Recommended listening: 'Live Forever' by Oasis.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
The Grammy Awards gather everyone involved in music, from singers to industry insiders and critics.
In such a setting, who receives an award and who delivers what kind of performance are crucial metrics for evaluation. This is because the Grammys are one of the rare venues where a musician's caliber can be judged in an industry otherwise saturated with commercialism.
And Paul McCartney, a veteran British critic, was carefully observing the stages of the fresh-faced rookies at the ceremony.
'The newcomers these days are far too biased... This is a music awards ceremony, not a performance competition.'
Of course, it wasn't always like this. Geniuses who transcend trends often appear in the music world. Even when the industry leans heavily toward flashy performances, talented vocalists always emerge.
'Technically, they are perfect... but I don't particularly find myself wanting to hear more.'
The individuals Paul McCartney was evaluating at the Grammys were not lacking in skill. The Grammy Awards are a gathering of world-renowned geniuses. There was no lack of talent.
Rather, there was a visible musical imbalance. Vocalists lost their individuality by focusing purely on technical prowess, while performers missed the fundamental essence of 'music' by concentrating on the spectacle. Paul McCartney let out a sigh.
Their skills were superior to previous generations. However, this generation lacked the individuality and the message required to truly captivate the public. Having listened to music since the 1950s, he felt that current popular music was merely repeating the past without forming any new waves.
'Lennon... were you lucky to leave early?'
If his close friend John Lennon, who left the world far too soon in a tragic accident, had seen this sight, he would surely have rushed out to slap these rookies who had abandoned the 'basics.'
In such a music industry, the group known as Enfants Terribles, who appeared like a comet, were the only ones worth anticipating lately. Bringing a new meta to the industry by actually holding 'instruments' and making music, they possessed the potential to pull the scene out of its mannerism.
'Though for now, people still treat them as nothing more than an eccentricity...'
Their music was certainly fresh, but the problem was that instruments had become relics of an older era, meaning the population capable of playing them had dwindled significantly.
'Electric guitars, drums, and bass... even when I was young, those who played such things were rare...'
If the concept of a 'band' could become mainstream again, the music industry might finally escape its long-standing stagnant trend. The issue, however, was that mastering an instrument was simply too difficult.
— — — — — — — — — — —
'Live Forever' by Oasis is a track that serves as the essence of the Britpop genre that swept the UK in the mid-90s. It is characterized by its beautiful melody built on six simple guitar chords and its optimistic lyrics.
It was also a song I loved in my past life. It was the first song I ever performed because even beginners could play it after a few hours of practice. I had found comfort countless times in the song's message: 'Even if you are a weak being, you can achieve what you want.'
Back then, I was a mere E-rank session musician who hadn't even finished college properly, subjected to all sorts of contempt and neglect in the industry. Nevertheless, waking up in the morning was a joy. It was because I hadn't given up on my dream. Back then, I had put my absolute [sincerity] into challenging that dream.
"Yokishi, you said you can play keyboard, right?"
"Most instrumentalists learn piano at least once, don't they? It's not impossible."
And with 'Live Forever,' I intended to present a new style of performance to this world. That was to exclude electronic instruments and perform only with those considered old-fashioned in this era.
'I believe this was called Unplugged in my past life?'
I planned to show the beauty of instrumental sounds to the people of this world, who were soaked in flashy but rigid mechanical sounds.
For the record, I've been 'Old School' since my past life.
.
.
.
.
.
"The next nominee for Song of the Year is the eccentrics from the East! Enfants Terribles!!"
The three men, now known by everyone in America, stepped onto the stage. However, they looked different than usual.
"Leader? It's been ten years since I touched an acoustic guitar."
"The chords for 'Live Forever' are simple anyway."
The muscular mixed-race man began checking a keyboard that looked comically small compared to his massive frame, while the bald man started warming up his hands with a sigh.
"Leader... guitars have six strings, not four..."
Maybe I don't really wanna know
How your garden grows
Cause I just wanna fly
I took a slouched stance with one leg bent, stretching my neck out and clasping my hands behind my back. This posture forced the larynx upward while singing, allowing me to actively utilize nasal resonance.
To put it simply, it allows one to produce a more powerful voice than a standard posture. I mixed in a growling sensation to eliminate the nasality and give it a more direct, straight-forward feeling.
The sound I was producing now was inherently attractive because it was a sound made by grinding the vocal cords in a posture considered taboo for vocalists.
Maybe you're the same as me
We see things they'll never see
You and I are gonna live forever
I intended to express the joy of a band through this performance. Being in a band is not difficult. Just as 'Garage Rock' was in my past life, a band was something you could start with just an acoustic guitar and a keyboard in a garage.
The core of a band lies in enjoying the stage while playing the same song; there are no limits to its form. I simply maintained the bass, guitar, and drum configuration because I was 'Old School.'
Maybe I will never be
All the things that I wanna be
Now is not the time to cry now is the time to find out why
Since both Yokishi and Shuji had come out with instruments different from their usual ones, our ensemble was more a mess than usual. However, that was precisely why it stood in stark contrast to the previous flashy performances.
Watching them, Paul McCartney's jaw dropped. The performance they were delivering now was one that would change the flow of the music industry. As the popular music market grew, the gap between the participants jumping into the market and the consumers had been widening.
Yet, they were delivering a sharp rebuke to the long-standing industry trends as if laughing at them. They were saying that music isn't difficult—it's something easy and fun that you can do just by gathering friends and an acoustic guitar.
Essentially, music is not meant to be a show for others. It was that way even back when he was young. And now, these kids born much later than him were talking about the 'essence' of music.
They were asking everyone working in the music industry if they were truly having fun with their techniques and performances, suggesting that it's enough just to be happy amongst the people making the music.
Gonna live forever
Gonna live forever
Their stage isn't perfect, but it is joyful. The sight of them enjoying the stage and singing about life's optimism struck the hearts of the American public like a piece of pure romance.
In his old age, Paul McCartney couldn't help but wonder. He wondered what it would have been like if he had made that kind of music with his friend John Lennon. The scene of freely sharing music with a friend was one that made him happy just to imagine.
At the very least, he could have lived with him forever through the music they shared. A small regret formed in Paul McCartney's heart.
Gonna live forever
Gonna live forever
After the four-minute stage ended, the handsome blond youth bowed like a British gentleman, unlike his usual self.
At that sight, the audience rose from their seats as if enchanted by magic. Paul McCartney was no exception.
Every spectator began to applaud.
This was the best stage of the Grammy Awards.
Moreover, it was a legendary stage that would remain in the history of popular music.
Enfants Terribles changed the flow of the music industry with just a single performance. They were no longer merely rising stars.
They were becoming the icons of the century.