Chapter 337: Announcing Retirement from the Music Industry

In addition to director Will Gluck's new project, Link also agreed to make a cameo appearance in Casey Affleck's self-written and directed biographical film I'm Still Here.

This film was about the story of superstar Joaquin Phoenix suddenly deciding to quit acting and become a rapper.

Link would play himself in this movie, Joaquin's friend, a top singer who successfully crossed over from another industry.

According to Casey Affleck, this role was specifically designed for him.

Link found it interesting and agreed.

After the premiere, the Easy A crew embarked on a nationwide promotional tour. As a supporting actor, Link only participated in promotional activities in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and other places.

Emma Stone, as the female lead, followed the crew to almost all major cities for promotional activities, which was quite tiring.

However, her hard work paid off. Easy A was released on Friday and earned $21.1 million at the North American box office in 2,856 theaters over the weekend, with an average per-theater revenue of $6,673, ranking second for the same period.

The weekend box office champion was Resident Evil: Afterlife, written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, Wentworth Miller, and others, earning $26.65 million over the weekend.

This film had a production cost of $60 million and was released in 3,063 theaters at the same time, with an average per-theater box office revenue of $6,436, slightly lower than Easy A.

The third place was Selena's Monte Carlo, released in 2,668 theaters, earning $14.86 million at the box office over the weekend, slightly behind Easy A.

The fourth place was The American starring George Clooney, which earned $9.37 million in its second week of release, with a cumulative box office of $26.41 million.

The fifth place was Takers starring Paul Walker, which earned $4 million in its fourth week of release, with a cumulative box office of $42.34 million.

Although Easy A didn't win the weekend box office championship, with a production cost of $10 million, it earned $21.1 million at the box office in the first three days of release, undoubtedly becoming a dark horse in the North American film market at the end of June.

The movie's reputation was also quite good, with a freshness rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 21,338 audience votes.

The Los Angeles Times commented, "Easy A was originally just an ordinary youth campus film, but Emma Stone's outstanding performance made this movie very watchable and worth a four-star recommendation."

The Chicago Sun-Times commented, "This film is not just about exploiting taboo topics, but rather using comedy to discuss some real social issues with the audience. Emma Stone's wonderful performance adds many highlights to the film and also demonstrates this post-85 actress's strong ability to portray characters. Link's cameo performance brings some surprises to fans, and he also shows a slight comedic talent through this role."

The Hollywood Reporter mentioned in its review that Easy A earned $21.1 million at the North American box office over the weekend, which was a very good result compared to its $10 million production cost.

While paying attention to the movie's box office, our reporter also noticed that in addition to Screen Gems, the other producer of this film was Palm Beach Pictures, a film company established less than two years ago. It is said that its investor is the famous singer, actor, and athlete, Mr. Link Baker. Now, he has once again succeeded in crossing over to another field. What an amazing guy.

While promoting the movie, Link also participated in CBS's The Ellen DeGeneres Show to help promote Easy A.

"Link, welcome to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. We all know you're a powerful boxer, a prolific singer-songwriter, and an ambitious actor. And now we've heard that you've also achieved great success in film investment."

In the CBS studio of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the female host Ellen DeGeneres, with her golden brown short hair, sat on a white leather sofa and said,

"I'm curious, how did you achieve such success? Many people find it difficult to succeed in just one of the industries you're involved in, but you've achieved amazing results in each one. Do you have any secrets?"

Link, wearing a blue suit, adjusted his sitting posture and smiled. "Ellen, there's a misunderstanding here that I must clarify. It's true that I invested in Palm Beach Pictures, but I've never interfered in its operations, and I don't have the time for that. The box office success of Easy A, invested in by Palm Beach Pictures, is the credit of several executives in the company. They have a good eye for investment and found a good project. In fact, I was also very surprised when I saw the first week's box office results for Easy A. I think I should give them more bonuses after the movie's release."

The reason why Link didn't take credit was mainly because he had been too popular in the past two years.

He had done well in music, boxing, investment, and other aspects, which also attracted the envy of many people, such as Diddy, Little Epstein, and Little Kunas. Their covetousness of Link Music was a clear proof.

Admitting that he was also a master at investing in movies would undoubtedly make him even more envied.

After becoming a billionaire, he preferred to make a fortune quietly.

"Bonuses? I think the employees of Palm Beach Pictures will be very happy to hear this news."

Host Ellen laughed.

"They deserve it."

Link shrugged and smiled.

"Okay, let's get back to the topic."

Alan, holding a cue card, said, "Recently, there have been a lot of rumors about you online and in the media, saying that you're dating multiple women at the same time and are a playboy. Have you seen these reports? Do they bother you?"

