception" played, I could see their lips trembling with excitement and emotion."

"You may not think there is much difference between the two, but let me tell you, there is a huge difference."

"Every time Misery Business ends and I put down the microphone, I feel like this - I will never, ever get this level of love for my work again."

"I can't beat Hayley Williams in 2007."

"Just like Aaron Carter," Dua Lipa murmured. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Hailey didn't hear clearly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not comparing you to him..." Dua Lipa obviously misunderstood, thinking that Hayley Williams was dissatisfied with her putting Paramore together with teen idols, "I just wanted to say, What you just said reminded me of Aaron Carter, or Jesse McCartney, or... basically all the Disney idols. After their peak, no one will even look at them again, even if they are at their peak. They are more mature and better than before because they..."

"No longer needed." Anne-Marie concluded, "I don't know if I understand it correctly, but as a cultural product, they have been completely fixed by the media's publicity and exposure. After being fixed, they want to change it. It is as difficult as reaching the sky. Even suicide will not help. The person in people's hearts is still alive and still living in that era, but it has nothing to do with him."

"Yes, very well said, this is what I want to express!" Hayley Williams' fingertips poked in the void, "Miley Cyrus, Miley. To continue... Stay relevant, in order for people to see a different version of her, she wielded a sledgehammer, literally wielding a sledgehammer, to destroy the image previously established for her by Disney.”

"I've said a lot of bad things on the radio about this new her. To this day, I still have no problem with what I said. She's taking advantage of a subculture that's not hers and using it as a means of fame and fortune. No one can deny the fact that they are decorations... But at the same time, I also admire her adventurous spirit. I look crazy, but I don't dare to take off my identity like she does. Until there is nothing left.”

"But even if she does that, what does she really get? In "Wrecking Ball," she has nothing to do with the sweet Disney princess she was, but people still call her... 'Insanity' 's Hannah Montana'."

"Our label culture has developed to a crazy level." Khalid sighed helplessly.

"I agree with you that labeling culture is the most abominable cancer in modern society, but the situation I am talking about cannot be simply defined by labeling culture... yes, the labeling culture can't put a label on this."

Hayley Williams clenched her fists and tried her best physically and mentally to express the thoughts that were flying around her mind like lightning and fireworks accurately and forcefully.

"I feel... this phenomenon is the Holy Grail of all artists, a bottle full of poisonous wine. We long for heavenly eternal life, but are afraid that our lives will be frozen prematurely. So some people drink it all in one gulp, hoping Solve the problem once and for all. If you can get through it, get through it. If you can't get through it, you will be poisoned early. Some people take small sips, thinking that as long as the time lasts long enough, they can enjoy glory and stay energetic forever..."

"But even Jesus died, and no one was immune. Every superstar who defined an era was permanently lost to the passing of that era, even Beyoncé..."

"Even Beyoncé?"

"Even Beyoncé," Hailey reiterated, "I know her album, which was released with zero publicity, is incredibly popular, but after the hustle and bustle, when you think of her again, what's left?"

"Which song popped into your head first?"

"Single Ladies."

"Halo."

"If I Were A Boy."

A variety of answers gradually emerged from everyone's mouth. Although the song titles were different, everyone understood that they all pointed to the same period.

Beyoncé at her peak as a musician.

"Then..." Han Yi raised his hand and asked sincerely, "In your opinion, can any musician maintain unlimited artistic vitality in their limited life?"

"In my opinion...no." Hailey shook her head, "But there is the kind of legend that can obviously stretch it out."

"Like?"

"The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan...if you don't count those young musicians who died suddenly, there are very few."

"The greatness of Michael Jackson, I believe I don’t need to elaborate too much, he transcends those false titles and unfounded negative news. I will definitely regret saying this when I wake up tomorrow, but... he is both black and white, he is everything, I don't think we'll ever see a performer as versatile and unique as he is."

"Even if he is such an outstanding artist, there are times when he feels powerless. Even if he can defeat him during the Jackson 5 period and redefine himself with "Off the Wall" and "Thriller", later on, especially during the "Invincible" period, he Still ignored, forgotten, abandoned, left in the past.”

