Music documentaries are both an inspiration and a reminder that dreams come true. Some of these documentaries give us a peek into an artist’s creative process, their humble beginnings, interviews, etc. Others provide an intimate look into an artist’s professional and personal life, things that are kept hidden behind the scenes, behind all the glamor; or something that the artist struggles with.
2022 saw documentaries from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, whose ‘driving home to u (a Sour film)’ premiered on Disney+, and Jennifer Lopez (‘Halftime’), among others.
From ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’ to ‘Love, Lizzo’, we’ve compiled a list of five upcoming music documentaries you should watch –
Lizzo
Lizzo has announced the title and release date of her forthcoming documentary, coming to HBO Max on November 24, 2022. “Finally telling my story, My Way,” she wrote on social media while sharing the artwork of her documentary film. “Love, Lizzo coming November 24th ? only on @hbomax.” According to Billboard, the press release shared with them about the Grammy and Emmy-winning star’s documentary says that ‘Love, Lizzo’ will “explore the journey of a trailblazing superstar who has become the movement the world desperately needed just by being herself.”
This has been a big year for the three-time Grammy-winning artist, who dropped her fourth full-length album ‘Special’. The record gave us tunes like ‘About Damn Time’ and ‘2 Be Ready (Am I Ready)’ which entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. ‘About Damn Time’ is a chart-topping hit that was the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks.
Last month, Lizzo won an Outstanding Competition Program – 2022 Emmy award for ‘Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls’. She is currently on a North American tour in support of her latest album ‘Special’. The ‘Truth Hurts’ hitmaker is set to make stops in cities like Chicago, Houston, and Vancouver before wrapping up the first leg of the tour in Inglewood on November 19. Lizzo’s journey in her career has truly been inspirational.
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion revealed that she is currently filming her documentary series in a reply to a fan’s tweet on Twitter. According to Variety, the docu-series helmed by Nneka Onuorah (‘Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrrls’) will “touch on how Megan overcame various personal hurdles to thrive in her professional career.” Details about the docu-series title, release date, or the platform on which it will premiere have not been announced yet. It is produced by Time Studios and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which Megan signed with three years ago.
Megan Thee Stallion is one of the hottest artists right now! The three-time Grammy-winning artist has scored two chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Her latest album ‘Traumazine’ featuring collaborations from American rapper Latto, American singer Jhené Aiko, Future, singer-songwriter Lucky Daye, and Dua Lipa, among others, came out in July this year. She also performed at Rock in Rio and did a cameo in Marvel’s latest project ‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’ on Disney Plus.
Selena Gomez
On World Mental Health Day, Selena Gomez shared the trailer for her forthcoming Apple+ documentary ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’. While announcing the release date of the trailer, Selena wrote: “I’m a little nervous but also excited to share this side of me with you all,” on Instagram.
Child actress-turned-pop star Selena Gomez has been in the limelight for most of her life, and like many of her peers, stardom took a toll on her mental health. Gomez has opened up about her struggles with her mental health (being diagnosed with anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression) and has been a part of discussions about mental health. She has also launched Wondermind, a mental health platform “with the mission of destigmatizing and democratizing mental health.” She also donated 10% of all profits from her collection with Our Place “to expand mental health services with Rare Beauty’s Rare Impact Fund.”
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Rare Beauty was founded by Selena Gomez in 2020. The Rare Impact Fund is a part of this brand’s “commitment” to help those in need with access to the resources to look after their mental health.
“After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light,” reads the description of the documentary ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’ that premieres on November 4 on Apple TV+. Selena also teases a new song in the trailer, though its title and release date are yet to be revealed.
From playing Alex Russo in ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ to starring in Hulu’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’ as Mabel, Gomez has seen much success in her acting and music career. She also voiced the character of Mavis in the ‘Hotel Transylvania’ franchise and stars in her cooking show ‘Selena + Chef’ on HBO Max. For over a decade, the Emmy-nominated star has offered us hits after hits to enjoy. Her 2021 release ‘Revelación’ was nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the Latin Grammy Awards 2022.
Michael Jackson
Nelson George is helming a documentary about the legendary Michael Jackson’s iconic album ‘Thriller’. The release date of the untitled documentary film, which will include “never-before-seen footage and candid interviews,” is yet to be revealed, but it will be distributed by Sony Music Entertainment. Next month marks 40 years since the release of ‘Thriller,’ the biggest-selling album of all time.
The album featured songs like ‘Beat It’, ‘Bille Jean’, ‘P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)’, and the title track, ‘Thriller’. It also won 8 Grammy awards. The documentary will focus on the era in Michael’s career that launched him “into mega-stardom and created a pop culture phenomenon that is woven through the culture and continues to influence the worlds of music, television, dance, fashion and more to this day,” as per Deadline.
Nicki Minaj
Back in July, Nicki Minaj shared the trailer of her upcoming six-part documentary series on Instagram. “I took some time to perfect this very intimate, delicate, electrifying, inspiring body of work,” she wrote.
“As I decide on a home for this project, I can’t help but reflect on what I’m including in this doc. Some things are so personal, it’s scary. It’s like NOTHING you’ve seen before & I need it to be handled with care,” Nicki added. The ‘Starships’ rapper didn’t mention the release date on her social media but said it will be “coming out sooner than you think.” Bron Studios has produced the docu-series titled ‘Nicki’ but the platform on which it will be released is yet to be known.
Nicki Minaj, one of the greatest and most popular rappers of our time, was honored with the MTV VMAs Video Vanguard Award this year. Her 2022 solo song ‘Super Freaky Girl’ debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first female rapper to achieve this feat (without a feature or accompaniment) since Ms. Lauryn Hill 24 years ago.
