I recommend reading this while listening to Radiohead's 'No Surprises.'
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Inside the Microsoft Theater where the awards ceremony was being held, 7,000 spectators waited with bated breath for the MC to appear.
Then, a brilliant fanfare erupted, and as the curtain obscuring their view vanished, the audience began to release the pent-up emotions they had been holding back while waiting for their 'stars.'
"Roses! Roses! Roses!"
"Lavigne! Lavigne! Lavigne!"
"Jackson! Jackson! Jackson!"
The crowd chanted the names of their favorite artists.
""EF!! EF!! EF!!""
But the loudest roar by far was the one screaming for Enfants Terribles.
While plenty of talented rookies had emerged recently, Enfants Terribles was recognized as the absolute authority—the ones who had personally ignited the current band syndrome.
A global group that had reshaped the very landscape of the music scene.
Enfants Terribles was a group at its zenith, seeing their popularity skyrocket in real-time and creating a phenomenon everywhere they went.
Amidst that sea of cheering, the MCs, dressed in sophisticated tuxedos and elegant gowns, stepped onto the theater stage.
"Greetings to everyone who flew all the way to LA to witness this moment in history! Welcome to the American Music Awards!"
The two hosts introduced themselves, but their expressions shifted into slight surprise as they looked down at their scripts. They had just realized the results of the awards ceremony through the lines they were reading.
"It seems the preparations for the opening stage aren't quite finished yet?"
"Well, when you consider who the stars of this opening stage are, this level of anticipation is only natural."
"Haha! After all, the opening stage is reserved for the artists who truly defined the year."
Behind the MCs, who were making aimless small talk to buy time, the staff could be seen moving busily.
The crowd began to cheer wildly at the sight.
Based on the silhouettes visible in the darkness, they could already deduce who was taking the stage.
Fans of Enfants Terribles were shouting for their 'stars' until they were blue in the face. There was a recurring pattern—almost a jinx—where the artist who opened the show often walked away with the night's most prestigious awards.
Since it was their beloved Enfants Terribles standing there for the opening, the fans had every reason to scream themselves hoarse.
The fans were immensely proud of their idols.
The voices demanding Enfants Terribles filled every corner of the venue.
Sensing the energy, the MCs made an impromptu announcement to heighten the excitement.
"The group waiting backstage must be very happy right now. Especially since they'll be taking home the most honorable award of the American Music Awards."
"The stars of the opening stage... Enfants Terribles!"
It was exactly as the audience had guessed.
The members of Enfants Terribles, who had learned of the results ahead of schedule, appeared on stage wielding new instruments.
The crowd was momentary stunned. Enfants Terribles, who had primarily stuck to guitar, bass, and drums until now, had emerged with strange percussion instruments and a piano-style synthesizer.
"Oh!"
"I've never seen that setup before."
Because they were a band that had always changed the world through innovative music, the audience eagerly anticipated what kind of sound this new arrangement would produce.
"This is a song from our upcoming second album that you've all been waiting for."
"We're only going to play this once, so keep your ears open."
Upon hearing that declaration from a band that never disappointed, the audience let out a thunderous roar.
"No Surprises!"
As the shout from the bald bassist faded, the cheerful chime of a glockenspiel and a clean guitar tone—contrasting sharply with the band's usual heavy sound—began to fill the theater.
The audience listened intently to the intro, which carried an entirely different atmosphere than usual. Yet, everyone shared the same thought.
Enfants Terribles wasn't just following in the footsteps of the past; they intended to pave an entirely new road for band music.
The audience couldn't help but be shocked as they heard the vocals of Hide, the leader of the group. The handsome blonde youth who always sang of future optimism with such confidence was now producing a lethargic, low-register vocal delivery.
The public image of Enfants Terribles was that of rascals who sang about hope and the future. However, they had now discarded those themes in favor of delivering a direct, anti-establishment political message.
Though they had always consistently urged people to 'be themselves,' the political message they were throwing out this time had a slightly different nuance.
Instead of shouting for individuals to be themselves, they were expressing fury at a 'world' that prevented them from being who they were—calling for an end to a system that tormented its people.
Watching their performance, the audience naturally began to reflect on the unstable state of American affairs happening outside the ceremony.
While many in the U.S. had been filled with hope for the future, the reckless financial management of Wall Street was now causing a flood of terrifying news—about the danger of 'subprime mortgages' and the bankruptcy of 'Lehman Brothers.'
Enfants Terribles, who had served as an escape from that precarious reality, was now sharply reminding them that it was time to face it head-on.
As their performance was broadcast live across the entire United States...
The syndrome Enfants Terribles had started was now being ended by their own hands. In its place, the band was proposing a new movement.
The Rock 'n' Roll syndrome—the idea that one must protect their own freedom. Even before the release of their second album, the band was transcending their status as mere icons of popular music and becoming the 'Zeitgeist' of an era.
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The day Enfants Terribles unveiled 'No Surprises' was the day the spark of a delayed '68 Revolution was finally lit.