‐(knocking) ‐Syd! Syd!
Syd! Did you see what Ricky Angelo posted this morning?
No, the last post I saw read, "Night to all my flans."
I think he meant fans.
Aw, even his typos are cute.
Ricky Angelo, I still can't get his song
"Concrete Rain" out of my head.
♪ Concrete rain ♪
♪ Please don't sing ♪
Hello? Does anyone else care that Ricky
posted a video that could make
‐all of Syd's dreams come true? ‐For real?
‐(music playing) ‐What's up, Ricky Fangelos?
I'm here to announce a song writing competition
to find a fresh young voice to write my next hit.
Wait. I'm fresh. I'm young. I'm a songwriter!
Duh. Kind of why I'm here.
Just submit a video of you singing a song you wrote by this Friday.
My producers will choose five contestants to work with,
and those finalists will get to perform for me live,
and I'll choose the winner and record your song. Good luck.
You have to enter, Syd.
Then, I'll be the grandma of the girl who wrote Ricky's next jam!
P.S. I'm avail for a collab.
Actually, I'm almost done with a song that would be perfect for Ricky.
‐Syd, you are definitely gonna write the next‐‐ ‐Dad, don't.
What? You don't know what I was gonna say.
♪ Concrete rain ♪ Okay, yes you did.
(theme music playing)
♪ Like father, like daughter, we don't always agree ♪
♪ But looking at you is like looking at me ♪
♪ The more things change, the more they stay the same ♪
♪ Like father, like daughter, from different times ♪
♪ Taking all the best from your decade and mine ♪
♪ The more things change ♪
♪ The more they stay the same ♪
♪ Doo‐doo, doo‐doo‐doo‐doo, doo‐doo ♪
♪ The more they stay the same ♪
♪ ♪
Okay, I've been waiting all week.
‐Let me hear your song. ‐Okay.
Here it goes.
And a one, and a two, and a...
Okay, I'm no songwriter, but I'm thinking three?
I'm sorry, Olive, I'm just not ready for anyone to hear it.
Why? I've heard plenty of your songs.
But this one's different. It's more personal.
If I play it, it's like reading you my diary.
Would you want me reading yours?
You can read my diary right now.
"March 27th. I got a sample at the grocery store.
I went back for another one, feeling like a criminal,
but the crouton was worth it."
Wow. It's even more powerful when you hear it out loud.
Anyway, if I can bare my soul,
‐so can you. ‐Okay.
Here it goes.
(strums)
♪ First thing when I wake up ♪
♪ I look in the mirror and I see ♪
♪ Somebody I wanna be ♪
♪ I know that I'm young, but ♪
♪ Can it possibly be as impossible ♪
♪ As it seems ♪
Woo‐hoo!
Syd, that was amazing! I love it.
Thanks, but I'm scared that nobody else will.
You're scared?
Go to October 21st.
(sighs) "And Sydney walked right into class after
everyone laughed at her for kissing her stuffed giraffe."
Olive, this is really not helping.
Keep reading.
"Proving, once again, that Sydney is the bravest girl I know."
Aw.
You can do this, Syd.
Yeah.
You're right. I am not afraid of anything.
I am proud of this song, and I want the world to hear it.
‐And now, let's record it before I chicken out. ‐On it.
♪ ♪
Both (rapping): ♪ I grew up with a bib, no way I'm gonna fib! ♪
♪ Catch me in the crib, eating sauce off the rib! ♪
Man, I love the fly rhymes of The Infamous B. I. B!
Yeah, he's a genius.
Anyone who can rhyme the word "hippopotamus"
with "cryptozoologist" cannot be overlooked.
Are you boys still listening to that silly rapper,
The Infamous B. I. B?
He's a grown man who wears a baby bib.
Ms. Reynolds, the bib is commentary
on how the innocence of childhood can slip through our fingers.
And the baby rattle?
That, I do not have an answer for.
Maybe you two should listen to less rap
and focus more on finding an after‐school club.
I got a letter from your school, it's mandatory now.
But the only clubs still open are
Teacher Appreciation and Sewing Club.
And my hemming is already exquisite!
If you don't join a club, it won't be cool
'cause you'll be stuck in detention after school.
Ooh! I rapped! It is fun!
Man, if there was only a club
where we could listen to rap and practice our rapping skills,
‐that'd be sweet. ‐Max, that's it!
We'll start our own rap club!
Way to think outside the box!
You mean, way to think outside of the beatbox!
That's what I get for giving out a compliment.
‐Is he live? ‐Did we miss it?
Right on time. T‐minus 14 seconds
till Ricky drops the name of the finalists.
Syd, I just want you to know
that no matter what happens, I love you,
and I am so proud of you for even trying.
Why would you say that?
That's what people say to you when they think you're gonna lose.
