Leon sized up Ariana Grande. Based on her looks alone, this girl would have no problem becoming an actress in Hollywood.
She was practically tailor-made for the female lead roles in those teen campus movies.
But whether this young girl could gain a foothold in the singing industry was a question mark. The reason was simply her height—she was really short, like a Hobbit straying into reality.
Her sweet "girl next door" style was seriously out of sync with current trends. Americans preferred women who looked like they were holding a "Big Heroine" script, with ambition and desire written all over their faces.
But Leon felt a special aura radiating from this girl, giving any man who saw her the urge to call her "little sister."
Even an old scumbag like Phil was captured by this aura. Looking into Ariana's innocent big eyes, he obediently shut his mouth and acted civilized for once.
Leon's makeup table was right next to Ariana's. This girl naturally had the "Chatterbox" trait, chatting and complaining to Leon while getting her makeup done.
When he learned she was only 17 today, Leon hurriedly shifted half a body length away to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Ariana came from a wealthy family. With her parents' support, she went to Los Angeles at 14 and proposed releasing an album to a professional manager.
It was ultimately rejected for being too risky.
Backed by her parents' money, she stepped onto the Broadway stage at 15, becoming a professional musical theater actress.
Undoubtedly, her chance to perform at the Made in America festival today was also inseparable from her parents' cash.
Hearing this, Leon couldn't help but sigh. "It must be nice to be rich..."
Upon learning that the girl hadn't signed with any record label yet, his mind started working.
Although she didn't have big boobs, didn't have a domineering "tail light," and was only 5'1"...
With specs like these, even with an angelic face, she was destined to be overlooked.
That was why even with her parents waving cash around, no record label dared to sign her.
But Leon felt this was exactly the opportunity. Although the demographic in America that prefers the "pale, young, and thin" aesthetic isn't huge, it's enough to form a stable base.
As long as you can fill any market gap, you can reap huge profits. Cardi B blew up precisely because there was no "female gangsta rapper" persona in the market.
Faced with Leon's silver tongue, the outgoing and cheerful Ariana had no defense. They quickly exchanged contact information.
---
The next day, the performances officially began. According to the schedule, Leon would appear after Imagine Dragons.
This alternative rock band formed in 2008 already had a fan base in Nevada. Their manager was none other than that mean old woman, Grey.
Benjamin Franklin Parkway was packed with people. Over 100,000 music fans from all over the country poured into the venue, ready to end the hot summer with a carnival.
"Sht, this is crazy."
Leon was used to gigs of all sizes, but this was his first time seeing so many people live.
Festivals are different from concerts. Concerts are more of a two-way street between fans and idols.
Festivals are much simpler. A significant portion of the fans don't care about the lineup at all; they just want a hearty party.
In this situation, any newcomer whose performance can cause a sensation can quickly accumulate a wave of new fans. That's why the rookies backstage took this performance extra seriously.
After three singers performed, the atmosphere gradually heated up.
Flying beer cans soaked every audience member. Under their fanatical gazes, Imagine Dragons took the stage.
Leon didn't have a great impression of this band initially, and not just because of Grey.
His impression of rock music was stuck in the 80s and 90s, an era that birthed countless world-class legendary bands.
Rock should be the ultimate scream of individual consciousness. But Imagine Dragons called themselves "Alternative Rock," yet lead singer Dan Reynolds' image was neither rock nor alternative.
Until the intro played, and Dan opened his mouth, shocking the whole venue.
"This voice is too familiar..."
Dan's voice was extremely distinctive. Leon immediately realized that the original chorus of his song Sucker for Pain came from Dan Reynolds!
Seeing Leon's amazed expression, Grey crossed her arms in the green room and mocked, "My eye for people has always been accurate. Phil said you're a genius?"
"I think that's a joke. Dan is the real genius... His inspiration is ceaseless. Sometimes he can produce ten excellent works in a month."
After speaking, the arrogant Grey glanced at Phil beside her. "Look at you guys... what a laughable bunch of losers."
Facing the mockery, Leon remained silent. He wasn't a genius, but he had a cheat.
Dan's inspiration is ceaseless?
Then hand it over!
He had been conflicted about when to use the bug skill "Inspiration Exploitation," especially with Lenny and others at Roc Nation repeatedly urging him on his debut album progress.
This skill seemed like a bug, but it wasn't easy to use.
First, except for God, no one can predict who will stand out in the brutally competitive entertainment industry.
Even choosing a long-established big shot like Jay-Z wasn't quite right, because they no longer relied on performing as their main source of income.
The more successful a singer is, the more their creative passion tends to cool.
Leon's "Street Jesus" image was already deeply rooted in people's hearts. Whether it was Take Me to Church or the upcoming debut of Sucker for Pain, they were full of alternative, manic, cult-like vibes.
And once a persona is established, you can't let it collapse randomly. That destroys audience favorability.
Therefore, Leon couldn't use the exploitation skill on a rapper, even if the target's talent was visible to the naked eye.
Thinking of this, Leon basically decided that Imagine Dragons' lead singer Dan Reynolds was his target.
Dan still didn't understand what was about to happen. He was screaming his lungs out on stage. Caught in the moment, he tore off his T-shirt, revealing muscles sculpted like a statue.
Although the song he was singing wasn't as mature as the chorus of Sucker for Pain, his strong personal label was already fully apparent.
Power, madness, faith, redemption...
These were the important elements that made up his alternative rock.
After singing three songs in a row, the audience was completely captivated by Imagine Dragons' great performance.
They waved their beer cans, shouting in unison: "One more! One more!"
Seeing this, Grey was grinning from ear to ear.
New Vision Records was known in the industry for its sharp eye for talent. Judging by the live performance, Big Dan was undoubtedly a lottery ticket that would pay out huge.
Once the debut album dropped, an explosion in popularity was foreseeable.
After Imagine Dragons left the stage, Grey stood in the backstage hallway, hugging Dan tightly, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her "big treasure" on the head repeatedly.
"Your performance was impeccable... We conquered Philadelphia!"
Just then, Leon walked over, wearing an inscrutable smile.
"Congratulations, Big Dan. Outstanding performance."
The kindness Leon showed clearly surprised Dan. Just yesterday, there had been some unpleasantness between them.
But before Dan could react, Leon grabbed his right hand and shook it vigorously. "You truly are a talented musician..."
Suddenly, Dan felt dizzy, paralyzed as if falling into a hallucination.
"Exploit him hard!"
Only after hearing Leon's voice (internally) did he snap out of the hallucination, then his legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed on the ground.