Although I was only a year old when Total Request Live (TRL) first premiered, it quickly became essential to my childhood. I was ecstatic yet nervous to see how this reboot would turn out. Now I am comparing the new TRL and seeing how well it holds up to the original.
I was able to breathe my first sigh of relief when I noticed TRL returned to their iconic Times Square studio. Although the inside got a modern makeover, there is still the famous window that gives fans outside a peek at the action.
Unfortunately O.G host Carson Daly and everybody’s favorite hot mess, Jesse Camp did not return, although I’m still keeping my fingers crossed. The reboot is now hosted by social media stars DC Young Fly and Tamara Dhia and features influencers such as the Dolan Twins as guest VJs (video jockeys). Insta-famous DJ, Amy Pham serves as the in-house DJ. The VJs do a great job of keeping the show going, but the reboot seems to lack some of that Daly-esque charm of interacting with a live audience. Classic TRL fans can rejoice though, original VJ Lala makes a guest appearance!
The show still features appearances from musicians of all genres including Ed Sheeran, DJ Khaled, Nick Jonas and Lil Yachty. The show also nods to its roots, asking Nick Jonas about his previous appearances on the show and premiering Lil Yachty’s latest music video via a VHS tape hidden in a piñata. Artists such as Ed Sheeran even announced his upcoming tour on air in typical TRL fashion.
One thing different about the reboot though, instead of showing the 10 most requested videos of the day (the “R” in TRL), the reboot has their musical guest add a song to a weekly playlist and then fans vote on their favorites, revealing the top five of the week on Friday’s episode.
My biggest fear was that TRL was going to tone down their content since a lot of their new audience is tuning in for their favorite influencers. I was pleasantly surprised when before the first episode even aired, they took time to discuss the tragic shooting that took place in Las Vegas the night before. Throughout the week they touched on current issues such as taking a knee during the National Anthem, DACA and Puerto Rico.
Overall the reboot isn’t perfect, but it has potential. MTV did a great job of blending TRL nostalgia with current trends. TRL is the perfect platform to provide music and news to young adults and I can’t wait to see where it will go in the future.
All gifs from: giphy.com