Chapter 723: An evening with Nadia

Dayo arrived at JD Records early that morning, carrying the notes he had made for the next recording session. Wayne was already in the studio, reviewing the four completed tracks while one of the engineers prepared the equipment. The previous day’s work had gone well, and they were ready to continue with the remaining songs.

After greeting everyone, Dayo placed his things beside the mixing desk and joined Wayne. They listened to a section of the fourth song again, made a small adjustment to the instrumental, and then moved on to the next track.

The fifth song required a different approach. It dealt with Jennifer’s rescue and the events surrounding the operative Dayo had killed to bring his daughter home. He had already written the lyrics, but recording them meant returning to a part of his life he would rather have left behind. Wayne understood that the session might take longer than usual, so he allowed Dayo to work at his own pace.

They spent the first part of the morning reviewing the arrangement. Dayo wanted the instrumental to remain controlled, without making the song sound as though it was trying too hard to communicate its seriousness. After a few adjustments, he entered the recording booth and began his first take.

The session continued with several reviews, but Dayo was satisfied with the final result. They moved on to the sixth track later in the day, which dealt with the period after Jennifer had been brought home. It carried the relief of having his daughter back, alongside the feelings he had continued to live with even after the immediate danger had passed.

By the time they finished, six songs had been recorded. Dayo listened to the final playback with Wayne before approving the takes. He was pleased with the progress, although he knew the remaining songs would require just as much attention.

Wayne saved the project and turned towards him. "Six songs now. We’re halfway through."

Dayo collected his headphones from the desk. "We’re getting there. I still want to listen to everything again before we start making final decisions."

"That’s fine. We can review them together."

"I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to get home early today."

Wayne glanced at the time and smiled. "You have somewhere to be?"

"Luna has someone coming over for dinner. Her friend wants to meet me."

"Ah, so you’re finally making an appearance."

Dayo laughed as he picked up his bag. "Apparently, I’m difficult to find."

"Well, I can’t argue with that. You spend most of your time here or at home."

"Exactly that’s the point. I’ll see you tomorrow."

Max was waiting outside when Dayo left the building. He greeted him and opened the car door, then settled behind the wheel once Dayo was seated. During the drive home, Dayo checked a few messages from Sharon and replied to one concerning his schedule for the following day. He also saw a message from Luna confirming that her friend had arrived and was already with her.

He put his phone away and leaned back, looking forward to getting home. He had heard a little about the friend, but Luna hadn’t told him much beyond the fact that she was an artist and a fan of his music. He was curious to meet someone who had apparently been asking about him before they had even been introduced.

When the car pulled into the compound, Bella was near the entrance. She greeted him as he stepped out, and he asked whether everything was alright before heading inside. He could hear voices coming from the living room, including Luna’s familiar laugh.

Luna was seated on the sofa with another woman beside her. A phone rested on the table, and a song Dayo recognised as one of his older releases was playing quietly through its speakers. The woman was saying something about the music when Luna noticed him entering.

"You’re back," she said, getting up from her seat.

Dayo greeted her before looking towards the woman beside her. Luna turned to make the introduction.

"Dayo, this is Nadia, the friend I told you about. Nadia, this is Dayo."

Nadia stood up, but for a moment she seemed unsure whether to shake his hand or simply greet him. She eventually held out her hand, laughing at herself as Dayo took it.

"Oh my God, you’re actually Dayo. I’m meeting Dayo in person."

Dayo laughed. "I’m not that difficult to find, am I?"

Nadia looked at him as though she was still trying to believe he was standing in front of her. "You say that, but you’re probably the only artist I know who is this big globally and makes so few public appearances. I mean, you hardly go anywhere. No talk shows, no celebrity parties, barely any interviews. Sometimes I see people talking about you, and I wonder when you last appeared somewhere."

Luna laughed as she returned to her seat, while Dayo pulled out a chair opposite them. "I do appear sometimes. I just don’t attend everything I’m invited to."

"That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You’re always working or doing something with the label. Even when people expect to see you at an event, there’s no guarantee you’ll show up."