But that's what you said to me before that triathlon.
Oh look, Ricky's live!
‐(music playing) ‐Hey, what's up, Ricky Fangelos?
Are you ready to hear the songwriting finalists?
Okay, here we go.
From Berkeley, California, Aubrey Brown.
Meh. She sounds basic.
From Houston, Texas, Andrew Rodriguez.
Ugh. He sounds extra.
From my hometown of Portland, Oregon, Sydney Reynolds.
She sounds‐‐ Wait! Noodle! That's you!
‐You made the top five! ‐(laughs)
I'm in the top five! I get to sing for Ricky.
Me, top five,
singing, for Ricky.
I'm babbling, but I don't care.
‐Congrats, Syd. (smooches) ‐Thanks, Dad.
Wow, Max. Way to keep it low‐key.
I was expecting you to go over the top.
Me? Nah! (chuckles): That's‐‐ I wouldn't‐‐
(whirs)
"You go, girl"? But what were you gonna do if I lost?
Oh.
(whirs)
"You tried, girl"? Well played, Dad.
(knocks)
Hi, you must be Sydney! I'm Kim.
B‐T‐dubs, that outfit is V cute.
Oh, thank you V much.
Wow, this is so cool!
Is Ricky here today? I mean, not that I care.
I don't care. Who would care?
Wow, you can totally tell that I care.
Actually, he'll be in tomorrow.
Today's just for you and his producer, Drexel, to work on your song.
Drexel has produced all of Ricky's biggest hits, even "Concrete Rain."
♪ Concrete‐‐ ♪
Yeah, I will wait outside.
Drex, I'd like you to meet Sydney.
Sydney! Great to meet you!
I love your song. "Find My Own Way."
It's just the kind of heartfelt track Ricky's looking for.
‐It's perfect! ‐Wow, thank you!
But it would be even more perfect
if we made a few tweaks, just so it's right for Ricky.
‐Of course. ‐By the way,
I love your whole acoustic sound!
‐Oh, thanks! ‐But...
Ricky's not in an acoustic place right now.
Oh.
Now, he needs something more upbeat.
So, here's a demo of your song I worked up.
(up‐tempo electronic music playing)
Wow! That is definitely upbeat.
I know!
Now, you're lyrics...
‐I love them! ‐Yeah?
But I could love them more.
Of course you could.
You guys are starting a rap club?
I love the hippity‐hop! Can I join?
Yeah, if you stop saying the hippity‐hop.
Can do‐ity do!
Max, we don't have enough kids to start a club.
The only one who signed up is Bucky.
Bucky!
Oh. I know what the problem is.
Not enough kids know how cool rapping can be.
We just gotta show them.
(rapping): ♪ Hey! Join our rap club, it'll be so cool ♪
♪ You'll wanna eat grub, but not the worm ♪
♪ 'Cause that would be gross ♪
♪ I went fishing once on a fly boat! ♪
(laughing)
Bucky, are you crossing your name off the list?
I am‐ity am.
♪ ♪
All right, before I play it,
I just want you to know that the producer
made some changes, so it might be a teeny, tiny, itty‐bitty, bit different.
(Auto‐Tuned): ♪ I feel like we're a blank piece of paper ♪
♪ It feels like this is finally our time ♪
(electronic music continuing)
(song ends)
So, what did you think?
Wow! Love the new beat!
So much energy!
I had to stop myself from dancing!
Guys, come on. Tell me what you really think.
No, Syd, I really liked it.
‐Your version was better. ‐Way better.
Oh, can I change my vote?
I knew it! Drexel ruined my song!
He made it all... mmtz, mmtz, mmtz, mmtz!
He didn't ruin it, Syd. It's just different.
But it's not different.
Now, it's like everything else out there.
It lost everything that made it special.
‐You okay? ‐No.
Drexel changed everything‐‐ the beat, the lyrics.
He took a song about finding myself,
and made it into a shallow dance song.
He didn't change everything.
He even changed the title.
It used to be, "Find My Own Way,"
and now it's, "Find Our Own Way."
(sighs) Why did I even enter a song writing contest
if I can't even play the song I actually wrote?
I bet if Ricky heard your version, he'd love it.
I know he would, but now I'll never get a chance.
Unless...
Unless we find a way to sneak into his studio
and give it to him, right?
Sounds good to me. All I had was "unless."
We're never gonna get this rap club started.
How'd The Infamous B. I. B. get so popular?
B.I.B. and another rapper, TwoClock Parkour...
got into some beef over whose city had the best food.
They started dissing each other and the rest is
"diss‐tory."
Hey, we could write raps
to diss each other at school, just like they did.
Yeah! All the kids will be like,
"Sick burn! Let me into your rap club!"
And we'll be all tough like, "Pen's right here.
Write your name so we can read it."
