From Hollywood to Home: Black Voices in Entertainment
- New theme updates the original with 808 drums and synth, modernizing sound while preserving the soul of A Different World.
- Theme co-written by Stu Gardner, Bill Cosby, and Dawnn Lewis; previously performed by Phoebe Snow, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, and Terrence Forsythe.
- The reboot centers on Hillman College's next generation, reunites original cast, and premieres on Netflix September 24.
Brandy Norwood has been revealed as the mystery vocalist on the new theme song for Netflix‘s A Different World reboot.
On Tuesday, Netflix released a video of Norwood performing the reboot’s theme song, which features an original beat and lyrics from previous versions sung by Phoebe Snow, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, and Terrence Forsythe.
In the clip, Norwood signals the engineer before launching into a performance of the theme, which captures the songstress delivering impassioned vocals over a pulsating instrumental. The 808 drum and synth-driven track gives the new theme a modernized feel while retaining the soul of prior renditions.
Norwood, 47, spoke on the honor of being chosen to help recreate the backing song for one of the most beloved sitcoms of her time. “Singing this iconic theme song for A Different World means everything to me,” Norwood told Deadline. “It was one of those shows that I had to watch every time it came on. I remember the song and how it made me feel.”
Co-written by Stu Gardner, Bill Cosby, and cast member Dawnn Lewis, A Different World‘s theme song was originally performed by Phoebe Snow, and aired during the first season of the series. Aretha Franklin’s version of the theme song soundtracked the show’s second through fifth seasons, with Boyz II Men and Forsythe’s rendition airing during its sixth and final season.
The reboot centers around the Hillman College experience of original A Different World characters Dwayne Cleophus Wayne (played by Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley Gilbert-Wayne’s (portrayed by Jasmine Guy) youngest daughter, played by singer and actress Maleah Joi Moon.
Development for the reboot began in 2024 and will include Guy, Hardison, Cree Summer, and Darryl M. Bell reprising their original roles. Additional cast members include Jordan Aaron Hall, Alijah Kai, and Kennedi Reece.
A spinoff of The Cosby Show, A Different World aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987, to July 9, 1993. The series’ cast included Lisa Bonet, Lou Myers, Charnele Brown, Glynn Turman, Dawnn Lewis, Sinbad, Summer, Bell, Guy, and Hardison.
Credited with helping to popularize historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), A Different World also featured cameos from a list of stars and notable figures, with Tupac Shakur, Halle Berry, Jesse Jackson, Lena Horne, Gladys Knight, Richard Roundtree, and more appearing on the show during its original run.
The A Different World reboot premieres September 24 on Netflix.
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