The Aaliyah biopic just can't do anything right. After Lifetime scrambled to replace lead actor Zendaya and managed to find a worthy substitute in Nickelodeon's Alexandra Shipp, you might have hoped that Aaliyah: Princess of R&B might catch a break. Well, the show is schedule to air on November 15 and its first trailer just came out – and people are none too happy that it's soundtracked by Iggy Azalea.
Remember the million and one thinkpieces about how Iggy Azalea was ripping off black culture? Hey, there's even one in the Guardian today! But Lifetime clearly didn't get the memo – or it might have known better than to choose Azalea's "Goddess" as the soundtrack for a show about one of the most iconic black R&B singers in history.
Some of the confusion seems to stem from the question of why you'd pick Iggy on the soundtrack of an Aaliyah film as opposed to Aaliyah herself. In fact, the singer's family tried to push back against the biopic at every given opportunity, arguing that her story was not suited for the small screen and that Lifetime hadn't consulted them at all in the production process. As a result, Lifetime hasn't been able to use any Aaliyah music in the film at all.
Well, it looks like they found a solution. Kind of.
Watch the Aaliyah: Princess of R&B trailer below:
