Paramount+'s Behind the Music revival is mostly the same show

The Daily Beast

In fact, the first two episodes of the documentary series, profiling Ricky Martin and LL Cool J, are virtually identical to Behind the Music's Remastered episodes that aired featuring the two artists in 2011 and 2013, respectively, says Kyndall Cunningham. "The parts of the episode that feel the freshest are when the writers re-examine Martin’s legacy within the context of the new wave of Latin artists dominating U.S. charts like Maluma, Rosalia, Ozuna, and fellow Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny—the latter of whom appears throughout the documentary to discuss the impact of growing up with Martin as a national figure and, at one point, even relates to being pestered by the media about his sexual orientation," says Cunningham. "LL Cool J’s episode is also in conversation with the current era of rap music that’s been penetrated by Black Lives Matter and other social movements in recent years. Competing with the angrier, overtly political sounds of Public Enemy and N.W.A, LL Cool J found himself at a crossroads in the late ’80s when his party anthems and romantic ballads failed to strike a chord with hip-hop fans, resulting in a unanimous booing at the Apollo that would provide inspiration for 'Mama Said Knock You Out.' The new episode covers his decision to make his most political statement to date in a freestyle about the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd that he posted on Instagram last summer. In examining his fraught relationship with politics, the episode curiously omits “Accidental Racist,” his much-maligned duet with Brad Paisley from 2013 in which the country singer defends the Confederate flag as a symbol of Southern pride."