Charttoppers - 7. Gloves Off

Argent Media Planning Major Music Festival

The largest US media corporation, Argent Media, seems to be looking to enter the music festival market this year. According to our sources, the company, which owns all of the major radio stations in America, is planning a two-day festival for later this year. Although the exact dates are still unknown, the source reveals it will likely be sometime in October or November.

If Argent Fest, as the festival will be called, turns out to be a success, it could very well become an annual event. Everything is still in the early stages, so no performers have been confirmed yet, but our source reveals that we can expect the biggest names in pop and rap music.

~~

As soon as Kyle Morisson, one of Chicago’s most popular talk-show hosts, announced Ash Khong as his next guest, the audience went absolutely wild. Of course, his appearance on the Kyle’s Friday Show was announced a week in advance, so fans of the Korean singer had already known he was going to appear. That was the reason the studio audience that night mainly consisted of young girls and guys who considered themselves big fans of the singer.

Once he stepped on the brightly illuminated stage, Ash was met with deafening claps and cheers of his Phoenixes. It was something he was used to and that he enjoyed very much. As far as he was concerned, it was one of the best upsides of being famous - having a loyal fanbase who supported him and his music.

Dressed in dark red pants and a white shirt that he unbuttoned halfway down, with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Ash strutted confidently across the stage until he reached the host, greeting him with a hug. When they both sat in their armchairs and Kyle started speaking, the audience’s claps had died down, yet the excitement was still palpable in the air.

“How are you? It’s so good to have you here again,” the host welcomed his guest enthusiastically.

“Thanks for having me. I love coming here, the energy is just amazing,” Ash replied, pointing to the audience.

“They’re all here for you, let me tell you that. They didn’t come for me, that’s for sure,” Kyle Morrison shook his head, but the smile never left his face.

Being in his late thirties, the host was very handsome and popular, especially with the younger crowd. Most importantly for Ash, the man was chatty and always had a good sense of humor, which is why the singer liked coming to his show. As was the case whenever Ash would visit, their banter was friendly and entertaining, with Kyle asking him about life, career and just about anything he could think of. Of course, his music was usually the focus.

“As you must know, everyone here can hardly wait for your new record to drop,” the host said at one point during the evening. “Your second solo album is called Too Close, and is coming out June 10, is that right?”

“Actually, that’s one of the things I came here for today,” Ash said, making a brief dramatic pause. “I wanted to announce that, unfortunately, we had to push back my album a bit.”

The singer let out a chuckle as the audience started whispering and groaning.

“But don’t worry, it’s only been delayed two weeks, so it’s coming out June 24.”

“Ohh, ok, two weeks is fine! Put down your pitchforks, people! You’ve waited this long, you can handle two more weeks. Jesus Christ, I’ve had pizza deliveries that took longer, you’ll be fine,” Kyle went on a rant, gesturing wildly with his arms. “But, wait a minute… Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that the same day Samson Flynn is releasing his new album? Or did you think I wouldn’t notice that, Mr. Khong?” he asked teasingly, smirking at the singer.

“Well, we didn’t push my album back because of that, if that’s what you’re insinuating, Mr. Morrison,” Ash cocked an eyebrow, matching the joking tone of the host.

“So it’s just a big coincidence?”

“Believe it or not, yes. What happened was, we’ve been rehearsing the new songs for my upcoming tour, which we’ll reveal the details of very soon, and we realized we could make some of them even better. So we decided, what the hell, we’ll go back to the studio and make some last-minute changes. Which is why we had to move the release date a bit,” Ash lied, hoping people would buy his explanation. Since no one had heard the songs from the album yet, there was no reason for anyone to think he was fabricating the story.

Satisfied with the singer’s explanation, the host moved on to other topics, one of which was Ash’s upcoming second single, the duet with Kelly Marvel.

