Wyatt successfully proved his "innocence," and Rolling Stone magazine smoothly published the feature story about the One-Day King band – though only on their website.
Wyatt ultimately couldn't convince the editor-in-chief.
For an unknown indie band like One-Day King, a feature story was still too much, the magazine would absolutely not dedicate eight pages to in-depth coverage of an indie band. Even a combined feature on indie bands, where multiple bands including One-Day King shared the spotlight, was a bit of a stretch.
But Wyatt did manage to persuade the editor-in-chief to publish the feature on the official website. Or rather, it was more of a threat: "If you hadn't asked me to jump on a hot topic, how could I have spent an entire afternoon in that hotel, finally writing something I felt good about, only for you to not publish it? If you don't publish it, then I won't be in the mood to continue writing that big feature next month either. It's up to you."
And then… Rob Sheffield published the feature story on the Rolling Stone official website. However, the eight pages of photos and text that Wyatt had painstakingly put together were slashed in half with a wave of the editor-in-chief's hand. What ultimately appeared on the official website was a four-page report.
Of course, even "just four pages on the official website," and not the front-page headline, was already a rare and prestigious treatment for an indie band like One-Day King. After all, before this, no official print media had ever reported on One-Day King in any form.
So, "One-Day King, who exactly are they?"
First up was Buster Wayne.
As a freelance professional music blogger, Buster had a considerable following among serious music enthusiasts. He also freelanced for several professional music magazines and consistently updated his professional blog with lengthy articles every week, showcasing his expertise.
Buster was a typical omnivorous music lover, not picky about musical styles or genres, embracing both indie and pop. But as a professional graduate from the classical music department, he could always approach things from a unique perspective and offer his own interpretations, which earned him a lot of applause among dedicated fans.
That's why Buster would periodically write different themed articles to introduce music, such as operas or symphonies worth appreciating, indie bands and underground singers worth listening to, music styles or experimental albums worth trying, and so on.
This time, Buster specifically introduced the One-Day King band. From Buster's perspective, this was just routine. There was nothing special about it; he heard some music worth recommending at the Bruno concert, so he recommended it.
In the article, Buster didn't go on and on about the life and achievements of the One-Day King band, nor did he mention their current situation. He simply mentioned that he had unexpectedly discovered an indie band worth paying attention to at the Bruno concert, and then the focus of his writing shifted entirely to the band's music.
Buster's main point was that One-Day King's live performances were incredibly captivating and infectious. Being there in person allowed you to feel completely enveloped by the emotion, as if your heartbeat perfectly matched the melody, drawing you irresistibly into the world of their music.
At the same time, Buster started with the arrangement, delving into the analysis of One-Day King's style and structure, including songs like "Chasing Light" and "Born This Way." He truly felt the emotions the creators wanted to convey when writing the lyrics and melodies, and how they perfectly combined with the performance.
According to Buster's analysis, he believed that "Chasing Light" simplified complexity, achieving brilliance through simplicity, truly showcasing the creator's talent and carrying a deep and pure emotion. It was a masterpiece with the potential to become a classic. However, the arrangement was too self-insistent, avoiding mainstream market aesthetics. In terms of popularity and mass appeal, it was not as good as "Born This Way," which had sharper emotions and a more cutting edge, making it potentially difficult to promote widely.
"How exactly should this song be described? It's like running wildly in a vast and empty building, with only your own heartbeat and footsteps echoing in your ears, running aimlessly and blankly. Your blood vessels start to burn, your muscles start to ache, but the exhilarating feeling of being drenched in sweat surges through your chest.
And then… just like that, you burst out of the building and suddenly see the starry sky scattered all around you, so breathtaking that time and space seem to freeze in an instant. You just stand there, dumbfounded, bathing in the overwhelming grandeur, and you can't help but want to open your arms and feel the wind rush through them.
It's a pure feeling, like a child running recklessly through the adult world, just running.
It's a magnificent feeling, a thorough and joyful release blossoming in the simplest form of exertion, returning to simplicity."
Undoubtedly, Buster gave "Chasing Light" the highest praise, but he believed that this song was not suitable for the mainstream market because it didn't align with popular trends. The mass appeal wasn't skillful enough or sophisticated enough, which was undoubtedly a pity. Otherwise, it had a very good chance of becoming another "Iridescent" – from Linkin Park.
But Buster still believed that the song "Born This Way" could win over listeners for the One-Day King band.
In his lengthy three-thousand-word article, Buster showcased his professionalism and once again recommended a noteworthy indie band to his followers. This was originally a routine article that would appear every week without fail, nothing particularly special. But with the rise of the hashtag "Bruno's Opening Act," this article did spark a wider discussion.
Usually, the viewership of Buster's long articles was generally controlled between ten thousand and thirty thousand, with a comment and like ratio of around ten percent. But this time, the One-Day King special garnered nearly fifty thousand views in just twenty-four hours, and the comments and likes almost doubled. The surge in discussion was very significant.
Then, Rolling Stone stepped in.
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Different from Buster's professional report, Wyatt's report detailed the life of One-Day King and also delved into the band's inner workings, asking about the opportunity to tour with Bruno and their feelings about gaining attention. It was more like a brief biography, introducing the band's background to the readers.
From the perspective of a feature story, the "Bruno's Opening Act" tag made it clear that people's attention towards One-Day King initially came from Bruno. Wyatt's report was unlikely to generate much attention or curiosity on its own. After all, readers didn't know this band at all, and it was difficult for them to empathize with the hardships of an indie band.
However, thanks to the Twitter hashtag and Buster's article laying the groundwork by generating initial interest and curiosity, the band had already gained some visibility. Then, Rolling Stone's report came along like a pillow for someone who's sleepy, and the effect exploded.
Over the course of five days, the discussion surrounding the One-Day King band steadily climbed, reaching a small peak of popular attention.