As long as we don't say anything to embarrass each other.
Yeah. Like, you could say,
♪ Leo drinks milk way too fast ♪
♪ It's like, slow down, man, put down the glass! ♪
That's a good diss!
Ooh, you're dissing each other? I can help.
Max uses hair gel on his eyebrows,
and he once brought home a possum, thinking it was a cat.
Ooh!
And Leo's favorite food is liver,
and he secretly joined my book club.
Ooh!
Susan can keep a secret. Why can't you?
♪ ♪
Okay, Iggy, do you remember the plan?
Yep. I meet you here.
‐Then? ‐There's more?
Just say that somebody ordered the pizza,
and then we'll pretend to be your trainees,
so we can follow you in, and I'll give my song to Ricky.
Got it. Who's Ricky?
‐Can I help you? ‐Uh...
Somebody order pizza?
All right, you're good to go in.
Wait. Who are you two?
We're his trainees.
Why would a pizza guy need trainees?
'Cause Iggy has to quit his job soon.
‐I do? ‐Yeah.
Didn't you just get accepted into... Yale?
I did? Well,
I did get a perfect score on my SATs.
Both: You did?
You all can go in, just make it quick.
(gasps) Syd.
There's Ricky.
It's like in my dream, except Ricky's not a llama,
and I'm not a llama wrangler.
Hey, Dario.
Wait, that's Kim. If she catches me,
I'll never get to Ricky. Quick, hide!
Hey, Ricky ordered us pizza! Nice.
Whoa.
I just got into Yale!
Okay... Let's take this to the kitchen.
(whispering): Wow, that was close.
Now, we just need to get my song to Ricky. Let's go.
(tuning guitar)
Where's Ricky?
‐Hey, do you guys know where Ricky went? ‐Sydney?
Both: Aah!
What are you doing here?
Uh...
Delivering pizzas. It's my side hustle.
Speaking of pizzas,
we should make sure Ricky got his.
Oh, Ricky just left.
What? No.
Well, don't worry. He had a really big lunch.
That's it. Ricky's never gonna hear my song.
I'm sorry, Syd.
Hey!
I just got a record contract!
Oh, wait. This is just a receipt.
♪ ♪
Why are you two wearing pizza delivery outfits?
What's going on, Noodle?
I tried to get to Ricky so I could play him
my original song, but it didn't work.
And now, I have to sing the song that I don't believe in,
the one with all the... untz, untz, untz, untz.
Look, it may not be as heartfelt or as deep as your song,
but... untz, untz, untz can be fun!
I had fun doing that just now.
And I could totally jam out to that song in my spin class!
I might even stay till the end.
Okay, so it's not the song you wanted to sing for Ricky,
but you get to sing for Ricky, that's huge!
And what if you win? That's even huger.
Yeah, if I win, it would be a foot in the door,
and then I'd get to write whatever songs I want!
I'm gonna do it.
I am gonna sing that song and win.
That's the Syd I know and wear!
Huh?
That's a little over‐the‐top, don't you think?
♪ ♪
All right, remember, stick to the disses we planned.
If we sell the beef, we get the club.
What'd you say about me?
Oh, we got beef now!
Well, if we're beefing,
there's only one way to settle this!
(electronic music playing)
Rap battle!
(cheering)
(rapping): ♪ Leo's scared of butterflies, but why? ♪
♪ He's a pretty nice guy ♪
♪ Max sometimes forgets to floss ♪
♪ But it's his loss 'cause you know how much the dentist costs!
(groaning)
These raps are lame, and trust me, Bucky knows lame.
Dude, we gotta turn up the heat.
(electronic beat playing)
(rapping): ♪ Leo, man! Your feet really stanky ♪
♪ It's like you stuffed your shoes with onions from the pantry! ♪
Crowd: Oh!
Hey! Stinky feet run in my family.
♪ Coming from the boy who eats boogers as a snack ♪
♪ I can't help but laugh 'cause that's just plain whack! ♪
Crowd: Oh!
♪ Since you said that, I'll drop this little bomb ♪
♪ Leo watches soap operas ♪
♪ With his sister and his mom! ♪
Crowd: Oh!
♪ Wow, Max! I was gonna give you a pass ♪
♪ But guess what? He's the one who farted Monday in class! ♪
Crowd: Oh!
Oh! Ho‐ho!
‐I'm signing up! ‐Me too.
(music stops)
‐Hey! Looks like we got the rap club started. ‐Yeah.
But now we're gonna have to keep dissing each other every week.
I don't wanna diss you.
I don't wanna diss you either.
Maybe we should drop the rap club.
Guess we got sewing club in our future.
Yeah! And who said we can't rap while we sew?
(rapping): ♪ Gonna sew up these stitches on shirts and pants ♪
♪ So sit back, relax, and watch my fingers dance! ♪
Or we can just sew.