Dayo smiled. "I’ve been a little occupied. Between the music and the company, I don’t always have time for all those things."

Nadia turned towards Luna. "You see what I’m saying? Your partner is practically a copy of you. The only difference is that you still make appearances more often than he does. You have a little more social life."

Dayo looked at Luna, then back at Nadia. "Luna, where did you find this woman? She’s been studying my movements before I’ve even had dinner."

Luna laughed. "She’s been saying things about you since she arrived. I don’t think she’s going to stop anytime soon."

"Then I should probably prepare myself."

Nadia joined in the laughter before settling back into her seat. "I’m sorry, but I have to say it. You’re the founder of JD Records, the number one record label in the world. You’re one of the biggest artists around, and you still manage to stay away from most of the things people in your position attend. I don’t know how you do it."

She raised two fingers to emphasise the number one, and Dayo shook his head with a smile.

"Come on, my God. Luna, where did you get this one?"

"I didn’t do anything," Luna replied, clearly enjoying herself. "She’s been like this since she arrived."

"You’re making me uncomfortable now," Dayo said, although he was still smiling.

Nadia laughed. "Alright, I’ll stop. But honestly, I listen to your music a lot. I’ve followed your career for years, and I love what you’ve done with your last album. I still play some of your older songs, even though you keep releasing new ones."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

She picked up her phone from the table and turned the screen towards him. "I was actually listening to this before you came in. I was telling Luna that this is one of my favourites."

Dayo recognised the song and leaned slightly towards the phone. "That’s one of the older ones."

"I know. I still love it. There’s something about the way you arranged that song that I haven’t forgotten. I listen to it whenever I’m working."

He thanked her again, then asked how long she had been making music. Nadia explained that she had been in the industry for some time and had gradually built her career through releases and live performances. She also told him about the show she was preparing to host, which was the reason Luna had agreed to help her.

Dayo was familiar with her name, and he had listened to some of her music before. He mentioned a song he had heard and told her that he liked the direction she had taken with it. Nadia seemed surprised that he knew the track, especially since she hadn’t expected him to be familiar with her work.

"Wait, you’ve actually listened to my songs?"

"Of course. I’ve heard a few of them."

"Please, stop. You’re going to make me blush," she said, laughing. "I came here ready to tell you how much I love your music, and now you’re making me feel like I’m the one being interviewed."

Dayo laughed with her. "I’m only telling you what I heard. You have good work."

Nadia thanked him, but after a moment her expression became more thoughtful. She glanced towards Luna before returning her attention to Dayo.

"Actually, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you about. Luna told me about how you helped her when she was having a problem with her singing and expressing herself. She didn’t give me every detail, but she said you were able to identify what was holding her back."

Dayo looked towards Luna. "You told her about that?"

"Only a little," Luna replied. "She asked me how I managed to improve, and I told her you helped me understand what was happening."

Nadia leaned forward slightly. "I’ve been having a problem with my music for some time. I don’t think I’m doing badly, but I feel like I’ve reached a point where I’m not moving forward. I’m releasing songs, people are listening, and I’m still getting opportunities, but I can’t seem to make the kind of breakthrough I’m working towards. Sometimes I start working on something and feel as though I’m going in circles."

Dayo listened without interrupting. Nadia explained that she had tried changing certain things about her sound, working with different people and experimenting with new approaches, but she still felt that something was missing. She knew she had improved over the years, yet the progress she wanted seemed to have slowed down.

"That’s why I wanted to meet you," she continued. "I know you have a way of analysing these things. If you don’t mind, I’d like to know what you think about my music."

Dayo looked at her for a moment before answering. "I can take a look, but I’ll need excuse and listen to some of your younger self. It might give me a clearer picture of your abilities and where the problem could be."

Nadia nodded, curious about what he meant.

Dayo went inside his study room.

Dayo activated his Talent Vision skill. The system’s information became available to him, displaying Nadia’s artistic profile, her current abilities and the areas where her development had slowed. He took a little time to study the results rather than immediately commenting on what he saw.

|STATS|

Nadia

Status: Established Artist (Level 6)

Skill category Rating

Singing A

Writing B+

Song Composition B

Vocal Control A-

Stage Presence A

Visuals A

Guitar C+

Piano B-

Musical Interpretation B+

Commercial Appeal A-

Potential: SS-

Identified skills

Emotional Delivery: Communicates feelings through her voice, particularly in songs about relationships and personal experiences.

