The release of "Just the Way You Are" created a sun-drenched, feel-good moment for Echo Chamber, but Alex knew that the label's soul resided in the shadows as well as the light. While his own pop anthem climbed the charts, Billie Eilish was preparing to release a song that would plunge her listeners into a beautiful, heartbreaking darkness.
It had been months since "Video Games" had redefined her artistic trajectory. In that time, Billie and Finneas had been experimenting, writing, and stockpiling a formidable arsenal of new material. Now, it was time to select the next single, a track that would continue her evolution and serve as a powerful statement piece.
Alex flew out to LA to meet with them in person, a trip he now treated with the same importance as a recording session. Their creative relationship, repaired and strengthened after his burnout, was precious. He found them in their Highland Park home studio, which had evolved from a cluttered bedroom into a slightly more organized but no less creative den.
"We've got options," Finneas said, pulling up a Logic Pro session filled with dozens of promising tracks. He played snippets of a few: a driving, aggressive industrial-pop track with a snarling bassline; a haunting, minimalist lullaby built around a music box sample; a clever, tongue-in-cheek song about night terrors.
Alex was impressed. "The album is going to be incredible, guys. The range is insane."
"But what's next?" Billie asked, her voice quiet. She was curled up on a beanbag chair, sketching in a notebook. "What feels right for now?"
"I might have an idea," Alex said slowly, having anticipated this moment. He knew he couldn't just hand them another song without it feeling like he was steering again. He needed to frame it as an inspiration, a challenge. "I found this old, incredibly raw piano ballad. It's almost too vulnerable, but it's one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard. I think... I think you're one of the only vocalists on the planet who could do it justice, Billie."
He played them the demo he'd created from the Codex, a stark, simple recording of Sia's "Breathe Me."
The four-minute demo played in complete silence. Finneas leaned forward, his expression intensely focused. Billie stopped sketching, her pen hovering over the page.
"Help, I have done it again… I have been here many times before… Hurt myself again today… And the worst part is there's no one else to blame."
When it ended, the silence in the room felt heavy. "Wow," Finneas breathed. "That's… heavy."
"I can't sing that," Billie whispered, hugging her knees to her chest.
"Why not?" Alex asked gently.
"It's too much," she said, her voice small. "It's too real. It feels like you're reading someone's diary. People will think… people will think it's me."
"Maybe it is, a little bit," Alex said. "Not literally. But the feeling… the feeling of being overwhelmed, of needing help. That's universal. Your fans connect with you because you're not afraid to go to those dark places. This isn't just a sad song, Billie. It's a song about survival. It's about asking for air when you feel like you're suffocating. Your voice… it could make this an anthem for anyone who's ever felt that way."
A long pause stretched out. Finneas looked at Billie, waiting.
"Okay," she finally said, a new resolve in her eyes. "Let's do it. But we're doing it our way."
The recording process for "Breathe Me" was an act of profound artistic trust. Alex took a backseat, acting more as an executive producer and confidant than a hands-on technician. This was Finneas and Billie's interpretation. Finneas built a soundscape that felt fragile and claustrophobic, using a felted piano and unnerving string arrangements.
When it came time for Billie to sing, she struggled with the raw emotional weight. After a few takes where she got frustrated by her own vulnerability, Alex coached her gently over the talkback.
"Stop trying to sing it perfectly," he said. "Sing it honestly. If your voice cracks, let it crack. That's where the truth is."
He had her do the next take with the studio lights completely off, leaving her alone in the pitch black. She channeled the song's desperate intimacy, her whisper a raw, trembling plea. The final product was a masterpiece of restraint and raw power. Released with a simple video of a single, flickering candle, "Breathe Me" resonated deeply. It became a viral sensation shared not for its catchiness, but for its catharsis, cementing Billie's status as a singular, essential artist.
In the same week that Billie's heartbreaking ballad was connecting with listeners, Alex took a very different meeting. Harry Styles, the charming busker from Covent Garden, finally called. He walked into the Echo Chamber office in LA looking both out of place and exactly where he belonged. He wore skinny black jeans, worn-out boots, and a flamboyant patterned shirt, his easy confidence a striking contrast to Alex's other artists.
"Alright then," Harry said, sinking into a plush chair in Alex's office and flashing his trademark crooked smile. "You said you wanted to talk about singing for the world. I'm listening."
Their conversation wasn't about contracts; it was about identity. "What kind of artist do you want to be, Harry?" Alex asked.
"I want to be a rock star," Harry said without a hint of irony. "But like, an old-school one. Jagger, Bowie, Freddie. I want to be flamboyant and loud and romantic and a bit dangerous. I don't want to make quiet, sad music. No offense," he added with a wink.
Alex laughed. "None taken. That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say."
Alex knew from the Codex that Harry had the potential to be one of the biggest entertainers on the planet. To get there, he needed a song that could launch him like a rocket.
The signing was announced a few days later, a move that sent shockwaves through industry blogs. "From Busker to a Record Deal with Music's Hottest Label: Who is Harry Styles?" one headline read. Pundits were bewildered. How did this unknown British rock-and-roller fit on a roster with a pop superstar like Alex Vance and an avant-pop icon like Billie Eilish? (The recent signing of R&B newcomer Khalid was still too fresh to have fully registered in the public consciousness, and Juice WRLD was a complete unknown.)
To the outside world, it seemed like a chaotic, almost random collection of artists. But Alex saw the bigger picture. He was assembling a team of musical superheroes, each with their own unique power. Billie was the shadow, Khalid was the heart, and Olivia, waiting in the wings, was the bright, shining star. And Harry? Harry was the charisma, the swagger, the sheer, unadulterated rock-and-roll supernova.
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