[Chapter 18: Considerations for the Album]
After a fierce struggle, Winona Ryder lit a cigarette and started puffing away, offering it to Linton. However, Linton declined, stating he didn't smoke. He didn't smoke in his past life and he wouldn't start now.
"You really are a weirdo, not even smoking. Fine, I won't smoke either," Winona said as she extinguished the cigarette, tracing circles on Linton's chest with her fingers.
"That's great, Linton. You're even better than what your ex-girlfriend said about you."
Linton felt proud. "Darling, you're incredible too."
Winona seemed delighted at his compliment. "How about another round?"
"Sure," Linton was more than happy to oblige.
The two of them launched into another intense and prolonged session, not stopping until 3 AM.
...
To Linton's surprise, that evening, his skills quietly broke through to level five in training. He sensed Winona's popularity was quite substantial, not too different from his own, and she had amassed significant energy.
He had initially thought it would take another week to break through, but unexpectedly, one night of being together brought him to this level. It seemed that starring in excellent films brought in even more popularity than being a pop star. He decided he needed to find ways to act in movies in the future.
...
When he woke up in the morning and saw the mess around, Linton tidied up a bit and called for room service to bring breakfast.
After they washed up, they lazily enjoyed their meal together. "Winona, do you have any plans for today?"
"I have no plans! And you can't have any either. Just stay here in the hotel with me today. I'm going to fight you to the end. I want to be a warrior and defeat you, the evil overlord!"
Linton thought that suited him perfectly. He was already considering how to keep Winona around for more training sessions, as her popularity was really helpful for his growth. Unbeknownst to him, Winona had made the request herself.
Since they were both already famous stars, without any urgent work engagements, they could easily take a day off. Unlike Cameron Diaz and Naomi Watts, whose careers were just starting and couldn't afford to waste a day.
After contacting their managers to inform them they'd both be taking a day off, Linton asked Winona for her clothing sizes and instructed Mira to go to a Chanel boutique to buy two complete outfits to send over.
So, they ended up staying hidden in the apartment all day without going out. Winona repeatedly fought but kept failing, only getting up to order food from the hotel, hardly leaving the bed.
---
On the third morning, after their morning workout and showers, Winona exclaimed in amazement, "Linton, quick, help me take a look! It seems my skin is whiter and smoother than before!"
"Darling, you're already beautiful, and now you're even more stunning."
"You're so sweet! Looks like having sex with you can also make me more beautiful. We definitely need to have more sex!"
"Sure, I'm always on standby, darling."
They cuddled for a while longer. To avoid being seen by the paparazzi, they separated about half an hour apart before leaving.
The last two nights of sex-training had greatly helped Linton. Winona's popularity was quite high, and she had accumulated a significant amount of energy. Not only did it help Linton break through to level five, but it also pushed him further along in that level. Of course, Winona's energy had pretty much been exhausted.
...
When Linton arrived at the company, his assistant, Molly, just brewed some coffee when Daniel appeared in Linton's office.
"Linton, things are looking quite good right now. What's your next move?"
"What do you suggest?"
"Your popularity is currently high. The company is working to get you covers with Vogue and Time magazines, aiming for you to be on the cover when you release your album. I suggest you take this opportunity to pick up some commercial performances and endorsement deals, but make sure to choose them wisely to align with your image.
You're now an idol, a hot pop star. Any performances and endorsements should match this positioning. Pay attention to the quality and pricing; you shouldn't accept low-end endorsements - the cost should certainly not dip below your current standing. The WMA should have clearer standards, and you can discuss specifics with Mira."
[A/N: endorsements for singers usually don't have a profit-sharing arrangement with record labels. During performances, the label primarily just gets the song's licensing fees while the management company earns a commission.]
"Okay, I agree with your points. I'm not planning on taking commercial performances. Although they can be quite profitable, it's not necessary. I'm preparing to take on a few endorsements, and Mira is currently screening offers. Oh, when will my song royalties be settled?"
"You're a wealthy man now. There's no need to shortchange yourself. Boosting your visibility and status is more important. I'll try to arrange to settle your song royalties by July.
But I hope you'll start thinking about your album. The first three songs have significantly raised your visibility and influence, and everyone has high expectations for your debut album. We need to take advantage of this momentum and release it as soon as possible, no later than the end of this year."
"So, it's best if your commercial performances and endorsements are completed by July, and in August we need to focus entirely on preparing your first album. Just a few days ago, I sent out messages through various channels to collect the remaining ten songs for your debut album. Do you have any new songs prepared? What are your thoughts on the album?" Daniel added.
"For the songs on my debut album, I want to write them all myself. I've already written seven songs, which are at home. I'll ensure the last three are ready this month, and I plan to start recording the album in August, aiming to finish all songs within those two months. I'll shoot the music videos in October and promote it in November."
"That plan is great, but I need to remind you about two issues. First, you're currently on a fast upward trajectory. The first three songs have truly established your reputation, and people have high expectations for the other songs in your album. So, the quality of these ten songs must be high and at least not worse than the first three; otherwise, I won't agree to it. I'd rather include works from other famous artists than compromise the album's quality.
Of course, if the songs you create maintain basic quality, I'd suggest you write them all as it would deepen your identity as a talented singer. This will also give us better angles for promotion.
Secondly, completing an album in two months isn't an easy feat. Regarding the music videos, I believe that as long as the songs are of good quality, every song should have a music video. Getting ten music videos done in a month is quite challenging, and preparations need to start now.
You should finalize the copyright registration for the seven songs you have as soon as possible and submit them to the company. Once they verify the quality, we'll need to start preparing arrangements for recording. You also need to present the last three songs by the end of July. Otherwise, we'll have to select from works provided by others."
*****
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