Melodic Instinct: Has a natural ability to recognise and create memorable melodies.

Audience Connection: Engages listeners effectively during live performances.

Vocal Adaptability: Can adjust her tone and delivery to suit different musical styles.

Performance Confidence: Demonstrates confidence and control on stage.

Nadia’s current musical approach is limiting her development. She repeatedly returns to familiar melodic patterns, settles on workable songwriting ideas before fully developing them, and relies heavily on comfortable vocal techniques.

Primary blockages:

Melodic repetition.

Limited development of songwriting ideas.

Underutilisation of vocal range and expression.

Secondary observation: Her established artistic identity has become restrictive. She sometimes avoids creative directions that differ from what her audience already expects.

System recommendation: Expand musical experimentation, songwriting development and vocal interpretation.

Dayo finished studying the information and returned back to Nadia. He had seen enough to understand why she felt stuck. Her abilities were good, and her potential was considerably higher than her current level of performance suggested. The problem wasn’t that she lacked talent. She had become too comfortable with the way she made music.

"I think I understand part of what’s happening," he began. "You have a good ear for melodies, and your singing is already at a good level. But I noticed that you keep returning to similar musical patterns."

Nadia looked at him closely. "What do you mean?"

"Sometimes you start with something different, but as you develop the song, you gradually bring it back to the kind of melody you’re used to creating. You have a good idea at the beginning, but you don’t always allow yourself to explore it properly. You end up making something that works, but it doesn’t necessarily take you anywhere new."

She considered his words before replying. "I’ve actually noticed that. Sometimes I listen to a song after finishing it, and I feel like I’ve heard parts of it somewhere before. Not the exact song, but the way I approached it."

"That’s what I’m talking about. You have the ability to create something different, but you keep returning to what you’re comfortable with."

Dayo continued by explaining that her songwriting needed more development. She often had good ideas, but she seemed to settle for the first version that sounded acceptable. He told her that a song could be good without being finished creatively, and that she needed to spend more time exploring different ways to develop her ideas.

Nadia listened carefully, occasionally looking towards Luna as if she wanted to confirm that she was hearing the same thing. When Dayo mentioned her vocal delivery, she leaned back and folded her arms.

"Are you saying there’s something wrong with my singing?"

"No, not exactly. Your singing is good. Your vocal control is also good, but I think you’re holding yourself back. You use certain techniques because they work for you, and you keep relying on them. There are other ways you can use your voice, especially when you’re trying to give different songs their own identity."

He explained that her voice had more room for development than she was currently allowing it. She could experiment with changes in tone, phrasing and delivery instead of approaching similar sections in the same way each time.

Nadia remained quiet for a moment, taking in what he had said. "My God. That’s actually what I’ve been struggling with. I’ve been trying to figure out why my songs don’t seem to move beyond a certain point. I knew something was missing, but I couldn’t identify it."

Dayo smiled. "You have the talent. I don’t think that’s your problem. You just need to work on how you’re using it."

"Are you sure you didn’t do some research about me before I came here?" she asked, laughing. "Because we’ve barely spoken, and you’re already telling me things I’ve been trying to understand for months."

"Come on, Nadia. I haven’t been researching you. I don’t have that kind of time."

Luna laughed from her seat. "I told you he would be able to help."

Nadia turned towards her. "You didn’t tell me he was going to analyse me like this. I thought he was just going to give me a few suggestions."

Dayo laughed. "I only told you what I noticed. You still have to work on those things yourself."

"I know, but this is already helpful. Even I know I have areas where I need to improve, but sometimes I can’t tell exactly what they are. It’s frustrating when you keep working and still feel as though you’re not making progress."

He understood what she meant. Talent alone didn’t guarantee development, and sometimes an artist could become so familiar with their own process that they struggled to recognise what needed to change its ’Habit’. Nadia had reached that point, but the information from Talent Vision suggested she had plenty of room to grow.

