Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 96: Features

<🎧 Song Recommendation: 3:15 (Breathe)>

...

"Well, from a marketing perspective, we do have the budget to pay for independent verses. If we want this album to chart highly on a global scale, we need at least one or two medium-to-large artists to feature on it.

I've been receiving lots of emails from managers and A&R reps and so I've singled out five different artists who actively want to ride the Masquerade hype. We could go over them and pick the two with the best demographics."

Von didn't say anything at first. He just stood there, his violet eyes locked onto the blank whiteboard.

"Well," Von finally said, capping the marker and tapping it against his chin. "I have a few composed songs already. And indeed, I am strongly considering collaborations."

"But I don't want to just buy features from people who wouldn't look twice at me a month ago," Von said slowly, his mind already spinning with the overarching narrative of the Independent King.

"It's how the game works," Emily reasoned. "Cross-pollination of fanbases. If you get a pop star with two million followers to drop a verse for you, their fans automatically become your fans. It guarantees the numbers."

"I get the math, Em," Von didn't back down. "But it goes against the entire brand we're building. The internet loves me right now because I fought the establishment. I took down Julian West. I walked away from Diana Sterling and one of the biggest labels in the world. If my debut album is just stuffed with generic industry names and paid clout-chasers, I become exactly like them."

Patch nodded from the mixing console, not even looking away from his screen. "He's right, Em. The streets respect authenticity above all else. If you buy a verse from some clout-chaser who doesn't even fit Von's vibe, the core fans will smell it a mile away."

Emily sighed, tapping her stylus against her tablet. She knew they had a point, even if it made her job harder. "So what's the alternative, Von? Would you rather go entirely solo on all ten songs?"

"I won't go solo," Von said, looking back at the board. "I'll bring up some of my own."

He thought back to the talents he had the pleasure of being friends with from Project: Star and pressed the marker to the board, writing the word FEATURES in bold.

Beneath the header, he began writing out the names that could form his new album.

1. Aura Nova

2. Alex Hall

3. Conor Prince

4. Midnight Pulse (Leo Carter)

5. Noah Billy

Emily's eyes widened as she recognized some of the names Von was writing down

Von capped the marker and turned around, directing a knowing look to his manager. He tapped the very top of the list. "You should be very familiar with this first name, Em."

Of course Emily knew Aura. Long before she had discovered Von's growth trend, her eye had been locked onto the blue-haired girl. Aura Nova was a generational talent who had somehow slipped through the cracks.

"Hmm," Emily leaned back on the leather couch, crossing her legs. "It's not a bad idea to collaborate with her. Honestly, I think it's perfect. Your voices would blend incredibly well. Have you discussed it with her?"

"No," Von sighed. "Unfortunately, for some time now, her lines haven't been available. I don't really know how she's doing after the show wrapped. So, I'm going to need you to work your magic and help me reach her."

Emily nodded her head slowly, pulling up a blank memo on her tablet. "That shouldn't be a problem. I'll see how it goes and track her down."

Upon Emily's agreement, they moved down the list.

"Alex Hall," Patch repeated absentmindedly from the mixing console, spinning slowly in his ergonomic chair. He frowned. "Who is that?"

Emily tried to think for a moment, but finally shook her head. "I don't think I know that one."

"He was on Project: Star," Von explained, leaning against the whiteboard. "He actually finished third in the Hollywood Round, but he unfortunately got eliminated from the Choreography Round."

"Ah, yes. The typical industry execution, if you can't dance, you can't sing," Emily sighed.

"Exactly," Von nodded. "I haven't really contacted him all this while, but hopefully he's able to connect once I reach out to him. I'll be responsible for making that call for now."

Emily nodded and said, "Oh, I see. Well, someone it his caliber will definitely help diversify the album's sound."

But internally, Von had entirely different reasons for picking Alex Hall. He would never forget the sheer brilliance of the guy's hidden skill. He a could make listeners almost literally see the music as it was played and Von believed it had far too much potential, so

he refused to let it go to waste just because he got rejected.

"The third name is another unfamiliar one," Von continued, pointing at Conor Prince.

"He's not a vocal powerhouse like Alex or Aura. Honestly, he got eliminated as early as Hollywood Week. But... I made him a promise back in the dorms. I told him if I made it, I'd bring him up. And I'll be needing his drum skills for one of the tracks. He's another person I'll have to reach out to myself."

Emily nodded once again. "Okay, not bad. As for the fourth..." She looked at Midnight Pulse. "I guess you still plan on collaborating with them on the rock song they accused you of stealing?"

Von nodded with a smile. "Yup. I've felt for a while now that the song will be far better sung as an actual band rather than a solo act. It really needs Leo and his crew. So, this is something I'm willing to give a serious shot."

"So..." Emily trailed off, her eyes dropping to the final name on the board. "Do you plan on doing the same with Noah Billy?"

Noah Billy was a complicated figure in Von's recent history. He was a stranger who had aggressively contacted Von's team in the past, publicly claiming that his phone was stolen and that Von had plagiarized a track he just began writing.

Unfortunately for Noah, Von had ironclad proof. Von had recorded himself singing You're Gonna Come Home, and had even been seen busking it on the Miami roads long before he had ever set foot in the Project: Star dorms. Because Von's future knowledge allowed him to write the song before Noah actually conceived it, Noah couldn't form a solid legal case and faded into obscurity.

But Von's reason for trying to involve him now wasn't born out of guilt or sympathy. He knew who Noah would turn out to be from his past life. The man was a phenomenal songwriter. He had a massive amount of positive potential that was currently just rotting away in anger.

"I won't feature him on You're Gonna Come Home," Von said firmly, establishing his boundary. "That's my track. That'll remain a solo song. Instead, I want the two of us to lock in a room and make another song entirely from scratch."

Emily slowly nodded at the idea. "Interesting... interesting." She wanted to lay her doubts on the table, to argue that taking a chance on five absolute nobodies was a massive commercial risk, but the quiet, imposing confidence Von radiated was enough to make her trust him. She had seen him do the impossible too many times to bet against him now.

"Is that all of them?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, they're more than enough," Von confirmed, tossing the marker onto the tray. "That's five possible features. I'll fill in the remaining tracks with solo songs. And even if not all of these collaborations manage to pick up mainstream traction, I'll still be good that way. The album will have soul."

"Are you absolutely sure you don't want to consider even one major industry feature?" Emily pressed gently, giving it one last try. "Just as a safety net?"

"I'm sure," Von shook his head. "This is more than enough for me. Right now, I want to focus purely on making new music. We build the house first, then we invite the guests."

Patch clapped his hands together suddenly. "Alright, bet. We'll start contacting the features tomorrow. But for now, Von, you said you've composed a few songs already. Let's not waste this lockout. Step up to the mic and let's have a listen."

Von waved at them in agreement before turning and stepping toward the heavy, soundproof glass door of the vocal booth, which had been calling to him like a siren ever since he walked into Studio A.

As he walked, he mentally pulled up his interface.