“You gon’ feel sexy as hell,” explains Grammy-winning musician Wyclef Jean, when asked about what people will feel after watching the trailer for A LUV Tale, a new ESSENCE Studios web series for which he scored the theme song.
Click here to down load the Essence Festival app and register for your free tickets to catch the exclusive premiere of A LUV Tale at the 2019 Essence Festival!
It’s not his first time scoring.
In 2005, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for Hotel Rwanda. “I lost to Mick Jagger,” he laughs, via telephone from Frankfort, Germany, adding that he loves scoring and was blown away by this project.
So what exactly is A LUV Tale?
The series will be premiering all 6 episodes at this year’s 25th Essence Festival and is already generating buzz, but Jean had his own reasons for scoring the theme song. “I hadn’t seen anything this sexy in a while,” he said. “It reminded me of the twists and turns that take place in the neighborhood and it felt bold like Precious and Moonlight.”
Though producer Sidra Smith and Jean have been friends for years, she admits that going into the studio to work on this project with him was a bit intimidating at first. “He’s just so brilliant and I’m not a music producer, but I knew that I wanted people to feel the sensuality of the characters,” she explains. “But the way he leaned in to capture the vibe that I needed was just so beautiful and it far exceeded my highest expectations.”
That’s saying a lot from the woman who is currently producing the Angela Davis biopic for Lionsgate—but one look at the trailer will tell you, it’s a mood. It’s sultry, drama-filled and edgy and set in Harlem and begging for a second look.
With the musical score for the series created by Jean, Grammy-winning jazz artist Terri Lynn Carrington and acclaimed musician and composer Ray Angry, it’s clear that music will play a huge role.
On why Sidra’s bringing A LUV Tale back as a web series some 20 years after the film, she says, “When I look at all the challenges the LGBTQ community is facing when it comes to equality, acceptance and transgender issues, I feel there’s no better time than now to see this story.”
Check out trailer above and follow A LUV Tale’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for updates and more screenings.