u/DotSpecial11

Hey everyone! Im new here clearly haha. I’m a huge Beyoncé fan, and while we’re currently in the Beydration period waiting for new music, I decided it was a good time to really dive into another artist with incredible range and versatility. I kept seeing Beyoncé fans recommend RAYE, so I figured it was finally time.

I was already familiar with and loved “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND” I also knew she wrote “BIGGER” for The Lion King: The Gift, which has always been one of my favorite songs on that album.

So I finally sat down with My 21st Century Blues.

Ironically, my first listen didn’t really click like I wanted it too. I was on a road trip, and after about the fourth song I found myself struggling to connect fully. I liked the second track, but the third and fourth were hard to get into fully. And I decided that just wasn’t the time to get into a new album. However looking back, I don’t think that was the album’s fault, it was definitely mine.

Whenever I get into a new artist, I usually have a little ritual that consist of headphones on, no distractions, and really listening to the music in the comfort of my home.
So I gave it another shot, and it was a completely different expirence in the best way possible.

This time I really connected with the lyrics, the production, and especially her voice. She’s such a versatile vocalist, and I found myself appreciating the emotion behind each song so much more.

I also read about the story behind the album and how it was, in many ways, an “F-you” to the music industry after everything she went through, and how some of the songs had been sitting unreleased for years. Knowing that made me appreciate the project even more. Despite pulling from different periods of her career, I thought the album still flowed together beautifully and felt incredibly cohesive.
For a debut studio album, I honestly thought it was really strong.

Next up is My 21st Century Symphony (Live at the Royal Albert Hall). I’m a huge fan of live albums, so I’m really excited to experience her music in that setting.

Needless to say… y’all gained another RAYE fan. Looking forward to digging into the rest of her catalog.

Anything I should also listen too next that y’all recommend besides her second studio album “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE”?

I own a small business and am looking for outside perspectives on a contractor compensation issue.

About six months ago, we entered into a written independent contractor agreement with an individual. The agreement clearly established a commission-based compensation structure tied to revenue generated from projects and opportunities they helped bring into the company. There was never a salary, hourly wage, retainer, or guaranteed monthly compensation.

The contractor is non-exclusive and has always been free to pursue other employment, freelance work, or clients.
The type of projects our business works with require a lengthy onboarding, delivery, approval, and release process before revenue is generated. (Something the contractor was aware of before coming onboard) Even under normal circumstances, it can take six months or more from acquisition before a project begins generating revenue.

During the course of the relationship, the contractor has helped bring a small number of projects into the company. However, the role is not a full-time position, does not require exclusivity, and is not directly responsible for closing revenue-generating transactions on an ongoing basis.

The projects sourced by this contractor are still moving through the normal onboarding, delivery, approval, and release process. Because the compensation agreement is tied to revenue generated by those specific projects, commissions are not earned until the projects reach the monetization stage. While the company continues to operate and generate revenue from other business activities, the projects associated with this contractor’s commission arrangement have not yet generated commissionable revenue, and therefore no commissions have yet become payable under the agreement.

Recently, the contractor requested a recurring monthly compensation arrangement after previously raising the issue. We reviewed the request internally but determined that, while we value the contractor’s contributions, we do not believe the role as currently structured justifies or supports a recurring monthly compensation arrangement. The role was established as a commission-based independent contractor position, and the signed agreement reflects that structure.

The contractor’s position is that their continued contributions justify revisiting compensation despite the original agreement.

My position is that while I value their contributions, I also feel obligated to honor the signed agreement and avoid creating fixed expenses the business cannot reasonably support, particularly when the role was originally structured around commission-based compensation.

For other small business owners:

Would you maintain the original commission structure?

Would you consider a one-time advance against future commissions?

Is there another approach you would take?

I’m interested in hearing how others would handle this situation from a business management perspective.

I know us horror fans usually roll our eyes when a remake gets announced, but there are definitely some exceptions.

Which horror remake do you think is better than the original, or at least deserves way more credit than it gets?

Mine would probably be John Carpenters The Thing - 1982.