Latest news with #BlackGirlhood
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Liam Payne Featured in Netflix's ‘Building the Band' Trailer
Netflix has released an official trailer and first-look images for its new music competition Building the Band, which includes the late Liam Payne. The teaser and stills for the new series shows mentor-slash-judge Nicole Scherzinger, as well as Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland and the One Direction singer who died in October of last year, bringing their expertise and personal band experience to the competition. AJ McLean, of Backstreet Boys fame, serves as host. More from The Hollywood Reporter Lovie Simone on Black Girlhood, Fashion and All Things 'Forever' Sara Burack, 'Million Dollar Beach House' Real Estate Agent, Dies at 40 Lena Dunham Describes Her Netflix Series 'Too Much': "When a Loud, Messy Jewess Descends on a City of Deeply Repressed People" The release of the show including Payne — whose tragic death in Argentina in October last year shocked the world — has been permitted by his family, Netflix has said. Payne fell to his death from the balcony of a hotel room in Buenos Aires in October 2024. Following his untimely death, the show's producers and Payne's grieving family weighed Payne's inclusion in the series. Ultimately, they decided to move forward. In the new reality show, premiering July 9, 50 musicians form six bands without ever seeing each other — performing from the comfort of individual booths. 'All they have to go on is musical compatibility, connection, chemistry and merit,' a plot synopsis reads. 'What will happen when the bands finally meet, and looks, choreography, and style come into play? With incredible performances, compelling drama, and one big goal — to find the next great music band — the stage is set for an unforgettable experience.' New episodes of Building the Band will roll out in groups every Wednesday, starting with the first four on July 9. Cat Lawson, Alison Holloway, Katrina Morrison, Clara Elliot and Simon Crossley serve as executive producers on the series, made by Remarkable Entertainment and Banijay U.K. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Vogue
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
In Netflix's ‘Forever,' a Love Letter to Black Girlhood
When I was growing up in the '90s, there were plenty of Black characters on TV, but Brandy's Moesha Mitchell—a writer from Los Angeles who wore braids and carried a whole lot on her mind—was the one who felt like me. I was always imaginative and ambitious but didn't know how to channel those things. I wanted to be a writer but didn't think it was possible. But then I watched Maya Angelou guest star on Moesha, and I read Still, I Rise. Suddenly, I saw myself reflected in a way I hadn't before. It was the first time I felt seen—not just as the Black girl, but as someone with depth, creativity, and something tangible to offer the world. Years later, watching Lovie Simone as Keisha in Netflix's Forever has conjured a similar feeling. When I clicked play on the first episode of the series—producer and screenwriter Mara Brock Akil's adaptation of Judy Blume's 1975 novel of the same name—I didn't expect to be in tears at 2 a.m. But now, it strikes me as one of the best portrayals of Black girlhood I've seen in a long time. (Happily, it's already been renewed for a second season.) There aren't many shows out there right now for young Black girls. Before and certainly after the Grown-ish era ended last year, a noticeable gap emerged in coming-of-age stories centering Black characters. (We've come a long way from the UPN days, when Countess Vaughn, Kyla Pratt, and Essence Atkins all led their own shows.) As networks have doubled down on reality TV or leaned into reboots, investment in fresh stories about Black youth has become rare. Yes, we have Euphoria, an acclaimed and wildly popular show with Zendaya as a Black teenage lead. But Rue's story is rooted in addiction, mental illness, and survival—more reflective of an adult world than the everyday experiences of Black teens. Forever shifts the narrative, making a young Black girl's experiences with love, guilt, hope, and heartbreak feel worthy, even urgent. A teen from Los Angeles living with her single mom, Keisha is a student-athlete with her mind set on Howard University, caught in that uncertain space between who she is and who she hopes to become. She's also trying to piece herself back together after a betrayal that would hurt anyone: an ex leaks their sex tape.