Link replied, "Yes, my private life has always been a focus of media attention since I became famous. After Taylor and I broke up in April, the media's attention to my private life doubled. Because I have a criminal record, many entertainment reporters subconsciously assume that we are dating when they see me chatting or discussing work with women. They publish this unverified information as news. The public also labeled me as 'playful' because of the fake video in April, and when they see my绯闻, they subconsciously choose to believe it. This situation has led to more and more rumors about me in the media, and no matter how much I explain, I can't clarify them. If you've seen 'Easy A,' you'll find that the female protagonist's experience has a lot in common with mine. Olive lied about dating a boy and doing some things she shouldn't have done. After the news spread, her classmates treated her like an easy girl, and no one believed her no matter how much she explained, causing Olive a lot of trouble and burden. Later, Olive clarified the misunderstanding through a video and became a normal high school girl. But we live in the real world, and the situation we face is more complicated. It's not easy to clarify misunderstandings, but I will also find a way to clarify everything and get my life back on track."

Host Alan said, "Speaking of Taylor, you went to Paris to film a movie after your breakup in April and have never mentioned it publicly. Now that it's been over two months, can you talk to us about the breakup?"

Applause erupted from the audience as soon as Alan finished speaking, and many people shouted, "Yes, talk about this," "Link, talk about Taylor."

Link smiled slightly, "Sure, but I can't guarantee I'll answer every question."

The audience applauded again, obviously curious about this.

"Kristen, come quickly, Link is going to talk publicly about his breakup with Taylor."

In a Beverly Hills villa, Emma Roberts shouted at Kristen Stewart.

"What's so interesting about this kind of news? The reason for their breakup is obvious. He cheated, Taylor didn't accept it, and they broke up. It's very clear, and any other explanation is just a cover-up."

Kristen leaned back in a wicker chair, holding a lollipop in her mouth and a game console in her hand, seemingly indifferent to everything. But despite this, she still took off one earphone and listened to Link's conversation on TV.

"Link, after the case was sentenced in early June, we all knew that the video was fabricated, which means you didn't cheat or do anything wrong while dating Taylor. But you still broke up, and both you and Taylor's fans expressed regret. Do you feel regretful?"

Host Alan asked.

"Of course, I'm the most regretful one. Actually, I never thought of breaking up with Taylor, and it happened so suddenly. I thought we loved each other enough to face any crisis that could affect our relationship, but what happened later was completely beyond my expectations."

Link said, spreading his hands.

"So, can I understand that the main reason for your breakup lies with Taylor?"

Alan asked.

Link shrugged, "That's right! She was the one who initiated the breakup."

"Jerk! You cheated first."

In front of the TV, Taylor clenched her white fists tightly. If Link was still around, she would not hesitate to punch him a few times.

"Don't be angry, take care of yourself."

Mrs. Andrea patted her shoulder and said.

"But the reasons that led to our breakup are complex, not just because of that video."

Link added.

"Can you elaborate?"

Alan asked.

"No problem."

Link said indifferently.

Speaking of the reasons for their breakup, he had thought about it many times afterward. Besides the cheating and Taylor saying she felt pressured around him, Link also found that they both cared too much about each other. He didn't want to see other men approach Taylor, and Taylor didn't want any girls to approach him. They also tried to control each other mentally and wanted the other to follow their own ideas. Doing so was restricting each other's freedom, and over time, it would make the other person feel a sense of restraint and pressure.

Before March, they were very successful in controlling each other, but after March, Taylor discovered his cheating, which also meant her mental control failed. For a strong person, it was difficult for her to accept this failure. This was probably one of the reasons why Taylor proposed the breakup.

When Link spoke to host Alan, he only said that they loved each other too much and cared too much about each other, which led to a sense of restraint and being imprisoned by love when they were together. For ordinary people, this might feel like happiness. But for him and Taylor, this sense of restraint would limit each other and become an obstacle to each other's development.

Link also told Alan another reason: their creative styles were very different. He could write many good songs when he was with Taylor. But Taylor needed to accumulate some negative emotions to spark inspiration when creating, so she often left home to travel and experience life. This also led to their frequent separation.

In addition, after they became famous, their work schedules became increasingly busy. Sometimes Taylor went on tour or recorded albums, and sometimes he went on tour or recorded albums, so they spent less and less time together. This was also one of the reasons for their breakup.

"Humph! You understand it so well, why can't you do it?"

Taylor squinted her blue eyes, glanced at the guy on TV, picked up the remote to turn off the TV, but Mrs. Andrea snatched it away and said to watch it again.

"So the main reason for your breakup is work-related issues."

Alan said.

"Yes!"

"Do you still keep in touch after the breakup? Many couples choose to remain friends after breaking up. Are you friends now?"

Alan asked.

