CHAPTER 21 – The Breakthrough
Dayo was stunned. He looked back and saw Janet and Jeffery, with Janet holding her phone, probably recording him, both of them with their mouths wide open in shock.
"Bro, I knew you could sing, but you can also create music instrumentals? And you're amazing at it??" Jeffrey's face was full of shock as he looked at his brother like he was some kind of alien.
Because seriously, how could someone know how to sing, play instruments, be good at hand-to-hand combat, produce music, and on top of that, still be this handsome? Truly, the world was wicked.
Janet just stood there, completely lost. "You cheated, bro. You said no more secrets. As your editor, how come I didn't know about this?"
Dayo gave his siblings a genuinely awkward smile, already cooking up stories in his head. "Alright, you both chill. Sit down, let me explain."
Hearing that, they scrambled to sit beside him, eager to hear what he had to say. Dayo smiled, took a deep breath, and began spinning his story.
Meanwhile, as Dayo cooked up excuses for his siblings, a small part of the internet was on fire. It had been a while since he posted, and when he finally did, he dropped something so powerful, a song he had created in just one sitting.
The beat was catchy, the tone addictive, and soon people were editing football clips with the track. The initial push came from Dayo's label's PR team, but then boom — it exploded. People everywhere jumped on the trend, some even freestyling to the instrumental, hoping to catch Dayo's attention for a feature. Upcoming artists flooded the internet, turning it into a full-blown rollercoaster.
But even with the PR, one truth remained: if the internet doesn't love something, no amount of marketing can force it. And this song? The internet loved it.
****
Back at the studio, Dayo and his team sat watching videos sent in for possible features.
"So, seen anyone worth featuring?" Dayo asked Wayne.
Wayne sighed, shaking his head.
"And you, Valery?"
"Well, there are a few promising ones," Valery said, "but considering your standards, they don't match."
Dayo raised an eyebrow. "Do I have such high standards?"
Wayne and Valery exchanged a look and shook their heads in unison. Dayo did have high standards — painfully high. Lois could testify; during her recording sessions, even the smallest error meant re-recording. To the world, her album was incredible, but to Dayo, the perfectionist, it still wasn't enough.
Seeing their gazes, Dayo just smiled awkwardly and raised his hands in surrender.
"So, do you have any idea who to use?"
Valery shook her head, but Wayne's eyes lit up. "How about this — you write the verse for the female part, find someone who fits it perfectly, and let her sing it over the instrumental. She posts it, and voilà!" He waved his hands dramatically, like he was performing magic.
Dayo smiled, nodding at the idea. He looked at Valery, who gave her quiet approval.
"Then that's settled," Dayo said. "I'll go offline for a couple of days to focus. Anything important comes up, handle it yourselves — I trust you both."
Later that night, he called home to let them know he'd be unreachable for a while, needing the solitude for inspiration.
At the label, Urich sat across from Deborah.
"So, Deborah, you know why I called you here, right?"
Deborah, now in her mid-thirties, nodded. "Yes. It's because of Luna. She hasn't released a song in over a year."
Urich leaned back in his chair. "According to the reports, she's been given songs but keeps saying she doesn't like them or doesn't feel them."
Deborah sighed, her face etched with concern. "Yes. She's hit an artistic block. Luna's not like this — she wants to sing — but if she doesn't feel a song, she just can't perform it well. The last time we forced her to record, it was a disaster. The fans complained that it didn't even sound like her."
Urich exhaled sharply, frustration clear. Luna was one of his top artists — talented, scandal-free, and a major earner for the label. She usually wrote much of her own material, which made this block even harder to handle. He'd hired songwriters from everywhere, but none of them had delivered anything she connected with.
Then he remembered something, or rather, someone.
"Alright," Urich said finally. "I'll come up with something. Just tell her to keep writing, even if it's rough drafts."
Deborah, slightly surprised, nodded and left the office.
Once alone, Urich grabbed his phone and dialed Dayo's number. No answer. He tried again. Still nothing.
"This boy," he muttered. "What is he doing?"
While Urich tried to reach him, Dayo sat at the beach late at night. The cool breeze tugged at his dreads as he sat with a pen and paper in hand, eyes closed, imagining the sound.
The melody played in his head, lines forming slowly, and he opened his eyes to scribble down lyrics.
Then his phone chimed.
DING!
Your writing ability has improved and is close to a breakthrough.
[Achievement: Over 500,000 social media followers]
[Reward: Perfect Feature]
Effect: This feature will find the perfect match for your song. Input the artist's name, and the system will show your compatibility percentage.
A smile crept up his handsome face. It was like the system knew exactly what he needed at that moment, something that could change a whole lot and even reduce the risk of featuring someone who wouldn't fit him.
Imagine having a great song, calling someone to feature on it, thinking it was perfect, only for it to flop.
This reward actually helped in ways beyond human thinking.
By far, this was the best reward the system had ever given him.