I do the same, bending slightly to touch a few hands that reach up at me (as though the people they belong to weren’t just in my immediate vicinity a few minutes before I took the stage).
Still a bit unsteady, I grip the microphone tight as Riff solos on the second verse, playing up his country drawl.
“‘I think the moonlight’s makin’ me bold. I borrow the voice on the track ‘cause I’ve told you all you need to know with motions alone, I feel your energy deep in my bones …’”
The fact that he’s singing my words back to me—and worse, country style—has me reeling.
I add some vocalizations and then we go into the chorus again. Just like the first time, the sound is striking and electric.
By the time we finish the bridge, I’ve forgotten why I’m angry. I’m so lost in the music, in our combined voices, in his dark eyes.
We hit the final note and hold it. Halfway through, the audience erupts.
Dozens of phones are videoing this. Press camera lights flash at us like strobes.
Riff and I cut off at the same time, panting, face to face, letting the response wash over us. I’m sure neither of us knows what to think at this point. Not unlike that first night together, I can’t deny that I feel something, only now it has so much more context—now it’s so much more complicated.
In some ways, what we’ve just done was more intimate than what we did in the Pinkfeather habitat.
And in a matter of minutes, the videos will go up … and our whole corner of the internet will have seen it.
@brielledevere
Such an honor to attend the #CoastalHearts benefit gala tonight—and to witness that duet in person!
@thatgirlsloane
The look she gave him mid-song ?? #harmonysonora #riffhurley #riffvsharm
@bigcitybenson
Not sure wtf is going on but I’m here for it #riffvsharm #harmsway
Shock and Awww: Sonora and Hurley debut romantic duet at Coastal Hearts benefit gala
Is it possible that Harmony Sonora and Riff Hurley have finally called a truce? Philanthropic gala-goers unanimously agree there’s been a sudden and major shift in the “Riff versus Harm” dynamic. Several viral videos show the pair singing together on stage with proverbial stars in their eyes, belting out lyrics about the magic of a first kiss. While influencers such as makeup artist Kiki Lipton described a certain hesitance between the singers at first, socialite Brielle DeVere chalks it up to “nerves about sharing their relationship with the world after such a wild musical ride this past year.” Movie reviewer Nate Detweiler says it was “cinematic” and is curious—like the rest of us—to find out what happens next.
I Don’t Know Where I Went Wrong, but I Can Write a Song
RIFF
Ifidgetwithmywatch as I sit with several members of the Glambam “family” in the VIP lounge of Notes, a club for the likes of executives and moguls in industries such as my own. It seems Charles, Glambam’s Head of A&R, has reserved the entire space just for us, in order to discuss the outrageous display we’ve just been a part of.
Harmony sits on a plush red chair a few feet away, her jaw clenched. Her manager and PR team are with her.
Braden sits next to me, along with my own PR team, while Charles and a couple other label execs take drinks among us.
The seats and small tables are somewhat scattered but we’re all, for the most part, facing one another. The lights are low and moody, while the color scheme is dark. A patterned rug keeps the vibe soft and intimate. Only two servers tend to our needs, probably to keep things discreet.
“I understand that our artists may not be happy with what we’ve done,” Charles says airily as he swirls the whiskey in his glass. “However, I think you’ll find that it’s in everyone’s best interest.”
I loosen the knot in my tie and sigh heavily. “With all due respect, Charles, I think we would have appreciated some kind of warning.”
“I know we kind of ambushed you two,” Stefanie says, “but it was a ‘show versus tell’ situation. You had to go into it blind so we could demonstrate the effect your mutual performance would have.”
Charles takes a sip of his drink. “Exactly. When I was in boarding school, for example, I used to play for the equestrian polo team, and once, I fell and broke my arm. My doctor had to reset it in a closed reduction, and do you know how she handled that?” He waits a beat. “She told me she was going to count to three before she did it. So, I took a deep breath. I braced myself. I knew it was going to be painful. However, Dr. Killingsworth only counted totwobefore she violently snapped my bones back into place. I wasn’t prepared, and yet … my lack of preparation had been for the better. Had she done it on ‘three’ I might have tensed up, flinched, even pulled my arm out of her grasp. I would have thrown off the precision of her work. I might have caused further damage to myself, or at the very least worsened the pain. There are times when it’s best to employ the element of surprise—to avoid weakening a strong technique.”
“Except,” Harmony says, “a publicity stunt isn’t the same thing as fixing a broken bone.”
