Aretha’s Genius bio reveals trailer, premiere date

Watch the trailer for the series about the Queen of Soul, courtesy of National Geographic.

National Geographic and Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) have revealed the highly anticipated premiere date and official series trailer for the multiple Emmy award-winning anthology series Genius: Aretha. The new season will premiere in the U.S. with double-stacked episodes across four consecutive nights, beginning on Sunday, March 21, at 9/8c. The premiere episodes will be available the next day on Hulu, culminating in a celebration of Aretha Franklin’s birthday, with all eight episodes available to stream by Thursday, March 25.

Additionally, National Geographic’s ongoing podcast series The Making Of released the first of three Genius: Aretha themed episodes, which features in-depth interviews with individuals who are both in front of the camera and also those behind the scenes.

Watch the trailer:

GENIUS is National Geographic’s critically acclaimed anthology series that dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators and their extraordinary achievements with their volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. This third season will explore Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world. Franklin was a gospel prodigy, an outspoken civil rights champion and widely considered the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career. 

Without knowing how to read music, Franklin taught herself to play the piano; at the young age of 12, she began to record songs and sing on gospel tours with her father. She signed her first record deal at age 18 with Columbia Records. In 1966, she moved to Atlantic Records, where she recorded many of her most iconic songs. In 1979, she began a 40-year friendship and partnership with Clive Davis, which produced a number of hit songs, including the highest charting and bestselling song of her career, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” a duet with George Michael. The legendary singer is one of the world’s bestselling musical artists of all time, with more than 75 million records sold globally during her career. Her voice was identified as a “natural resource” by her home state of Michigan.

Listen to the podcast taking you behind the scenes of the making of Genius: Aretha here.