Luna giggles, leaning over to show Bang PD how the group chat was blowing up with notifications.
"I'm about to leave them all on read," she snickers evilly, placing her phone face down on the table.
"Good for them," he chuckles, holding his beer up for a toast.
Luna touched her glass to his and took another sip of the crisp apple flavored beer.
"They're going to try to roast you but I got you," she vows, making him laugh.
Another Luther Vandross song, "I'd Rather" started playing, making Luna sigh happily—the song holding good memories for her.
"This man's voice is timeless," Bang PD says, swaying along with the music.
"Definitely! He's one of my grandparents' favorite artists so I grew up on his music and he was so sweet in person. May he Rest In Peace," she replies, making his eyes widen.
"You met him?!" he asks, his eyes widening comically.
"Yes, I have a song with him. I covered this song years back and he saw it and loved it. I met him at an award show and we decided to collab. We did a cover of "The Closer I Get To You." she says, grabbing her phone so she could show him.
"Woahhhh," he sputters, looking at her phone with an astonished expression.
"I know right?! I was so nervous, but he was very sweet and encouraging through the whole process. There's no better feeling than being recognized and respected as an artist by one of your idols," she gushes, reminiscing the experience.
"You were so young. Wow, I'm so happy you got to have this experience," he says, listening to the song.
"I was around 19 I believe. It was literally like a dream. My mom, my grandmother, and I literally cried together in our kitchen the night I got back from recording this. The group I was in had just disbanded and this just basically fell into my lap afterwards. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to continue music but it was this record that confirmed it all for me. If the Luther Vandross believed in me and my talent, there was no way I could quit," she chuckles, her eyes watering slightly as the emotions she felt came flooding back.
"Even if he didn't, I'm glad you kept going. From what I've seen and heard, you've always been incredibly talented as well as having a deep passion for this so I would've hated for you to leave music and live your life unfulfilled; because this is definitely your calling," Bang PD replies, giving her a soft smile.
"Thank you. That's very sweet of you. Enough about me though. What about you? What is Bang PD-nim up to nowadays?" Luna asks.
"Me? Oh I suppose I've had my hands tied lately with preparing for the company to go public," he shrugs.
"That's right. Bighit is still private. Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but you don't seem all that enthused," she observes.
"Ah, it's not that I'm unhappy about going public. It means more funding, more exposure, more opportunities, and most importantly—more freedom for the boys. However, the process is a bit overwhelming sometimes. There are tons of offers and options to choose from, but we have to ensure that we're doing what's going to benefit the majority in the long run. It's a lot of pressure, but I'll be happy once everything is done because then I'll get to put more of my time into music—the thing that got me here. I don't get to indulge as much these days," he explains.
"That's understandable. Considering your past choices, I'd say you've got this. It was genius to make Columbia Records one of your distributors for the boys. Sony is huge and it'll be even easier for them to get global radio play this way," she says, complimenting him on the deal they'd recently signed.
"Thank you, but that was mostly CEO Yoon. He's very good at what he does. We want to break into the American industry more and we all agreed it would be a good move. I actually spoke with the CEO of Sony Music America(SMA), Mr. Stringer, and he asked if I had any intentions of signing you. He put some interesting options on the table and asked me to consult with you about it. I told him I'd have to talk to you again, but I wasn't going to pressure you for a decision," Bang PD explains.
"Ok, before we discuss offers; I feel like a very honest discussion needs to be had between us in order for you to understand my apprehension when it comes to signing, so I'm glad you brought this up here. I really appreciate you not pressuring me, and I want you to know that I actually have been contemplating your initial offer. However, I have reservations about signing with Bighit because of the rigidity. Korea is very conservative in nature compared to the US and idol life here is a whole different ball game. I dislike all the rules and stipulations and expectations that this industry puts on entertainers. It's like it's against the rules to be your own person. The relationship between idols and their fans here is very devotional, and there's nothing wrong with that. My fans know I love them, but it's a bit extreme here. I didn't come this far in my career for people to control me. I know what it's like having your label control everything from your image to what you have to say in interviews to the music you put out. It strips away who you are as an artist, which defeats the purpose of it all. No offense, but that's partially the reason why the boys struggle with their identities the way that they do. They have that constant pressure of what your company wants them to be, what the public expect from them, and who they really are. I've been there before and I don't want to go there again so if I sign with anyone, I have very high expectations and demands that I expect to be met," she says.
"Understood. You're not wrong, and that's exactly why I'm working so hard behind the scenes to make the best moves going forward for the company. I don't want the boys to have to feel like they have to adhere to these rules if they don't want to. Unfortunately though, that's how the cookie crumbled for us this far. Sometimes you have to play by the rules until you win enough to change them. Now that we're going global, we're establishing the stability we need to be able to have that freedom for our artists.
From a business perspective—an artist of your caliber that has sold as consistently as you have is worth all the high demands," he replies.
"Not only that, but are you prepared to take on an artist like myself? Have you studied my discography? I am in no way, shape, or form fitting within any category here or elsewhere. Sure, I make pretty much all genres of music, but rap, pop, and R&B are my specialties. My lyrics aren't for the faint of heart either. I grew up on a lot of heavy hitting street artists in Houston and naturally, my style of music reflects that. It's vulgar and raunchy and flashy and most of all—raw. I don't plan on toning any of that down. If anything, I'm turning it up. Over 75 percent of my fan base are adults that enjoy this type of music from me and I can guarantee you that it will not sit well here. Don't get me wrong though, I do make meaningful music as well. I guess what I'm trying to get across is that I'm not holding anything back in my music. It's my outlet and censoring myself would just take the healing out of it. Up until two years ago, I had full control of my own music. My mentor and former owner of my old label trusted me to create and put out music I was proud of and it's got me this far. I want to get back on that path, which is why I was just considering being an independent artist. That way, I'd own my own masters, control my own content, and work on my own time," she explains.
