The singer-songwriter and actress Brandy (Cinderella) has joined the cast of the pilot for potential new series Queens at ABC. A musical hip-hop drama, Brandy will also be writing original music for the show, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
The official synopsis for Queens picked up by Entertainment Weekly is detailed as “four women in their 40s reunite for a chance to recapture their fame and regain the swagger they had as the Nasty Bitches — their ’90s group that made them legends in the hip-hop world.” The potential series is created by Zahir McGheen (Private Practice) who has worked on various ABC series, including Scandal and Stumptown.
Brandy will play Naomi, also known by her stage name as Xplicit Lyrics. A talented musician and former member of Nasty Bitches, she’s fallen on hard times. Following the casting announcement, ABC released an elaborate character description picked up by Entertainment Weekly: “A true artist with boundless musical talent — Naomi was certain she’d go on to mainstream success after the group’s demise. She hasn’t, singing and playing her guitar in crappy dive bars where all people want is her old persona. When the group gets back together, Naomi is reunited with the only man she ever loved, and the rival bandmate who stole that man from her. But what Naomi wants more than anything is to build a relationship with the daughter she was never really there for — if she only knew how.”
Brandy announced the news of her casting on Instagram, writing, “For all my #Queens! So excited to share this news with you all. Thank God for allowing me to bring my two loves music and acting together!” See her full post below:
The cast will also star the talk-show host, rapper, and actress Eve (Glee) as Brianna, another member of the band. Naturi Naughton (Power) will star as the founding member of the group, Jill, and Pepi Sonuga (Famous in Love) will be featured as an up and coming hip-hop star.