TRL gets ready for a reboot, attempting to reach a new generation of music fans
Total Request Live, widely known as TRL, was a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos and daily guests.
The show played the ten most requested music videos of the day as fans voted through the phone or online. Carson Daly and Damien Fahey hosted the original show from 1998 to 2008, and it’s back for a revival as of Oct. 2.
As the platform that featured celebrities and artists such as Mariah Carey, NSYNC and Destiny’s Child, TRL gave the world access to up and coming artists.
The show returns this fall in the hope of capturing the latest celebrity-obsessed generation. Now, nine years later, the question is “How it will function in a social media and smartphone crazed society?” The one thing that TRL has on its side is how monumental the reboot feels to a generation that’s way older than MTV’s main demographic.
While many original fans are doubtful, TRL 2.0 will be successful for many reasons. The first being the new generation of hosts that MTV will bring in: social media influencers, Vine stars and comedians. With the new hosts’ social media following and their relevance with millennials and Gen. Z, my hopes are high.
Aside from social media influencers, celebrities and their fan bases have never been more connected. Unlike 10 years ago, fans will feel involved in the action that is going on TV.
The old TRL thrived on being interactive, live and daily, which gave teens something to do at that 3:00 time frame right after school. But when the invention of online streaming arrived, the consumer no longer had to wait for TV programming — it was suddenly at their fingertips. Now, TRL can use smartphones and social media to its advantage, creating a more personal experience between fans and artists.
TRL will face a struggle as it fights its ancient age. Monday’s premiere featured DJ Khaled, Ed Sheeran and Migos. It did not show any music videos or requests. The show was filled with videos that would most likely be shown on YouTube, such as a 6 year old who rapped Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow,” as well as Ed Sheeran playing a game called “heart, follow, block.”
While this content, on the surface, doesn’t seem that compelling, what the show has under its belt is a nostalgic fan base, people who were once teens tuning in every day after school, but who are now spending their days in cubicles. Some people think the reboot is a flop, but personally, I think people just want to feel young again, and the new TRL reboot will have that power over people.
Phoebe Smith is a senior public relations major. Her column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email her at phsmith@syr.edu or follow her on Twitter @phoebesmithh5.