Nearly a decade after MTV’s “Total Request Live” was discontinued, the hit afternoon series returned Monday, hoping to reach a younger generation of music lovers and reclaim its former popularity.
“Total Request Live” coined its abbreviated title, "TRL," from its original host Carson Daly. Daly, the show’s most famous host, brought popularity to the show after its launch in 1998. He left the show in 2003 as mass media and social networking took off, and the "TRL" audience began to outgrow the excitement of boy band performances and music video countdowns.
During its prime, "TRL" crowned some of pop culture’s most iconic moments including Britney Spears’ performance of “Oops!... I Did It Again,” Destiny’s Child disbanding and Mariah Carey’s infamous surprise appearance.
"TRL" became an after-school phenomenon for teenagers of the '90s and 2000s. In 2017, MTV hopes to attract the same enthusiasm through different content and a new audience.
The former "TRL" studio in New York City’s Times Square has been renovated, more than doubling in size. The show will not include its traditional music video countdown and will instead focus on live performances, interactions with the audience, social activism and the occasional meme, bringing a new energy to the series.
Daly did not return to the show for its relaunch. The show is now hosted by rapper and comedian D.C. Young Fly along with co-host Tamara Dhia, the former producer and news anchor of Complex. The rest of the “TRL" squad will include DJ, actress and TV host Amy Pham, iHeartMedia’s Erik Zachary, journalist Lawrence Jackson and social media stars Liza Koshy and the Dolan Twins.
Monday’s show opened with a tribute to the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.
“For us, it hits especially hard because it took place at a concert packed with people of all ages, coming together to share a common bond — the love of music,” host D.C. Young Fly said.
The show featured celebrity appearances from hip-hop group Migos, who opened up with a performance of “Too Hotty.” Followed by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who performed hit singles “Perfect” and “Castle On the Hill” in front of a live audience of screaming fangirls in Times Square. D.J. Khaled helped relaunch the show and will continue to make special appearances.
