Chapter 236: Movie Premiere

Link drove to Hollywood Boulevard and met Selena, who had arrived earlier, at an outdoor cafe outside the theater. She was wearing a blue off-the-shoulder dress, her long dark brown hair flowing over her shoulders. Her slightly chubby face and delicate collarbones made her look like a young woman coming of age.

"What took you so long? I've been waiting here forever," Selena said, her eyes lighting up as she saw him, but then she pouted, feigning annoyance.

"Wow, who's this princess? You look absolutely gorgeous," Link complimented her, looking her up and down.

Selena snorted softly, raised her chin, and slowly extended her hand to him.

Link smiled and took her hand, leading her onto the red carpet in front of the theater.

The premiere of "The Fighter" was held at Universal Studios' Laser Cinema. It wasn't a huge event, but dozens of reporters and thousands of fans were present, waiting to get in.

The fans screamed as they saw Link and Selena walking towards them.

"Where's Taylor? Why didn't you invite her?" Selena asked, holding onto his arm.

"She's been busy recording in the studio lately. I haven't seen her in three days," Link replied, waving to the fans.

"She's so talented and hardworking. It's tough for us, her peers. And you too! People online are saying that the music industry wasn't so competitive before you and Taylor came along. Especially in pop music," Selena complained softly. Hearing fans shouting "Selena" from the audience, she quickly put on a sweet smile and waved back, proving herself to be a little drama queen.

"You should be complaining about Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Britney, Adele, Avril Lavigne, and all the other talented female pop stars out there. The competition is fierce among you ladies," Link pointed out, listing off the top female pop singers of 2009. He realized that they were all powerhouses.

In comparison, the competition among male pop singers was less intense. Most male singers debuted in groups like NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Linkin Park, Coldplay, Maroon 5, and Green Day, mostly in the rock genre. Solo male artists were mainly in country music or rap, like Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Kanye, and Eminem.

Solo male pop singers were rare, but if they succeeded, they became incredibly popular. There was Elvis and Michael Jackson before, and then Justin Timberlake, who successfully transitioned in the 2000s. Now there's Link, and the up-and-coming Justin Bieber.

Link's success in the highly competitive music industry wasn't easy. Besides having high-quality albums, his boxing career, good looks, singing ability, and effective promotion, continuous news hype also played a significant role.

"But you're doing great too! Your debut album reached number two in its first week and sold 600,000 copies in the US in its first month. That's amazing, no less impressive than my debut album," Link praised.

Hearing his compliment, Selena's eyes lit up with joy. She gripped his arm tightly and said, "I think I'm pretty awesome too. My first album sold 600,000 copies in the US alone in its first month! Do you know what that means? Over 600,000 people are willing to pay to listen to me sing. It feels amazing."

Selena's excitement was palpable, and she almost jumped up and down. Link had to put a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from getting carried away in front of the media.

"Yes, you're amazing. You'll become a big star like Britney, Taylor, and Lady Gaga. You'll be touring all over the place, and everyone will call you 'superstar Selena.' By then, you might not even have time to see a movie with me if I asked," Link teased.

"Haha, no way! I'll always make time for you," Selena said, clinging onto his arm affectionately.

Link smiled, thinking that he liked Selena just the way she was now - simple and happy. He hoped she could stay this cheerful forever.

"Mr. Baker, can we interview you?" a few reporters shouted from the side of the red carpet.

Link nodded and led Selena over to them.

"Mr. Baker, your first North American tour has ended. When is the next round?" asked a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter.

"It's expected to be in April or May next year," Link replied.

There were over 70 concerts planned for the Americas, divided into three phases, each six months apart. The final concert of the world tour would also be held in the US.

"Mr. Baker, yesterday rapper T.I. was sentenced by the Atlanta District Court for illegal possession of firearms. Last month, rapper Lil Wayne was arrested after police found a large quantity of drugs and firearms in his car. There are rumors online that these incidents are related to you, a continuation of your competition with East Coast rappers. Do you agree with this?" a reporter from USA Today inquired.

Link shook his head and chuckled. "It sounds interesting, like a Hollywood movie plot, but I'm not part of this cast."

"Mr. Baker!"

A reporter from the Los Angeles Times handed Link a microphone and asked, "Last week, at Justin Bieber's album My World release conference, a reporter pointed out that the style of his album is similar to Forward Fearless and suggested he borrowed from your musical style. Justin Bieber denied this, claiming he prefers Jay-Z, Kanye, and Lil Wayne's music and that his album is more influenced by them. Mr. Baker, have you heard Justin's new songs? What do you think?"

Link was a bit surprised. He had been busy with his tour last week and hadn't heard about this news. Anna hadn't mentioned it either. He hadn't listened to My World yet, so it was hard to judge whether it was similar to Forward Fearless. Even if there were similarities, it was quite normal. Both of them were pop singers, and Forward Fearless was very successful, so it was not surprising that other singers would follow suit.

"Link, that Justin guy is just trying to ride your coattails. Ignore him," Selena whispered.

Link squeezed her hand and said to the reporters, "Yes, I know Justin Bieber. I've seen his cover videos on YouTube. He's a promising young man. As for his new album, I've been busy touring recently and haven't had a chance to listen to it. I'll check it out when I have time."

"Mr. Baker, some people believe that when Justin Bieber mentioned Jay-Z and Kanye, he was siding with East Coast rappers in your competition with them. What do you think about this?" a reporter from the American Express asked.

"This kind of controversy is unnecessary. Besides, today is The Fighter's premiere, and I'd prefer to answer questions related to the movie. Please cooperate," Link said, waving his hand.

The reporters reluctantly ended the previous topic and switched to questions about the movie. They also asked Selena a few questions about her new album.

After answering seven or eight questions, Link and Selena finally entered the theater lobby. Selena's face was flushed from the Los Angeles sun.

"Hmph, that Justin guy is just trying to use you. I hate him," Selena said, puffing out her cheeks.

Link chuckled, recalling Selena's years-long on-and-off relationship with Justin Bieber. They were the next pair of star-crossed lovers in the music industry. If Selena disliked Justin Bieber because of this incident, would they still end up together in the future?

"He's just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid. There's no need to hold it against him. His musical style and approach are mainly guided by his manager. His manager, Scooter Braun, is Kanye's former manager and has a good relationship with Kanye and Jay-Z. Of course, he'd side with Kanye in this matter."

Besides, Justin Bieber's mentor was Usher, a famous black R&B singer. Usher's mentor was Puff Daddy, the big boss of New York's rap scene. In the early 1990s, Puff Daddy founded Bad Boy Records, which cultivated many famous artists, including B.I.G., Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Latin diva Jennifer Lopez, and diva Mariah Carey.

Because of his manager and mentor's close ties with East Coast rappers, Justin Bieber was also heavily influenced by them. His most popular songs had a distinct black music style. In a way, he was a white artist with a black sound.

From these perspectives, it was true that Justin Bieber's album style was closer to Jay-Z and Kanye. However, Justin Bieber's mention of Jay-Z at that event did suggest taking sides.

(End of Chapter)