Thanks to Dr. Dre's efficient professional direction and Landon gradually finding his groove as a club king, the recording of "In Da Club" accelerated significantly after a two-night hiatus.
Those tricky articulations, through repeated practice and Dre's precise coaching, gradually became smooth and natural, filled with the necessary rhythm.
A week later, this hit single aimed at igniting parties was declared finished.
However, just as the music production was surging ahead, the chess pieces of commercial strategy were also being adjusted.
Competition on the Billboard charts had never been so white-hot; while the path for "Yeah!" to remain at number one was stable, pursuers were closing in fast.
On the day the vocal recording for "In Da Club" was completed, Jimmy Iovine personally called Landon.
"Landon, we've analyzed all the data," Jimmy's voice came through the receiver. "The market needs a focal point; the buzz needs concentrated bombardment. The suggestion from Doug, the marketing team, and myself is—we'll refine your debut EP to five songs. For now, we're taking 'Mr. Brightside' off."
Landon gripped his phone and walked to a relatively quiet corner of the set: "Jimmy, what's your reasoning?"
"The reasoning is clear," Jimmy's speech was steady and his logic formidable.
"First, maintaining the momentum of 'Yeah!' at the top of the charts requires all promotional resources to remain focused; fragmentation is a risk.
Second, faster monetization to consolidate your commercial value.
Five songs with high potential for becoming explosive hits are enough to define a superstar and enough to create staggering sales figures in the first week of release.
Third, 'Mr. Brightside'..." He paused, "...doesn't fit this EP."
Landon remained silent.
He had to admit Jimmy's words hit the mark.
He knew better than anyone that in the original timeline, the trajectory of "Mr. Brightside" wasn't that of a champion single that topped the charts instantly; it was a "slow-Burn classic" that fermented over time, spread by word of mouth among fans, and eventually carved itself into cultural memory.
It required the live presence of a band with chemistry, and the approach to recording and post-production was completely different, which would indeed prolong the entire EP's production cycle.
Business is business; Universal Music Group had invested massive resources and was seeking the fastest, most intense market return.
"I understand," Landon finally spoke, his voice devoid of much emotional fluctuation. "I agree. The EP will be set at five songs: 'Yeah!', 'Like I Love You', 'Burn', 'My Boo', and 'In Da Club'."
"A wise choice, Landon." Jimmy's tone betrayed a hint of admiration. "You won't regret it. Moreover, we will find the most suitable time for 'Mr. Brightside' to debut, I promise."
Once the decision was finalized, the terrifying power of the entertainment carrier that is Universal Music Group was fully unleashed.
Mastering of the five songs, mass production, channel distribution, promotional material creation... every link was like a precisely programmed assembly line, advancing simultaneously at a staggering speed.
The release date was quickly locked in: mid-June.
Only a little over a week remained for Landon and the entire team.
Landon didn't let himself stay idle.
On the set of A Beautiful Mind, his scenes had fully shifted to the deeper loneliness, struggle, and self-confrontation that Nash falls into after cruelly confirming that his best friend Charles, the little girl Marcee, and the Department of Defense official Parcher are all hallucinations produced by his schizophrenia.
As Nash's "hallucination Charles," his subsequent confrontation scenes involved even more intense emotional conflict.
During the day, Landon threw himself into this conflict, temporarily blocking out the noise of the outside world.
Nights belonged to music.
As the EP's release date approached, recording for "Burn"—planned as the heavy-hitting second single to take over from "Yeah!" and continue chart dominance—entered its final sprint.
At the same time, the MV filming plan had to be launched immediately so that there would be a powerful visual accompaniment when the single was sent to radio stations.
The release of the first EP also meant another wave of intensive media interviews was about to hit.
Fortunately, a precious window appeared in the timeline: filming for A Beautiful Mind was expected to wrap in the third week of June, and he wouldn't join the cast of the fast and the furious until the second week of July.
The two-plus weeks in between could be perfectly used for EP release promotion, a possible radio tour, and MV filming.
At noon that day, during a break, Jimmy Iovine's assistant sent a fax to Zoe.
Zoe handed it to Landon with a strange expression.
It was the preliminary screening data from Universal Music Group for several female lead candidates for the "Burn" MV.
Landon flipped it open and, with just a glance, couldn't help but inwardly marvel at the resource network of a top music company and their precise reading of an artist's taste.
The women in the profiles each had their own merits, but every single one fit what the song "Burn" required.
A type of screen charisma that combined elegance, sexiness, and independence, capable of carrying a profound emotional story.
There was Jessica Biel, a young actress who had emerged through television series, possessing a fresh yet somewhat stubborn aura.
There was Kate Moss, the legendary supermodel who dominated the 90s runways with her unique heroin chic style and a face full of stories.
And there was Carmen Electra, a model and actress known for her hot physique and dramatic expressiveness, frequently appearing on the covers of men's magazines.
"Jimmy asked me to pass this on," Zoe said from the side, trying to make her voice sound businesslike, though her eyes couldn't help but dart toward the profiles.
"If you have someone in mind who isn't on this list, just give us a name. Universal Music will handle the communication and outreach."
She imitated Jimmy's characteristic, slightly raspy, confident tone, "'As long as she's still breathing on this planet and isn't opposed to appearing in a music video, we have a way to get her in Landon's MV.'—That's what he said."
This was the confidence of a top music company; the words were plain, yet contained immense power and promise.
Landon smiled, his gaze sweeping over those exquisite faces once more.
In truth, the choices provided by Universal were already excellent; each one could bring a different texture and buzz to the MV.
However, his finger eventually stopped at the end of the profiles, on an alternative name that would require Universal to use its connections to "communicate"—Eva Mendes.
At this time, Eva Mendes had already gained attention through stunning appearances in films like Training Day, but she was still some distance away from her later widespread fame.
She possessed a complex aura that mixed Latin flair, urban resilience, and a subtle sense of fragility, which perfectly matched the emotions of love and hate, beauty and pain, in "Burn."
Landon made this choice not only because he felt Eva's image was highly compatible with the song, but also for another consideration:
He vaguely remembered that in the original timeline, Eva Mendes was associated with the second installment of the fast and the furious series.