♪ ♪
(applause, cheering)
Thank you, Aubrey!
Don't look now,
but I just saw Ricky do a hair flip in person.
I can't believe I'm in the same room as Ricky's hair.
Our last finalist is Sydney Reynolds.
(cheering)
Sydney is performing a song
that comes straight from her heart.
"Find Our Own Way."
Woo‐hoo! Go, Syd!
(electronic music playing)
(Auto‐Tuned): ♪ First thing when I wake up ♪
♪ I look at your picture and I see somebody ♪
♪ Who gets me to‐‐ ♪
‐Wait! ‐(music stops)
I'm sorry. I can't do this.
(audience murmuring)
(knocks)
Hey. Sydney, right?
Oh my gosh. Ricky. Oh, wow.
I'm so Ricky‐‐ I mean, sorry.
Don't be sorry. You were nervous. I've been there.
No, I wasn't nervous. I mean, I'm nervous now
because you're Ricky and you're talking to me.
‐Then what happened? ‐It's the song.
Drexel's version was great, but...
it's not mine.
And I can't sing something I don't believe in.
Hey, hey. If you feel this strongly,
you should sing your version.
‐Really? ‐This contest was
always about finding a new young voice.
I wanna hear yours.
Wow, you're even more perfect than I imagined.
I said that out loud, didn't I?
No, I didn't hear anything.
But thanks.
(sighs)
Same song, just follow my lead.
(playing slow, simple melody)
♪ First thing when I wake up ♪
♪ I look in the mirror and I see ♪
♪ Somebody I wanna be ♪
♪ I know that I'm young, but can it possibly be ♪
♪ As impossible as it seems ♪
♪ I wanna be brave and strong ♪
♪ But when eyes are on you ♪
♪ It changes everything ♪
♪ Changes everything ♪
♪ Wanna dive right in ♪
♪ Show them all I can do anything ♪
♪ I can do anything ♪
♪ I feel like I'm a blank piece of paper ♪
♪ It feels like this is finally my time ♪
♪ I know that I was made for something greater ♪
♪ I'm leaving all of my fears behind ♪
♪ Yeah, I don't know how ♪
♪ But I've been dreaming about this ♪
♪ So I'll do whatever it takes ♪
♪ To find my own way ♪
♪ I feel like I'm a blank piece of paper ♪
♪ It feels like this is finally my time ♪
♪ I know that I was made for something greater ♪
♪ I'm leaving all of my fears behind ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ I don't know how, but I've been dreaming about this ♪
♪ So I'll do whatever it takes ♪
♪ To find my own way ♪
(cheering)
Okay, people!
Ricky will now take a few minutes to decide the winner.
No. I think I already know.
Like I said, he will not be taking a few minutes
because he already knows.
The writer for my next hit single is...
Woo! You go, Syd!
...Aubrey Brown.
Yeah, Aubrey Brown.
I'm sorry, Noodle.
That does it.
I'm off the Ricky train.
I am so over him!
(gasps) Hi, Ricky!
Sydney, can I talk to you?
I just want you to know that I was really moved by your song.
Then why didn't you pick it?
'Cause it's not right for me,
and it's not right for anyone except you.
It's your song, Sydney, you should sing it.
Me? But I'm a songwriter, not a singer.
Maybe that's something you should reconsider.
I mean, you have something to say,
and you have a voice to say it with.
‐Seriously? ‐Seriously.
You guys aren't gonna believe this.
Ricky thinks I should be a singer!
He's not the only one, Noodle.
You've got some pipes.
Must've skipped a generation.
One, two‐‐ Oh man, that's me.
I never thought singing my own stuff was even a possibility.
But then again, I never thought hugging Ricky Angelo
was a possibility either.
That's right. You hugged Ricky!
I'm hugging the same person Ricky just hugged.
I'm basically hugging Ricky!
♪ ♪
Look at you, hard at work on your next song.
♪ Abraham Lincoln was at a play ♪
♪ Thinking nothing wa‐‐ ♪ No, that's...
Yeah, not my new song,
but you made my history paper very catchy.
So, listen, now that you are going to be a singer,
I was thinking, we could turn the smoothie shop into a performance space.
Aw, thanks, Dad, but I just wanna
ease into this whole singing thing.
As Ricky says in his song "Gotta Take Your Time,"
you gotta take your time.
I hear you, but when you're ready, I'm behind you all the way.
Thanks, Dad.
And your grandma was wrong about music skipping a generation.
In my day, I was actually quite the rapper.
You're kidding?
No. I got a lot of talents you don't know about.
And you have got a ripped seam. I'll go grab my sewing kit!
♪ ♪
♪ Doo‐doo, doo‐doo‐doo‐doo, doo‐doo ♪
Man: Oh yeah!