Chapter 147: Abrupt news
September 6th, an unremarkable Monday, brought tranquility to the entirety of North America.
Just last Saturday, the Emmy Awards had concluded, and the new television series broadcasting season for the upcoming year was about to follow suit. However, the media had barely any time to take stock as they hurriedly flocked to Italy. This year's Venice Film Festival was set to commence on September 1st and would continue until the 11th. It marked the culmination of the three major European film festivals for the year and also served as the opening salvo for the awards season in North America. Naturally, no media entity was willing to miss out on this opportunity.
But that wasn't all. On September 9th, that Thursday, the Toronto International Film Festival was also about to unfold its curtains. Devoted to showcasing works that were poised to make a mark during the awards season, it was a time when films that had shone either at Venice or Toronto, and a select few that would feature in both festivals, were to take center stage. The bustling holiday season had only just begun.
Thus, this Monday found relative calm within the borders of the United States.
William Taylor, at this moment, bore a tinge of sadness. A few days ago, the Toronto International Film Festival had unveiled the list of films competing this year, and "Buried" was prominently present among them. This caused a restlessness to stir within William; he wanted to head to Toronto and be among the first to witness Renly's creation.
However, having just started university, he was still in the phase of adjustment. He didn't even know where his classrooms were situated. If he were to skip classes now, it might bring troubles in the future. Alternatively, should he seize the opportunity, while his professors were still unfamiliar with him, to make a quick trip to Toronto? Otherwise, he might never have this chance again.
William scratched his head in frustration. It truly was a perplexing predicament. Letting out a long sigh, he muttered, "Why can't there be a way to have the best of both worlds?" Drooping his head, he pulled out his phone. As per his habit, he unconsciously tapped to open his music app, scrolled through the daily intelligent recommendations for new songs, and his eyes caught a conspicuous name:
"Renly Hall."
William was startled, and he leapt up, hitting his head hard against the bedpost. Grimacing, he rubbed his head, unable to even yelp in pain. He seriously examined the screen of his phone. The first notification read, "Ophelia - Renly Hall." The fourth notification then followed, "Cleopatra (Arranged Version) - Renly Hall."
"Ah!" William couldn't contain his excitement, clenching his fist and exclaiming towards the sky. This was definitely an unexpected delight!
A full week had passed since the Emmy Awards, yet discussions about "Ophelia" on YouTube had not only failed to simmer down, but had intensified. The daily average click-through rate remained steady at seven hundred thousand, even surpassing the achievements of "Cleopatra" during the airing of "The Pacific". Like a small rocket, it was rapidly ascending, maintaining a position among the top twenty most-viewed videos on YouTube for seven consecutive days, far exceeding initial expectations.
For a folk ballad, the discussions sparked by "Ophelia" had far surpassed anyone's predictions. This was something that nobody could have foreseen.
At the very beginning, people were initially only intrigued by this single out of curiosity. Whether it was the street performances after the Emmy Awards ceremony or the crossover performances of actors turned singers, all of these topics were noteworthy. Coupled with the surprise victory of "The Pacific" for the Best Actor award, the gossip fire burned fiercely. Who exactly was this newcomer who had emerged seemingly out of nowhere?
Some even speculated if Renly was related to some big shot or perhaps a secret child. Otherwise, how could he, as a newcomer, capture so much attention? First, he gained a role in "The Pacific", then swiftly clinched an Emmy Award, and later, he occupied headlines with a folk ballad performed on the streets.
Wasn't all of this just too coincidental?
People began to dig into Renly's background, but to their disappointment, they found very little. No Facebook, no Twitter, and even his YouTube account wasn't his own. On Wikipedia and IMDb, information was scarce. Besides "The Pacific" and "Cleopatra", there seemed to be no other trace. In this age of information explosion, how could netizens not know where Renly came from? Was that normal? Not at all!
Subsequently, "Buried" surfaced. This Spanish independent film, with an investment cost of less than three million, instantly became the center of attention. Moreover, all members of the crew remained nameless. Even outsiders knew that this work had no future. This posed a contradiction. If Renly had a strong background, why would he participate in a film with no potential?
Amidst these controversies, a voice emerged online, stating that all the speculations about Renly were false. He was just a regular actor, with no fancy family background.
Firstly, the absence of actor information could be due to a lack of attention in the first place. After the airing of "The Pacific", HBO didn't even update Renly's profile. It was clear they didn't attach much importance to him. Secondly, prior to the Emmy Awards, information about Renly was scarce. It didn't appear like his family background was being hyped up for promotional purposes. His unexpected rise seemed to be an authoritative recognition by judges, rather than a predictable winning stance.