Link smiled, "Whether we're friends or not, she's a very important person to me and a person worthy of respect. She taught me music and led me into the music industry."

"Yes, both you and Taylor are very talented. Last year, your album sales in the country ranked first and second, and this year, your third album 'The Woman I Love' has sold a total of 4.12 million copies in the United States and 16.18 million copies worldwide. This is just the result of 12 weeks of release, which is amazing."

The fans applauded and cheered excitedly.

Link also clapped his hands to thank the fans.

"Link, we all know you're a very talented and professional crossover artist. After achieving great success in boxing, music, and film, will you continue to cross over? What's your next goal?"

Alan asked.

Link thought for a moment, "Next, I'll consider quitting the music industry."

"What?!"

Alan was startled by his sudden answer.

The fans who were still applauding were also stunned, looking at him in disbelief. A chart-topping album sales champion now says he's going to quit?

"Link, did you just say you're going to quit the music industry? Did I hear that right?"

Alan asked.

"Yes, you heard right. Probably after two more albums, I won't release any new albums. Because I've been too busy these two years, busy practicing boxing, busy writing and recording songs, busy with movies, busy dealing with the media. The pressure on my body and mind is very high. I often feel very tired. In recent months, this mental pressure has also led to a lack of inspiration in creation. After releasing two albums, I will consider quitting the music industry indefinitely."

Link said solemnly.

"Jerk, how could you do this?"

Taylor said angrily.

"Link saying he's under pressure shouldn't be a lie. He's too talented, very good at boxing, music, and film. He receives a lot of attention and expectations, so the pressure on him is naturally high."

Mrs. Andrea said.

Taylor didn't say anything, staring at the guy on TV, wishing she could punch him in his handsome and annoying face.

"Link is quitting the music industry? Really? He sings so well."

In front of the TV, Miley Cyrus said in shock.

"Selena, did Link tell you about this?"

Katy Perry looked at the round-faced Selena.

Selena was stunned for a few seconds and shook her head repeatedly, "I don't know, he never told me about this. And it's not true that he lacks inspiration in writing. Last time he wrote 'Dancing with Your Ghost' after sleeping in a Broadway theater, and last week he gave me a great new song. Can this be considered a lack of inspiration? Then I'm the Sahara Desert with dried-up inspiration."

"I hope it's not true. If Link quits the music industry, the future of the music industry will be too boring."

Miley Cyrus said.

"I don't believe it, this is definitely fake."

In front of the TV, Lil Wayne frowned and said.

"He said it publicly, it shouldn't be fake."

Drake said.

"Drake, you're too young. Link, this jerk, is hyping it up, creating scarcity marketing, telling fans that his albums are running out and they should buy them quickly. It's like many painters saying when they'll stop painting to raise the price of their works, and then finding another excuse to release new works after the price goes up. Link is the same, this jerk knows how to hype himself up too well."

Lil Wayne said.

T.I. nodded, "Lil is right. Link is not only doing scarcity marketing, but also playing the victim. He said he's under pressure and is going to quit the industry, trying to use this trick to get people to stop calling him a scumbag. It's too fake."

"Sounds like it makes sense."

Chris Brown said, touching his chin.

Lil Wayne snorted, called his assistant, and asked him to arrange some trolls to attack Link online, saying he was lying and if he was really under pressure, he should quit immediately, why wait until after two albums? This was definitely hype.

"Eva, Link said he's going to quit the music industry. Is this true?"

In the Link Music CEO's office, Lana pushed the door open and asked.

Eva put down her pen, rubbed her temples, and said, "It's true. He has too much work on his hands and is busy every day, without even time to rest. He plans to focus more time on boxing training after quitting the music industry."

"That's a pity. He's so talented, his album sales are so high, it's a pity to quit. Why don't you try to persuade him?"

Lana said.

Eva leaned back in her office chair, crossed her fingers, and smiled, "Why persuade him? After he quits the music industry, he will give you good songs to sing and help you produce albums. Isn't that good?"

Lana blinked and thought for a moment, realizing that this was also very good.

Link had too many good songs, one after another. Last time, the song 'Dancing with Your Ghost' was something ordinary people couldn't write. After Link quit and stopped releasing albums, his good songs would be distributed to the artists under Link Music, and she had a good relationship with Link, so she had more opportunities to get good songs.

"Link has indeed been very tired lately. I support him quitting and taking a good rest."

Lana said with a smile.

Eva raised her eyebrows and smiled, then picked up the phone to call Executive Director George Capal and Marketing Director Scooter.

She asked them to pay attention to guiding public opinion after the show aired, increasing the hype, and focusing the public's attention on Link's three albums, striving to sell a few million more copies worldwide.

(End of chapter).