He looked at her again, considering the profile he had just examined. She was already an established artist, and her potential was high. Her current difficulties could be addressed with the right guidance, and he didn’t see a reason why she should continue struggling without access to better resources.

"Have you ever considered working with another label?" he asked.

Nadia looked at him. "I’ve had conversations with a few people, but nothing serious."

Dayo rested his hands on the table. "Well, if you’re willing to consider it, you can come to JD Records. We can accommodate you there. You have talent, and I think you have a lot more room to grow. If you decide you’re interested, we can discuss the arrangements."

Nadia stared at him for a second before laughing. "Are you serious?"

Dayo smiled. "I’m serious. I’m not saying you have to make a decision tonight. I’m just letting you know that the opportunity is there if you want it."

She laughed again, this time turning towards Luna. "Do you hear him? I came here to meet your partner, and now he’s offering me a place at JD Records."

Luna smiled. "Well, you did say you wanted to meet him."

"I know, but I didn’t expect this." Nadia looked back at Dayo. "You’re actually inviting me to the biggest record label in the world?"

"I’m offering you the opportunity to come and work with us. What you decide is up to you."

Nadia shook her head with a smile. "I need to process this first. I wasn’t expecting this kind of evening."

"Take your time," Dayo replied. "There’s no pressure."

The conversation became lighter after that. Nadia asked a few more questions about JD Records, and Dayo explained that the label had a team capable of helping artists develop their music and work through the areas where they needed support. He didn’t promise that every problem would disappear simply because she joined, but he made it clear that she wouldn’t be left to figure everything out on her own.

Luna was pleased with how the evening had turned out. She had known Nadia was struggling with her music, and she was happy that Dayo had been able to give her a clearer understanding of what was happening. Seeing her friend laugh and talk so freely with him made the meeting even better.

Jennifer was brought into the living room a little later, and Nadia immediately turned her attention towards her. She greeted the little girl, who responded with a few excited sounds while reaching towards the phone in Nadia’s hand. Nadia laughed and moved it out of reach before offering her a toy from the nearby table.

"She’s so cute," Nadia said, watching Jennifer play. "You two are lucky."

Dayo smiled as he sat beside Luna. "We know."

They continued talking for some time, with Nadia sharing a little more about her upcoming show and the work she had been doing. Dayo told her he would be happy to meet her again whenever she was ready to discuss the possibility of joining JD Records. She thanked him, although she still seemed amused by how unexpectedly the evening had developed.

Before leaving, Nadia thanked both of them for having her over. She told Dayo that she had enjoyed meeting him and appreciated his advice. He assured her that she was welcome to reach out if she wanted to discuss the label opportunity further.

After Nadia left, Luna returned to the living room with Dayo. Jennifer was already getting sleepy, and Luna went to settle her upstairs while Dayo remained behind to clear a few things from the table.

When she returned, she found him looking at his phone. "You two got along well."

Dayo put the phone down. "She’s a nice person. I can see why you’re friends."

"She was very excited about meeting you. She’s been listening to your music for years."

"I noticed. I think she nearly forgot how to introduce herself when I walked in."

Luna laughed. "She was trying so hard to act normal."

"Well, she did eventually."

"Are you serious about offering her a place at JD Records?"

"Yes. She’s talented, and from what i have seen so far she has a lot of potential. I think she needs the right environment and guidance to get past the problems she’s having with her music. If she wants to come, I’ll make room for her."

Luna smiled. "I think she’ll consider it."

"She doesn’t have to decide immediately. I’ll leave it to her."

They spent the rest of the evening talking before getting ready for bed. Dayo was pleased with how the day had gone. Six songs had been recorded, and he had met someone who might become part of JD Records in the future. He had not planned for the evening to turn into a discussion about another artist’s career, but he was glad Nadia had felt comfortable enough to ask for his opinion.

There were still six songs left to record, and he intended to return to the studio the following morning. For now, he was happy to have spent the evening at home with Luna and Jennifer, with the possibility of welcoming another talented artist into JD Records left open for Nadia to consider.