“So, anyone who’s following you on social media has seen by now that your next single is called Shallow Waters, and it’s a duet with Kelly Marvel,” Kyle stated and Ash nodded in response. “Now, what was it like working with her? You’ve got your shirt almost all the way open and I don’t see any scratches on you, so I’m guessing there weren’t any fights?” he leaned forward as if to peek inside Ash’s shirt, his lips spreading into a grin.

The Korean laughed along with the audience, shaking his head. “No, we didn’t fight.”

“Because from what I’ve heard, she’s got a bit of a reputation for being… let’s just say difficult to work with,” the host pressed a finger against his lips, glancing between Ash and the audience.

“Kyle, if I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were trying to get me in trouble,” Ash smiled, pointing an accusing finger at the host.

“Me? Never!” Morrison answered in mock surprise.

“But seriously, Kelly is awesome and we had a great time in the studio recording the song together,” the singer decided to bend the truth again. He definitely couldn’t say how much the girl annoyed him and how he couldn’t stand her. However, making a duet with her was one of the compromises he had to make, so he had no choice but to suck it up and put up with Kelly’s antics. “I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. We’re shooting the video soon, but I’m afraid that’s all I can say for now. It’s coming very soon, though!”

After the interview was over, Ash left the studio with Lauren and Paul, who had been waiting for him in the cafe on the ground floor. The manager quickly called the driver and the three were soon on their way to Magick, one of the singer’s favorite restaurants.

“That was a great interview, Ash,” Lauren said as she wrote something in her notebook. “Kyle never holds back, though. Always count on him to ask what most other hosts wouldn’t dare.”

“He’s harmless,” the Korean shrugged. “Yeah, he likes to stir up drama, but it’s all in good fun.”

“Because you know how to handle him,” the publicist replied before going back to writing her schedule.

“Ash, do you know who Melanie Roy is?” asked Paul Raines, Ash’s manager, who had been scrolling through his phone up to that point.

“No, should I? Sounds familiar, though.”

“She’s the CEO of Argent Media. They’re one of the biggest fish in showbiz, at least in the US. They own all of the major radio stations in the country. I just got a call from her representative, it seems like they’re planning to do a fall festival, probably this November. Argent Fest,” Paul explained. “It’ll be in LA over two days, and they want you to headline the first day. What do you think?”

“Sounds… potentially interesting. What else did they say?” Ash turned to his manager, interested in the offer.

“Here’s the e-mail they sent,” Paul handed the singer his phone, showing him the text. “You’d have ninety minutes to do your set. The pay issue is still open, but they’re willing to shell out whatever we ask. Melanie Roy is… well, let’s just say she didn’t get where she is now by playing nice. She’s a tough negotiator and will resort to pretty much anything to get what she wants, as long as it’s within the law. So the fact that she’s willing to let us choose the fee means that she must be desperate. This is their first festival and she needs it to succeed if she wants to make it an annual thing.”

“I see… Well, it sure sounds like fun,” Ash finally said after reading the entire e-mail. “It could be a good way to announce my tour. Why not?”

“Alright. Think about it some more and let me know tomorrow, so I can schedule a meeting with Melanie’s people,” Raines replied.

“Sure thing,” the singer nodded.

As they kept driving toward the restaurant, his mind quickly drifted off and he found himself humming the song playing on the radio. He had no idea who Tyler Edwards was, but he knew the guy’s song, The Day I Found You, was a real gem.

~~

“I had no clue how my life would change,

the day I found you.”

Samson sang along to the song on the radio as he made coffee for Anna and himself in his kitchen. He had only heard the song yesterday, but it was stuck in his head since and he had already learned all the words to it. Tyler Edwards was the name, he recalled, though he had never heard of the guy before. He had to admit that the young British singer was super cute and had an amazing voice. That blond hair looked especially good on him, Samson thought, wondering if he should dye his own hair. As he put two mugs on a tray, he decided he would have to check with Anna and see what she thought.

It was not until he sat down on the couch next to her that Anna actually noticed him, as she was too busy watching something on her phone and cringing.

“Hey, whatchu watching?” the singer asked, as his pet cat, Cheops, quickly jumped into his lap and started purring almost instantly.

