SuperStar!

Affirming his mindset and setting new goals for himself, Ethan felt a renewed sense of energy coursing through him. Determined, he turned his attention back to the tweet he had been reading. His eyes scanned the words as he scrolled, and he soon landed on a tweet in the thread that caught his attention—the nominees for International Artist of the Year. This was one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, and one of the contenders would be none other than a legendary rapper. What made this moment even more surreal was the fact that the very man in question was sitting directly across from him in their private jet. It was his second nomination for the night, a speck in the dust to his long-standing influence in the music world.

Ethan let out a low whistle, shaking his head in mild disbelief. "Damn, your category is stacked," he remarked, his eyes still locked on the screen as he took in the competition.

"Who's he up against?" Joe's voice came from the side, curious.

Ethan read the names aloud. "Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift."

At the mention of such an intense lineup, Emil whistled as well. "Yeah, that's a crazy list. It's going to be a tough one."

"Tight competition for real," Ethan agreed, leaning back against his seat. "And he only released one song last year, so it's going to be even harder for him to clinch this."

Joe scoffed slightly. "Honestly, I think Olivia is the real threat. She had a crazy year. If we're ranking, she probably had the second-best year in the whole industry—though we all know who had the best year." He and Emil exchanged a knowing glance before turning to look at Ethan with smirks on their faces.

Ethan wasn't the type to play false modesty. He knew exactly what they were implying, and he wasn't going to downplay it. Sometimes, being too humble only made you look foolish. He had dominated the industry over the past year, and he was immensely proud of that. "Yeah, Jessica and the team told me Olivia's my biggest competition for Best New Artist at the Grammys," he admitted, recalling their intense discussions about the upcoming awards season.

"Nah, man, you should have that in the bag," Emil said in his distinct British accent, shaking his head. "What you accomplished is surreal. You deserve that award and so much more."

Ethan gave a small nod, appreciating the support. But Emil wasn't done.

"As for the International Artist award, I think Taylor is the real one to watch out for. I mean, yeah, she didn't drop anything brand new last year, just her rerecordings, but it's Taylor. She's huge. Like, huge huge. She could win this off pure name power alone."

Ethan and Joe both nodded, acknowledging the truth in that statement. Taylor Swift's presence alone was enough to sway entire awards. Her dedicated fanbase, her influence, her sheer dominance in the industry—it was all undeniable.

But Ethan had a different perspective. "Actually, I think Billie Eilish is the biggest threat," he said, his tone thoughtful. "She dropped 'Happier Than Ever' last year, and that album was incredible."

This wasn't just a casual statement. Ethan had been obsessed with the album. Apart from his own work, it was his most-played project of the year. He even remembered DMing Billie after its release replying her message to him, eager to connect with one of the biggest names in music. She hadn't responded, but he didn't take it personally. She was a megastar. She was busy.

Hearing his reasoning, Joe and Emil both nodded in agreement. As musicians themselves, they had a deep understanding of the industry landscape. Billie's album had been a commercial and critical success, giving her a solid edge over most of the competition. She had more established credibility than Olivia, had released fresh material unlike Taylor, and had put out more music than Eminem.

Oddly enough, none of them even considered Lil Nas X as a real contender. To them, he simply wasn't in the running for the win.

Then, from across the jet, Eminem's voice cut through their conversation. "You guys do know it's okay to stop lying, right? I literally don't give a fuck about this award. What the hell is 'biggest threat'?"

They all burst into laughter, though there was an unspoken truth in Eminem's words. Ethan knew the rapper's chances of winning were slim—not because he lacked talent or the influence to, but because he simply didn't care enough to play the industry game. He had seen Eminem's indifference toward awards for years, ever since the rapper publicly slammed the Grammys in 2018 after losing Album of the Year in 2001 to Steely Dan.

As expected, when the winner was announced, Billie Eilish took home the award. Ethan nodded in approval. It was well deserved.

But then came the moment that truly had his heart pounding.

Switching from Twitter to the live broadcast, he leaned forward, watching as the event unfolded in real time. On-screen, Harry Styles walked onto the stage, holding the golden envelope. This was it—Album of the Year.

Ethan could hear his own heartbeat. The tension in the room was thick, even through the screen. The nominees were listed:

— Dave, 'We're All Alone in This Together' — Little Simz, 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert' — Sam Fender, 'Seventeen Going Under' — Ethan Jones, 'One of a Kind' — Adele, '30'

His hands gripped the edge of his seat. His stomach twisted into knots. This was the moment that could define everything.

Then, Harry opened the envelope, glancing at the winner's name. He smiled playfully, dragging out the moment.

"And the winner is…"

He paused dramatically, his eyes flickering toward the audience.

Ethan clenched his fists, his entire body tight with anticipation. 'What is this, a superstar cliffhanger?' he thought, frustration creeping in at the unnecessary suspense.

The room fell into complete silence. Time seemed to slow down. Every second stretched endlessly.

Then, finally, the name left Harry's lips, cutting through the silence like a knife.

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