For the song "My Boo", the original version also had Mariah Carey as a co-producer.
Maria's ability to polish melodies and vocals could undoubtedly inject a top-tier pop quality into this duet love song.
But given Mariah Carey's current situation, Universal couldn't invite this top singer to be a producer; she was still signed to Columbia Records, and although a split was imminent, her contract hadn't ended yet.
At this time, it was impossible for her to come to Universal Music Group to serve as a producer for a new singer.
And who would sing it actually became a difficult problem.
If going by R&B standards, Beyoncé from Destiny's Child would be the most suitable, but that would mean a cross-label collaboration.
Even bolder, using Christina Aguilera would be explosive news; it would turn "My Boo" from a classic R&B duet into a collision of Pop and R&B, which would certainly be completely different from the original.
But at this time, Christina Aguilera had already been selling well throughout 2000 with her first self-titled album "Christina Aguilera" last year, which not only topped the Billboard album charts but also produced three US number-one singles.
Cross-label communication would be very difficult, and if successful, many people would attribute the credit to Christina Aguilera, which would certainly be disadvantageous for Landon.
Finally, Landon gave Universal a name, asking Universal Music to try and contact Alicia Keys; this girl had just left Arista Records with Arista executive Clive Davis, and at this time, she hadn't joined J Records yet.
Of course, Landon let Universal Music deal with these headaches themselves; he just needed them to find the right person.
3. "In Da Club": For this hardcore party hip-hop track, Jimmy Iovine directly recommended a West Coast hip-hop The Godfather-level figure, Dr. Dre (Andre Romelle Young), to take charge of production.
Andre Romelle Young's G-funk sounds and heavy beats were considered the perfect choice to release the song's raw street energy and club dominance.
4. "Mr. Brightside": This Britpop-style song was handed over to Jeff Saltzman, who is known for his precise and sharp production and has a unique understanding of the combination of rock and pop.
Landon knew very well that this song wasn't meant to hit number one on the singles chart in his EP strategy; its more important mission was to become a critically acclaimed work, a favorite for bands and rock fans, and with its lasting radio airplay and listener loyalty, linger on the charts for a long time, becoming "one of the longest-charting non-number-one singles in history." This record itself was another kind of success.
5. "Yeah!" and "Like I Love You": These two songs, which already had a good foundation, were given to the original production teams for final mixing and mastering optimization with Universal Music Group's superior post-production equipment and support to ensure their market competitiveness.
Such a top-tier production lineup undoubtedly demonstrated Universal Music Group's determination, but it also pushed Landon into high-intensity work.
All recording work had to be strictly coordinated around the filming schedule of "A Beautiful Mind."
This meant Landon's daily life became: immersing himself in John Nash's mathematical world and mental struggles on the "campus" of Princeton University during the day;
Immediately rushing to a recording studio in New York or New Jersey after finishing work in the evening;
Late at night, under the guidance of Jermaine Dupri or Dr. Dre, repeatedly polishing a vocal run in "Burn" or searching for the most powerful flow for "In Da Club";
On weekends, he might work for over ten hours straight, auditioning with potential female collaborators introduced by Universal Music, or repeatedly adjusting the guitar wall of sound for "Mr. Brightside" with Jeff Saltzman.
This crazy work schedule started to make Tracy feel worried.
She knew Landon's physical condition was excellent, but she still worried whether such long-term high-intensity work was feasible.
On a New York night after the successful signing, the air still seemed to carry the scent of champagne.
When the hotel suite door was softly locked behind her, the image of the shrewd, capable, and in-control agent from the daytime began to melt as she kicked off her high heels.
The celebration began with a long kiss.
Their mouths still held the sweet bitterness of the champagne from the celebration party, but it was quickly replaced by desire.
No words were spoken, nor were words needed.
The days of intense negotiations, worries about future plans, and the complex emotions of witnessing Landon's upcoming frantic schedule all turned into the strength of fingertips and the heat of breath.
Tracy's nails inadvertently grazed Landon's back with a rare sense of loss of control, while Landon's response was full-hearted and unreserved, carrying his own heat.
The rustle of expensive fabrics, the click of belt buckles, and the subtle tremors when skin touched formed a movement more real than any victory speech.
Sweat became the best catalyst, temporarily evaporating all the daytime celebrations, leaving only the most primitive and direct confirmation and possession.
This was a hearty plunder of a shared victory, and a brief forgetting of the impending separation and pressure.
When the intensity gradually subsided into intertwined breaths and heartbeats, Tracy lay on Landon's chest, feeling his palm unconsciously and slowly stroking her back.
Her fingers drew meaningless circles on his chest.
"That Jennifer Connelly," her voice sounded like casual chatter, "is she getting very close to you?"
Landon's hand stroking her back paused, and his muscles stiffened for a moment.
A scene Tracy had witnessed earlier that day at the "A Beautiful Mind" set when she came to pick him up to meet producers flashed clearly in his mind—during a break, Jennifer Connelly had naturally taken his arm and rested her head lightly on his shoulder as they both watched Russell Crowe's performance on the monitor.
Their posture was intimate, yet the surrounding staff ignored it as if they were already used to it.
This subtle stiffness didn't escape Tracy's perception.
She looked up, catching the fleeting look of embarrassment on Landon's face.
"Hiss—!" Landon cried out in pain unexpectedly.
Tracy's fingers pinched the soft flesh on his waist, the force showing no mercy.
"I was wondering," Tracy let go, but her fingertip still tapped the spot where she had pinched him red, her tone unreadable but carrying a look of having seen through everything,
"I haven't seen any movement from you for so long, I thought you'd changed your nature and turned over a new leaf." Her gaze swept over his face, scrutinizing and carrying a hint of knowing mockery.
Regarding Landon's "nature," she might have seen through it even earlier than he did himself.