“Sorry, babe, I didn’t see you return,” the girl looked up for a brief moment. “This poor guy, I feel kinda bad for him.”

Curious, Samson scooted over closer to his friend as she placed the phone between them so they could both watch. It was a clip from a popular UK talk show. Samson opened his mouth, immediately recognizing the young blond guy sitting on the couch opposite the host.

“Oh, that’s that new singer… Tyler!”

“Yeah, he’s blowing up!”

“I know. His voice is incredible,” Samson agreed.

“It really is,” Anna nodded. “It says here it’s his first interview. You can see he’s so nervous, poor thing,” the girl said with sympathy in her voice, turning the volume up.

The two of them watched as the British guy sat stiffly in the studio, dressed in black pants, a simple yet classy white t-shirt and a blue-gray suit. Even though he tried to appear cheerful for the cameras and the audience watching him, his nerves were getting the better of him, as evident by his constant hand-wringing.

This was his very first TV appearance and he was simply overwhelmed with everything – the lights directed at him, the cameras, the audience in the studio watching him and hanging on to his every word. It was as if all of his training and everything he was taught about how to behave at interviews vanished in an instant. He couldn’t remember a single thing.

When he heard he would be the only guest in his segment and would not have to share the couch with anyone, Tyler was relieved, as he did not want other celebrities next to him, making him even more nervous. However, now that he was actually on the show, he almost wished there was someone else to take the focus off of him.

Too focused on staying calm and not embarrassing himself, Tyler failed to hear what Kyla Frost, the talk-show host, was asking him. All he caught were the last few words: “So when did that happen?”

Realizing he had no idea what the question was, Tyler gave the host a blank stare.

“Um, I’m not really sure…”

“You’re not sure when you recorded the song?” the young woman asked, smiling. “Must’ve been a long time ago, then.”

“Oh, that! I must’ve misunderstood the question, sorry. Well, the song was recorded about four months ago. It’s actually one of the last songs I did for the album,” Tyler blushed, but managed to recover somehow. He glanced at the audience, as he heard a few chuckles. Seeing his parents in the front row, watching him with proud smiles on their faces, made him a bit calmer.

“And when you recorded it, did you know this is the one? This is the song that’s going to make me famous? Because it’s been about a month since it came out, and it’s just hit number one.”

“I mean, I loved it from the start and I knew I wanted to release it, but I didn’t really dare to dream that big. I thought it would get like two hundred streams and that’s it. So being number one, that’s just crazy for me. I’m still trying to process it,” Tyler explained.

“So, what’s next for you? What can your fans expect from you now?” Kyla Frost asked.

“Well, obviously, there’s the album release, which should be announced soon. Also, I’ll be going to-” the singer started to say but promptly stopped himself mid-sentence. “Uh, actually, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say this,” he chuckled, drawing out laughter from the audience. “I guess you’ll have to wait for now.”

“He’s cute,” Anna said, sending her friend a smirk after they finished watching the video. “But too young for me, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, he’s adorable. I’m not getting any vibes, though. I guess we’re both out of luck,” Samson shrugged, petting Cheops with one hand.

Unlike Anna, Samson was in no rush to find a guy - whether for a relationship or something more casual. On the other hand, his friend was a dating machine. She seemed to love going on dates and meeting guys, even if they ultimately ended up only as one night stands.

Just as the singer was about to ask her about her latest date with a very hunky fireman, the doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts. “Would you be a doll and get that?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the host? It’s your apartment,” Anna asked, already getting up and heading to the door.

“Yeah, but Cheops is sleeping in my lap. You wouldn’t wanna wake him up, would you?”

Rolling her eyes, the girl opened the door, revealing Samson’s young manager standing, a bottle of wine in his hands.

“Hank, I’m glad to see you,” Anna exclaimed, eyeing the wine he was holding.

“Is that so?” Hank raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me Samson has been keeping you sober all evening?”

