"Of course... I think the arrangement is a bit too simple. We can add some more mixing in post-production to give it more variety."
Max Martin didn't look at Leon once while speaking. Of course, this man had the capital to be arrogant.
As early as the 1980s, he was already a legend, having participated in the recording of the vast majority of Guns N' Roses' work.
Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson...
Without exception, everyone he worked with was an A-list superstar.
The reason Leon got the chance to work with such a big shot was entirely thanks to Beyoncé's help.
"This is insane..." As soon as he put on the headphones to audition the backing track, Leon couldn't help but marvel.
"What's insane?"
"I mean your professional ability is just awesome, Mr. Martin. You're a genius, on par with Mozart."
Although Martin felt the praise was a bit over the top, he couldn't help but let his ego swell, the wrinkles on his face bunching up from his suppressed smile.
Leon's praise was genuinely from the heart.
The restoration of the backing track for Demons was incredibly high, infinitely close to the original version by Imagine Dragons.
"I must remind you, there's too little variation in this song..."
"It's fine as an album filler, but forget about it as a lead single."
"You should listen more to Lady Gaga or Eminem... Only enough variation can satisfy the listeners' ears."
Leon completely understood Martin's advice, but the brilliance of Demons wasn't in the backing track—it was in the lyrics.
Every word hit the soul directly.
Most importantly, it perfectly fit the cult-like persona of "Street Jesus"!
Knock, knock—
Lenny walked into the recording studio wearing sunglasses. "Can we start recording?"
"Anytime... I must remind you, Lenny, don't get your hopes up too high for this song..."
Before Martin could finish, Lenny raised his hand to stop him.
As a newcomer who hadn't debuted long ago, Leon was receiving top-tier resource support.
He wanted a Hollywood actress in the MV? Jay-Z agreed.
He invited Kendrick Lamar to the Made in America festival? Jay-Z didn't refuse.
Even getting a top producer like Martin for his debut album...
Leon got all of this entirely thanks to Beyoncé's "meticulous" care.
For that kind of loyalty, never mind calling her "Sister-in-law"—calling her "Sugar Mama" or "Godmother" wouldn't be excessive.
Lenny said in a deep voice, "Leon, you know how many resources the company has poured into you..."
"Promise me you won't screw this up!"
Actually, Lenny himself was extremely nervous.
If they continued recording with the current resource allocation, by the time Leon's debut album came out, the production costs alone could hit a million dollars.
Few companies would smash that kind of money on a rookie.
If the sales flopped, Leon could just hide behind Beyoncé's ass, but the black pot of blame would likely fall on Lenny's back.
Leon walked into the booth and put on the headphones. When the backing track played in his ears, the recording officially began.
He stunned everyone as soon as he opened his mouth.
When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold
Lenny's face went from cloudy to sunny instantly, and he gave a thumbs-up to Martin. "The kid's vocals have improved!"
"Vocal technique isn't the key factor in a rock singer's success... Axl Rose didn't have professional vocal training before he got famous either."
Mentioning Rose, Martin's eyes were full of admiration.
In this world, apart from Rose himself, no one who covered Guns N' Roses' work could reach even half his height.
Martin muttered to himself, "But these lyrics really have something... I can even see the shadow of those 60s singers."
The 1960s—the era ruled by Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Johnny Cash.
The accompaniment of their works was very simple, often just a guitar, or sometimes no backing at all.
But those works had immense depth; calling them poets wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Approaching the chorus, Leon's emotion built up to the breaking point.
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come!
Hearing this, Martin finally realized what kind of masterpiece he was producing.
He was so shocked he didn't even notice the cigarette ash falling onto his clothes, staring dumbfounded the whole time. "Son of a bitch..."
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
At this point, Leon was completely immersed in the emotion, totally unaware of how exaggerated the producer's expression was.
Martin and Lenny felt shivers all over their bodies at the same time, sweat beads rolling down their foreheads.
"Fxxk... is this a ghost sighting?"
In Leon's eyes, they seemed to actually see... see what hell looked like, see Satan, see Dante talking with Virgil.
Martin could only explain it this way: "Now that is fcking emotional contagion..."
At the Guns N' Roses concert in Tokyo in 1992, he had witnessed with his own eyes how Axl Rose drove tens of thousands of spectators into madness.
When the recording ended, Martin dropped his previous dismissive attitude and rushed over to give Leon a bear hug.
Lenny said from the side, "That was truly incredible, Leon. I think this song could be the lead single for your first album. What do you think?"
Leon shook his head. "I haven't decided yet... I have plenty more works of this caliber in my drafts."
"WTF?"
Lenny and Martin both had their jaws hit the floor.
The last time they heard a rookie talk such big game had to be traced back two years ago.
That rookie declared: "The lyrics I throw in the trash could make a Grammy-level singer."
At the time, everyone treated it as a joke.
As a result, that same rookie won the Grammy for Album of the Year with Fearless that same year, slapping everyone across the face.
Her name was Taylor Swift.
Martin said with eyes full of delight, "As long as you keep this form, your debut album will definitely be an instant hit!"
"If you have any inspiration, or need anything... contact me anytime!"
---
By the time Leon finished the recording and returned to the Apocalypse Music office, it was already 10 PM.
Bonnie had long since clocked out, and Phil, as usual, had run off to Manhattan Beach to discuss the philosophy of life with those scantily clad girls.
Before leaving Roc Nation, Lenny gave Leon a special instruction.
In a week, he would be a guest on the famous talk show Conan. The host, Conan O'Brien, would ask many tricky and mean questions.
Conan never went soft when facing big stars, and for a small fry like Leon, he would definitely do his best to make things difficult.
Lenny conveyed the company's requirement: Do not show any of that so-called "rookie humility" on the show. Don't give Conan any face.
This would be an excellent opportunity to consolidate the "Street Jesus" persona.
Roc Nation's vision was to tailor an image of the "Satan of the music industry" for Leon based on his works.