Thirdly, there was a significant gap of around six months before he starred in "Buried". If we traced back to the end of "The Pacific", the gap would extend beyond nine months. No matter how one looked at it, he didn't seem like someone with a well-established background. He appeared more like an independent actor with no support. Fourthly, the casual and carefree street performance was the most realistic evidence. Those with family backgrounds wouldn't need to perform on the streets.
This voice garnered support from many netizens, appearing to gain the upper hand in this not-so-small debate.
Initially, people had only clicked on the "Ophelia" video out of curiosity. However, genuine folk music enthusiasts began to emerge gradually. They recalled the previous recommendation from The Fader, which was the best affirmation of Renly's prowess. First, "Cleopatra", and then "Ophelia". These two folk ballads continued a lineage, exuding remarkable quality, effortlessly capturing the hearts of many fans.
Simultaneously, in that edition of Billboard magazine, there was a special feature listing the folk songs worth listening to in the past year, including "Cleopatra". Journalist Jordin Nicole evaluated, "This is a song that shines brightly. The fluid melody bursts with potent energy within the poetic lyrics. A faint sense of sorrow and regret, akin to cool spring water, flows into the soul. A noteworthy newcomer's voice."
This article recommended a total of twelve folk songs, and "Cleopatra" was just one among them. Nevertheless, it once again garnered attention for "Ophelia". First with The Fader, and then with Billboard, it was already quite remarkable!
Word of mouth began to spread gradually. Even fans who had no interest in folk music ended up listening to this song due to serendipitous circumstances, and they all expressed their appreciation. However, unfortunately, they couldn't download the song! This was truly disheartening!
There's a psychological principle that rarity increases value. Even the most ordinary thing, once it becomes limited edition or discontinued, its worth multiplies. If it's unattainable, the desire for it only grows stronger. This gave rise to the well-known marketing strategy of "hunger marketing". Now, quite unexpectedly, "Ophelia" had become the object of people's desire.
Why couldn't they download it? Why was there only one uploaded video? Why wasn't there a complete version of the song? Why wasn't there a promotional campaign? Why did even "Cleopatra" have an unarranged version? What was the catch here? What kind of trick did Renly have up his sleeve?
Driven by curiosity, not only did "Ophelia" maintain a high click-through rate and heated discussions on YouTube, but the number of cover videos also began to grow. Some cover artists even took the effort to rearrange the song and present their own versions of "Ophelia". Furthermore, an astounding level of attention erupted among enthusiastic netizens. Astonishingly, someone managed to extract the audio tracks from YouTube videos, repaired them, and shared them as audio sources online.
This was indeed rare in the United States, a country with incredibly strict copyright protection. Soon after the audio was shared, it was removed within less than twelve hours. Sharing and disseminating such files was illegal in the U.S. Of course, this doesn't apply to hacker websites.
Despite all of this, the popularity of "Ophelia" remained high. Yet, this was merely a small facet of the situation.
Everyone was discussing when Renly would release a single. Why he hadn't uploaded one yet and what sort of twists he was playing. Many even speculated that this was a meticulously planned publicity stunt. Whether he won an award or not after the Emmy Awards' street performance, it was all just a gimmick. The upload of the "Ophelia" video was part of a calculated plan. Next, Renly was likely to release a third single, or perhaps collaborate with a radio station for further promotion. This would further entice the public's appetite. Once their curiosity reached its peak, he would make a dazzling debut as a singer.
Amidst this anticipation, "Ophelia" was uploaded as a single. It happened unexpectedly, in a discreet manner almost like a whisper. There was no promotion, no news, not even a stir. It was uploaded in such an ordinary manner, overturning all the conspiracy theories and squelching any lingering suspense. At the same time, it also extinguished all expectations, as if all the buildup before this point had come to an abrupt halt. While it exhilarated, it also left a tinge of regret.
If they had allowed the fervor to ferment for another two to three weeks, maximizing the effects of hunger marketing, then releasing the single would undoubtedly yield better results. But now, they were releasing it barely after a week, showing impatience. One could easily say they fell short of their goal.
However, for true music enthusiasts, this was the best news they could get. Finally, they could truly savor the music they loved, free from gossip and controversy—purely the music itself. Like William.
William couldn't wait and clicked to download not only "Ophelia" but also "Cleopatra (Arranged Version)". Each single was priced at just ninety-nine cents. After clicking to play, the marvelous sound quality brought a broad smile to William's face. Perhaps not being able to go to Toronto wasn't as bad as it seemed.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Shallowman
Shallowman I love when writers incorporate some of the onlookers into the storytelling mechanism. I think it adds to relatability and smoother plot progression. A good showbiz novel should always have some unswervingly loyal fans inside its world.
The song of the chupster is "Snow Patrol - Run"
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