‘Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B’ Trailer Features Iggy Azalea’s “Goddess”: Watch

Lifetime’s debut trailer for its forthcoming Aaliyah biopic, Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, reveals a star in the making. The R&B singer, played by Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp, sits in her bedroom as her mother Diane Haughton tells her exactly what to do: “It takes more than some hot producer to create a superstar. It takes the right artist.”

Such suspense is to be expected of a biopic trailer. What’s more surprising, though, is the clip’s featured song. Instead of an Aaliyah track like “One in a Million,” “Are You That Somebody,” or “Try Again,” Lifetime chose to feature Iggy Azalea‘s “Goddess,” one of her more confident songs off her 2014 debut The New Classic (“Goddess / Got it?”).

On one hand, the network’s decision could be a savvy choice to draw (likely younger) viewers in to watch the biopic, which airs November 15. But it also recalls the videos on Instagram that Zendaya Coleman, who was originally cast as Aaliyah, posted to explain why she dropped out of the role.

“The main reasons were the production value wasn’t there, there were complications with the music rights, and I just felt like it wasn’t being handled delicately considering the situation,” Coleman said. “I tried my best to reach out to the family on my own and I wrote a letter, but, I was unable to do so. Therefore, I felt not really morally okay with moving forward with the project.”

Did Lifetime choose the right song to soundtrack the debut Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B trailer? Watch the clip at E!, then sound off in the comments below.

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