“When was the last truly fucking nasty, nasty bad pop girl?” Good question! I have no idea – I don’t know what this question even really means – but it’s the perfect way to introduce the final (?) trailer for HBO’s painfully provocative series The Idol. Just as Troye Sivan’s character asks that question, Britney Spears’ ‘Gimme More’ kicks in, along with a barrage of exactly what you would expect from a show created by The Weekend and Euphoria’s Sam Levinson: Lily-Rose Depp in clubs, Lily-Rose Depp in an open-top car, Lily-Rose Depp in sleazy red lighting. When was the last truly fucking nasty, nasty bad pop girl? I have no idea (was it Britney?), but now I want to find out.
A quick recap for those unaware of what any of this is about: Depp plays a pop star called Jocelyn, not a name you might associate with a pop star, but pleasingly random nonetheless. The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) stars as Tedros, cult leader and Jocelyn’s love interest. Over six episodes, they enter a complicated relationship (the official synopsis), leading to glamorous, explosive, sad fall-out (my conjecture). The cast includes Troye Sivan, Rachel Sennott, Hari Nef, Hank Azaria, Dan Levy, and Suzanna Son: a truly breath-taking range of names and acting abilities.
Most headlines about The Idol have revolved around its troubled production. Tesfaye first announced the show in the summer of 2021, and filming began that November. The following April, news broke that there would be a creative overhaul, affecting both the cast and plot. Director Amy Seimetz departed. Last month, Rolling Stone published an article detailing how the show had become “twisted ‘torture porn’”, in which sources spoke about behind-the-scenes chaos. I have no reason to doubt any of these claims, but I also have no reason to doubt that good things can come from mess.
Over four trailers, The Idol’s vibe has mostly been vibes. Justice songs, neon, shiny hair, shinier limbs. There appears to be sex, but it doesn’t look overtly sexy. It seems to lean heavily on The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola’s mid 2010s ode to bad behaviour in Hollywood. The latest trailer is a little more revealing, delineating the power players which make up Jocelyn’s ecosystem, and her character arc. “You got the best job in the world,” Tedros whispers to her, “you should be having way more fun.”
She should be having more fun, and so should we. The Idol? It looks fun. Any criticism about the writing (let us generously call it “direct”) and acting (let us even more generously call this “uncomplicated”) look set to be subsumed by glamorous, sleazy fun. (Levinson’s other HBO project, Euphoria, is also sleazy but not very fun.) When The Idol debuts in June (after an out-of-competition debut at Cannes), a dry, not usually culturally-rich stretch of the year, I am willing to let its sleaziness take over. Maybe it will turn us all into nasty, nasty, bad pop girls, if just for a summer.
‘The Idol’ debuts on HBO on June 4
Henry Wong is a senior culture writer at Esquire, working across digital and print. He covers film, television, books, and art for the magazine, and also writes profiles.