"What if I said you could do all that and more?" he asks, making her purse her lips, unable to hide the disbelief.
"Then I'd say I'm all ears, but my concerns still need to be addressed in order for me to feel comfortable with everything. I need reassurance," she tsks, clasping her hands in front of her on the table.
"I've considered everything you've expressed concern over and I agree. Looking at the demographics here, a good majority of the population would not approve of your music. However, that doesn't mean you won't be successful here. You already have a fan base here and I can guarantee you it has most certainly grown since you and the boys revealed your status as soulmates. You're a constant topic in the media, which is just as much exposure as it is a pain in the ass. I'm not saying you'll sell here like you do in America, but you most certainly won't flop. The haters here aren't very bright either so they make up a good majority of sales. They buy albums, merch, concert tickets, and all kind of things just to destroy them but they still count," he stops to chuckle, making Luna do the same.
"Besides, you're a global artist Luna-ssi. You're much bigger that it is here. You don't need to be so worried. One of the options Mr. Stringer and I discussed was having you sign a joint contract and giving you your own record label and I think that would be the best thing as far as the offers go considering how much control you want," he says.
"So your two companies are willing to sign me and give me my own record label? What are the terms? Regardless, I want to own my own masters and catalog and I want full creative control. If you can do that for me, I'm definitely listening. What I want to know is what you want in return," Luna smirks, making him laugh.
"Your business degree is showing. You drive a hard bargain, but I like that," Bang PD laughs.
Luna joins in, sitting back and relaxing, just now noticing how tense and serious she'd gotten. She knew she came on strong, but she had to when it came to business. She didn't come this far in her career to take anything less than she deserved.
"Okay, so we would have you sign a joint contract. You would be "managed" by Bighit, which I'm sure you know is just legal jargon. It just means that we'll be responsible for hiring and managing your staff—stylists, creative team, etc. Your music would be distributed globally and on all platforms through SMA. Both Bighit and SMA would front all your expenses, no budget, and just get it back in revenue. Because we're investing, even though it's low risk, we would require 60% of your label to be split amongst us and you'd get the other 40," he says, checking the notes in his phone to make sure he was relaying the right information.
Luna nods, loving the sound of the deal. From the sounds of it, the only thing she wouldn't be in full control of was the label itself, which is not a big deal when you looked at it. If she ever wanted out, all she had to do was sell her 40 percent to them and leave. Everything else would be hers, so there wasn't really any risks involved as far as she could tell. She did want one more thing though.
"At this point, I would have no reason not to take the deal. I do have one final request though," she says and Bang PD nods, his peaceful expression remaining the same.
"Name it," he encourages.
"My manager is moving here in about three weeks. I would love for her to be able to continue being my manager. I ask that if you hire another manager that they're fluent in English so that they can discuss things together. Also, I'd like to be involved in the interview process when it comes to my team. I would like a diverse team of open minded, passionate individuals to work with and I feel like they should definitely meet me face to face before they're hired," she says.
"Consider it done," he says, typing it into his phone.
"Well then, you've got yourself a deal. Get it drawn up and I'll sign," she grins, sticking her hand out to him.
He smiles big, grasping her hand in his and shaking it.
"Pleasure doing business with you. What do you say we play one last game of pool before we leave? I'm feeling lucky," he says, making her laugh.
"I'd hate for your luck to run out so soon," she grins.
"Guys! Look who I brought home," Luna shouts, closing the door behind them.
"Wow, this is nice," Bang PD compliments, sliding his shoes off at the door.
Luna points him to a new pair of slippers they kept for guests as she slips her feet into her plush bunny slippers.
"Woahh worldwide singer Hitman Bang," Jin shouts, coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of snacks.
"If this world were mine," Hobi and Jimin sing in annoying nasally voices while the others laughed.
"Yah! Have some respect. Do I need to go get my spatula?!" Luna fusses playfully, laughing when they put their hands up in surrender.
"Have a seat," she offers and he opts to sit on the end of the comfy sectional sofa.
"Ah, he's used to us teasing him by now," Joon grins, reaching over to pat his knee.
"How could I not be? It's been 9 plus years for some of you and you're still like pesky children," he says, making them laugh.
"Tell us how you really feel," Suga says, holding his hand over his heart like it hurt.
"You guys are something else. Everyone sit please. We have an announcement," she requests, patiently waiting as they all gather on the couch.
"Ok guys, so I made an important decision—"
"Don't tell me you're leaving us for him. How could you?!" Tae interrupts, shooting up off the couch.
He fake cries dramatically, looking between the two of them and they couldn't help but laugh at the interruption.
"Tae, if you don't sit down," Luna threatens despite the laugh she was holding back.
Like nothing ever happened, he straightens his face and sits down, crossing one leg over the other and waiting for her to proceed.
"As I was saying, I made an important decision tonight and I can't wait to share it with you all. Sony Music America and Bighit have offered me a joint contract and are giving me my own label. We discussed all the details tonight and as soon as the paperwork is drawn up, I'll become the first female solo artist to sign with Bighit," she says, excitedly.
They immediately jump up and engulf her in hugs and kisses, all shouting congratulatory words. Luna laughs, overwhelmed with the amount of joy in the room as Jimin and Joon dance around with Bang PD—her big happy family celebrating success for the second time today.
A/N: Not everything in this chapter is accurate as far as timeline. It's just put in there for the sake of the story! Also, I know nothing beyond what I Google told me about the music industry so I hope this made sense 🤣💜