CHAPTER 116: INTERVIEW

The moment they stepped into the Harmony Lane studio, the place was busy with staff moving nonstop. Then a man walked toward Dayo and greeted him.

"Good morning, JD."

"Good morning. I hope I’m not too late — had a bit of a hiccup getting here," Dayo replied politely.

"Haha, not at all. You’re right on time. Please, if you will, I’ll show you the way." The man smiled as he walked ahead, briefing Dayo on what to expect.

They reached the stage, and he met with Harmony, who had a bright smile the moment her eyes met his.

After a quick introduction, they moved toward the stage as the fans were already gathered.

Dayo sat calmly, dressed in a black turtleneck and light jacket. Across from him sat Harmony Lewis, the show’s host — friendly, sharp, and known for mixing comfort with tough questions.

"Welcome back to Harmony Lane! Today we have someone very special — the man behind some of the biggest songs of this year. Please welcome, Dayo!"

The audience cheered loudly. Dayo smiled, giving a small wave before sitting back.

He gave a helpless smile and shook his head. "Harmony, please be careful with the praise so my head doesn’t explode."

This earned laughter from both the audience and Harmony. She raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Thank you for being here," Harmony said. "You’ve been off interviews for a while. Why now?"

Dayo chuckled lightly. "Yeah, it’s been a while. I just wanted to focus on the music, but since the new album’s around the corner, I figured it was time."

"Ah, The Other Side," Harmony nodded. "Everyone’s been talking about it. But before we get to that... let’s go back a little."

Dayo smiled politely — he already knew where this was going.

Harmony leaned in. "You’ve had quite a few public moments, Dayo. The airport incident, for one — it went viral. People saw you fight off attackers and even protect a fan in the process. What was going through your mind that day?"

He gave a small laugh. "Honestly, I didn’t think much. It was chaos. I just reacted. And since it was me the attackers were aiming for, how could I let something happen to one of my fans?"

The audience clapped and cheered for him.

"Seems the audience loves you," Harmony teased.

Dayo smirked. "Tell me about it, haha."

"Yeah, anyways... that was brave," Harmony said softly. "Not everyone would do that."

"Maybe," he replied. "But I don’t think it’s bravery when it’s simply the right thing to do."

The audience clapped lightly again. Harmony smiled — she could tell Dayo wasn’t one to brag.

"Now..." she continued carefully, "there was also the Vivian situation — that whole story had people glued to their screens. How did you handle all that?"

Dayo exhaled quietly, his tone calm but firm. "It wasn’t easy. There were misunderstandings and a lot of noise online. But I’ve learned not to let that define me. People will always talk — all I can do is move forward and stay focused on my work."

"The fact that almost the entire internet believed the accusations made me heartbroken," he added. "But I believe the truth always comes out in the end."

"Hmm. I can’t imagine the pressure you must have felt — competing in the Global Competition and facing those allegations."

"Yeah, it was massive, you know..." he paused before continuing. "Almost everyone, apart from a few friends, believed the lies. It was hell — they avoided me like a plague. But they apologized when the truth came out."

"Wow. Well, I’m happy the truth came out." Harmony nodded. "That’s a strong mindset." She glanced at her cue cards. "Speaking of work, let’s talk about Lois."

The crowd murmured — everyone knew that name.

"You helped produce her debut album," Harmony continued, "and it blew up. People called it one of the best projects from a new artist in years. But not long after, she left JD Records and signed with Micheal’s MM Label. What really happened?"

This was a sensitive topic, especially since Micheal was a big figure in the industry. Most people didn’t know how deep his background ran, but everyone knew MM Records — the biggest and most popular label around, filled with top-tier artists.

Dayo gave a small smile, choosing his words carefully. "Lois is talented. From day one, I knew she had something special. I produced her album, wrote all the songs, and watched her bring them to life. What she decided to do after that was her choice."

"Some people said there was tension between you two before she left," Harmony pressed gently.

He kept his tone even. "There wasn’t tension. Just two people at different points in their careers. I wish her well — truly."

Harmony nodded, sensing he wasn’t going to say more. "Fair enough."

She flipped to her next card. "So, this new album — The Other Side. It’s your first full album, and the fans are curious. What’s the inspiration behind it?"

For the first time, Dayo’s expression softened deeply. "My uncle, Marcus," he said quietly. "He passed away a while ago. He was one of the people who believed in me before anyone else did. I wanted this album to show what he meant to me — to show growth, pain, and hope."

The room fell silent for a moment. Harmony nodded gently. "That’s beautiful. I’m sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," he replied simply.

The host smiled again, lightening the mood. "Well, we can’t wait to hear the full album. The Other Side drops this Friday, right?"

"Yeah," Dayo said, smiling again. "It’s been a long road, but I’m proud of what we made."

The audience applauded. Harmony stood and shook his hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, that was Dayo! Don’t forget to stream The Other Side when it drops!"

The cameras panned out as the crowd clapped, and the segment faded to the show’s outro theme.

***

Outside the studio, Sharon was waiting for him. She handed him a bottle of water. "You handled that perfectly," she said as they walked out.

"Thanks," Dayo replied, letting out a breath. "It went better than I expected."

She laughed. "You make it look easy."

"Maybe," he said, "but I’m glad it’s done."

They both entered the car and drove off, heading back to JD Records — where Alice, Valery, and Urich were busy making sure everything stayed on track for release week.

Alice was already in contact with media outlets, setting up radio spots and playlist placements.

Urich was on calls with distributors, finalizing shipments of the album’s physical copies to stores across the country.

And Valery — learning directly from Urich — handled emails and follow-ups, ensuring every tiny detail of the rollout stayed organized.

The whole label was buzzing again, but this time with pride.

The countdown to The Other Side had truly begun.