"Makes sense."

Han Yi nodded slightly thoughtfully.

"Then do you think...who can survive the longest in our era?"

"What do you think?" Hailey threw the question back.

"I don't know what kind of surprises there will be in the future..."

Han Yi deliberately avoided looking at the rising stars he had carefully selected.

"Judging from the current situation, I am optimistic about your friend, Taylor."

You may not like her, her lyrics and arrangements, or her personal life, but no one can deny that she is the Barbra Streisand of this era.

In other words, Barbra Streisand is the prelude to Taylor Swift.

The pinnacle work is the Holy Grail for all musicians, and as a music capitalist living in this era who strives to make earth-shaking changes, Taylor Swift is Han Yi's Holy Grail.

He has been planning for this Holy Grail for a long time.

Hayley Williams is the signing he has admired for a long time and is also the first piece of his trophy plan.

Han Yi still has a lot of work to do if he wants to deal with the super diva who supports half of the Universal Music Group by herself.

"Taylor, is that right? Yes, I also think that if there is such a number one figure in our time, it should be her."

Compared to Han Yi, although Hailey Williams has a closer relationship with Taylor Swift, the uncertainty behind her words is heavier.

She doesn't have Han Yi's eyes that can see through the mists of time. After "1989" and before "Reputation", Taylor Swift was already at the height of her power, but can she make further progress and become the unparalleled player in the world's music scene after the millennium? Disputed top spot?No matter how optimistic the analyst is, no matter how close the close friend is, it is difficult for him to make this judgment.

"But... even if this era is really lucky enough to incubate such a figure, even if such a figure is really Taylor Swift, it will be difficult for us to see another one."

Hayley Williams took a deep breath and laid out her long-awaited conclusion.

"That's why I say, if you really like music, don't enter this industry. I'm not trying to dissuade you... I know you are still very young and do not have the same time and experience in the industry as me, no matter what I say. Even so, I still want you to know that what you choose is a machine that looks very glamorous, but in fact, it will swallow you up step by step, and there is no way back at all. It will make you A broken time machine that keeps repeating the same day over and over again.”

"If you are lucky, you may be like me and be blessed with a song that can define an era, or be defined by an era, and then, hold it in place forever. Remember, this is a lucky situation. The vast majority of Before anyone could carve a name on the tree on the shore, he was washed away by the flood."

"So, I often say that musicians are the guardians of time. Others are singing various songs and striding forward to appreciate the infinite beauty of the future. Only we, holding on to the vision Zhenbao’s work sits under a certain big tree that represents time, and is chanted over and over again. I hope that those who are nostalgic can... come back from the past, come back to see us, and listen to us sing one more line."

"Whoa, I never meant to brag."

"But I got him where I want him now."

These are the two most famous lyrics in "Misery Business", and Hailey couldn't be more familiar with them.But this time, she did not sing loudly, but dejectedly put her index finger into the agave, gently drew circles, stirred back and forth, and confessed herself.

"I'm already too late... maybe everyone here is too late."

"I'm drunk and don't know what I'm talking about... but if you get a chance, tell your next generation - don't join this game."

This is the dark side of the vibrant Hayley Williams.As the gray gas dispersed like smoke on the stage, the entire salon area fell into a dead silence.

The artists of Han Music cannot fully understand what Hayley Williams has gone through.The peak of her career has passed, her band has no chance of recovery, her time has stopped flowing, and even her personal relationships are in jeopardy.

But as artists, they are sensitive by nature and can smell the sincerity in Hailey's words.

She vented her anger under the influence of alcohol, and what she said was all the truth.

This is the future that a musician must face.

They will also inadvertently reach a peak that they are not satisfied with at a certain stage of their career, and then be trapped there forever by the collective memory of time and popular culture.

From that moment on, the rest of life has no more meaning.

Everyone is chewing and savoring Hayley Williams’ unreserved experience and lessons.

Except for one person.

She widened her stubborn eyes, raised her firm chin, opened her plump lips, and spoke soft words.

“Why should we say this to our next generation?”

"Isn't it the fate of a musician to become a martyr?"

(End of this chapter)