Queens (American TV series)
Queens is an American musical drama television series that premiered on October 19, 2021, on ABC. It stars Eve, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velazquez and Brandy. Plot. Brianna, Naomi, Jill and Valeria once appeared as the "Nasty Bitches" in the 1990s. Together, the four of them not only turned the world of hip-hop upside down but also achieved legendary status through their music. The four women are now in their forties, unworldly and largely estranged from one another. By reuniting the four, there is now a chance to return to old fame and prestige. But will  the former megastars, also known as Professor Sex, Butter Pecan, Jill Da Thrill, and Xplicit Lyrics, manage to achieve this ambitious goal? Production. Development. In January 2021, ABC ordered a pilot for a musical drama titled "Queens" from "Scandal" writer and executive producer, Zahir McGhee. In March 2021, it was announced that Tim Story would direct the pilot episode. On May 14, 2021, "Queens" was given a series order, with an official premiere date of October 19, 2021. Casting. In February 2021, Eve was cast to play the role of Brianna. Later that month, Naturi Naughton landed the role of  Jill. In March, it was announced that Pepi Sonuga would portray Lauren Rice. On March 8, 2021, Brandy was cast in the role as Naomi. The following day, Nadine Velazquez was cast as Valeria, and the day after that, Taylor Sele was cast as Eric Jones. Music. On October 1, 2021, the first promo single from "Queens" (“Nasty Girl") was released featuring Norwood alongside the cast: Eve, Naughton and Velazquez. A music video, directed by Tim Story, was released on the same day. This was followed on October 18, 2021, by another rap song from the "Queens "soundtrack (“The Introduction ”) which was co-written by Nas. A solo song from the soundtrack (“Hear Me”), performed solely by Norwood, was also released worldwide on digital download and streaming sites on the same day. The music producer for the series is Swizz Beatz. To coincide with the second episode of the series, three new tracks were released to all digital download and streaming sites. These were “Belly of the Bitch”, “Heart of Queens” (featuring rapper Cam’ron) and a cover of Miley Cyrus' “Wrecking Ball” performed by Brandy. “Girls Gonna Run That”, rapped by the four leads, was released on November 1 , 2021. Another Brandy solo was released on November 8, 2021, a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain't No Sunshine”. Brandy's "Until My Final Breath" was released on December 13, 2021. On 3 January 2022, "Lady Z Strikes Back (Can't Stop You)" by Brandy and Remy Ma was released. Release. In the United States, the series premiered on October 19, 2021, on ABC. International. In Canada, the series is set to air on CTV. The series is also set to premiere on Disney+ via the streaming hub Star as an original series in selected countries. In Latin America, the  series will premiere as a Star+ original. In India, Disney+ Hotstar will premiere the show exclusively. Reception. Critical response. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10, based on 13 critic reviews. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". "Queens" debuted on October 19, 2021, and reviews were largely positive; Caroline Framke for "Variety" praised the quartet’s musical offering, calling their raps “sharp and distinct […] making clear their talent as both individuals and a swaggering  collective”. Liz Shannon Miller for "Collider" enthused the show “may become addictive viewing for longtime fans of the stars, as well as newcomers to the scene.” Joel Keller for "Decider" felt “There’s nothing revolutionary or daring about Queens, […] but, judging by the first episode, it’s well-executed froth that can go in any direction McGhee and his writers feel like going in.”