“I have!” the singer called out from his spot on the couch. “I told her we should wait for you. But now that you’re here, the fun can begin! Anna’s gonna make us some of her famous cocktails.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hank nodded as he joined Samson on the couch and Anna went to the kitchen. “But first we gotta talk business.”

“Aww, do we have to? I thought you’d be fun tonight,” the singer groaned, placing a hand on his manager’s shoulder.

“Hey, I’m always fun,” Hank protested. “But anyway, this is important. Have you seen Ash’s new interview by any chance?”

“No, why?”

“He announced he’s moving his album release to - guess when - the same day as you.”

“He didn’t!” Samson gasped in surprise. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yup, one hundred percent. Take a look,” Hank quickly found a video on his phone and played it to Samson. “I guess now we know who that anonymous message was about.”

“Yeah…” the singer nodded, thinking about the text he received a few days ago from an unknown number. He was now sure that it was about Ash, but who could have sent it? Whoever it was, it didn’t even matter at that moment. Ash was one of the biggest singers of his generation and going up against him was a surefire way of failing. Samson would stand no chance against the Korean.

“We need to come up with a strategy. We’ll have a battle on our hands and we need to pull out all the stops,” Hank said, reaching to scratch Cheops’ neck. Even with all the commotion around him, the cat was still napping in his owner’s lap.

“Oh, damn right we do! This is fucking unbelievable! I don’t know what kind of game Ash thinks he’s playing, but he is going to regret it! I have worked too hard for him to swoop in at the last minute and ruin my moment. I don’t know if we can beat him, but we can definitely make things hard for him,” Samson was livid. Even though the media had pitted them against each other since the start of their careers, he did not think it would actually come to be true. They have always been just colleagues, never rivals.

“Glad we see eye to eye,” Hank smiled contentedly. “First thing we need to work on is tour bundles. We’ll need to move things faster and sign that sponsorship deal as soon as possible.”

“Tour bundles? What’s that? Some kind of gift packages for your fans?” Anna asked, returning to the living room, a tray with cocktail glasses in her hand.

“Gurl, when was the last time you bought a concert ticket?” Samson rolled his eyes.

“Umm, I don’t know. I usually get them from you,” the girl shrugged.

“I thought so,” the singer cocked his head, picking up his glass from the tray and taking a sip. “Mmm, this is delicious! Thank you, honey! Anyway, a tour bundle is when you buy a concert ticket and get a copy of the singer’s album along with it.”

“Oh, and you’re gonna be doing that?”

“Yes, we were just discussing that,” Hank added. “If we get that sponsorship deal signed, we can plan the tour dates and announce them before the album drops. And since Samson’s concerts sell out like hot cakes, that’s gonna be a lot of extra copies sold.”

“Yeah, but how do we know Ash isn’t doing the same thing?” the singer asked.

“We don’t, but I don’t think he is. Last thing I heard from his camp is that his tour is still in the early prep stages. There’s no way it’s gonna be ready in time. And tour bundles could just be the thing to tip the scales in our favor.”

“Wait, what did I miss while I was in the kitchen? We’re going up against Ash now?” Anna asked, confused by the conversation.

“Yeah, I’ll fill you in later. But first, a toast!” Samson exclaimed as everyone held their glasses. “To friends! And…”

“...and to alcohol?” Anna finished his sentence, raising her glass.

Hank followed suit, and they all clinked their glasses together. “I’ll drink to that. Cheers!”

After his friends had left, Samson lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. The situation with Ash was keeping him awake, doubt and nervousness eating away at him. He wondered if he really had any chance of beating the Korean. Ash already had several number one hits under his belt, as well as a bigger fanbase. It would be almost impossible, but maybe Hank was right. Maybe tour bundles would do the trick.

Suddenly, he remembered the anonymous message he received. It was definitely about Ash, but who could have sent it? Why would someone try to help him and not leave their name? Except… What if that someone was trying to help Ash and get the competition out of the picture? Out of all the possibilities, one name started to stand out.

Marcus.