Diandra Reviews It All- Little Voice Is A Return To, Sweet Music Dramas
Premiering July 10, on Apple TV, I have to chalk up Little Voice as another WIN for the streaming app that has struggled to get enough originals to make audiences say, “Okay! Worth the monthly fee!” Defending Jacob was an exceptional series and thriller. While Little Voice is, obviously, lighter, it is equally endearing and addicting.
I love music dramas and documentaries, and still mourn the cancellation of Star, of which Little Voice’s lead (Brittany O’Grady as Bess King) was one of the best characters/ actors of the show. While she may still be singing and struggling to find her “voice,” in this series, her character feels solid, sweet, and unwilling to become jaded and tainted by an industry that doesn’t take you as are because it, literally, runs on images. What is so refreshing about Bess, as a protagonist, is that she is a noble person trying to figure out if her heart could, literally, fit in the glamorous, cut-throat nature of the music world. She REALLY loves to sing and puts her heart, as much as her talent, into songs, but part of why Little Voice differentiates itself from other, music dramas is that it focuses on a very real dilemma for a lot of artists; it is not just about if you can make it, but how you make it?
Little Voice – Official Trailer | Apple TV+
Sometimes, life is not about the destination as much as the journey, and whether you want to arrive somewhere as yourself or the best version of you. This truth flourishes through some melodramatic storylines that give this Sara Bareilles, JJ Abrams, and Jessie Nelson’s creation an undercurrent of campiness. While, usually, the term is associated with “sophisticated gaudiness,” it also allures to kitschy goodness that is addicting. This comes in the form of relationships, especially the central, love triangle between O’Grady’s Bess, Sean Teale’s Ethan, and Colton Ryan’s Samuel. Both are good guys, trying to thrive in their own talents, which, even that, makes Little Voice refreshing. Frankly, there are not really “villains” as much as people aware of human sensitivity (artists) and those who are not (business execs), and how we are all trying to maneuver through each other.
Stylistically and sonically, there is a warmth and raw sentimentality to Little Voice, and all of its characters that allows audiences to observe their journeys: not judge them. You watch Ananya (Nadia Mohebban) and Prisha (Shalina Bathina) fall in love as both try to figure out what it means to own your sexuality to yourself, others, and your partner. (Also, in the show, they are apart of Flor de Toloache: a real life all-female, Mariachi band that is AMAZING!) Then, you have storylines like Phillip Johnson Richardson’s Benny who is loyal and fun with Bess as her manager/bestie; trying to figure out who he is while trying to make her beyond herself. From characters like, Bess’ superbly talented, but alcoholic dad, Chuck Cooper’s Percy, to her lovely brother/ Broadway baby Louie ( Kevin Valdez), this show is about people trying to find themselves spiritually via music.
Sara Bareilles – Little Voice (From the Apple TV+ Original Series “Little Voice” – Audio)
Ultimately, Little Voice feel like a tender show about the need for more tenderness in art and between people. It gives off a vibe of folkish humility while enrapturing audiences with the age-old tale of the young girl being swept by “city lights.” The difference is that O’Grady’s Bess is a protagonist kind and smart enough to see, if you truly love what you are doing, then nothing can sweep you away. Little Voice Comes Out July 10.
