Selena: The Series Drops Today, 5 Things To Know About This Netflix Bio-Musical

Selena: The Series, a musical bio-drama on the life of late Mexican-American pop sensation Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, drops today, December 4, on Netflix. In what was a painfully brief life, the 'Queen of Tejano music' had managed to capture the global attention with her multifaceted personality as a singer, dancer, designer, and style icon. She was shot dead in March 1995, at the young age of 24, by a friend. Selena: The Series, a nine-episode show, attempts to give the audience a glimpse of the singer's short, but legendary life and career.

Also Read: Remembering Geeta Dutt, The Iconic Singer On Her 90th Birth Anniversary

Here are five things to know about the singer and series before you dive into it: 

1. Directed by Hiromi Kamata, Selena: The Series stars Christian Serratos in the lead as Selena, along with a supporting cast of Ricardo Chavira, Seidy López, Gabriel Chavarria, Julio Macias, and David Barrera. The nine-episode television series, written by Moisés Zamora, explores the life and times of Pérez, the unparalleled fame she achieved in the entertainment industry and Latina icon, and the sacrifices she made along the way.

2. Pérez was best known for being one of the leading Hispanic artists in the US. She is, to date, credited with breaking down many glass ceilings that existed for non-white artists in the music industry in the 1990s. Through her short-lived career, as also afterward, Pérez has been honoured with various titles that speak of her influence - the most notable being the 'top Latin artist of the '90s,' 'Hispanic Marilyn Monroe,' and 'Queen of Latin music.'

3. This is not the first biography on Pérez. The 1997 movie Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez in the lead, still remains the most memorable one in mainstream pop culture, released two years after Pérez's death. Several other documentaries, namely Selena Remembered and Queen of Tejano music have also given fans a peek into the late singer's legacy.

4. On the titular role of Pérez, writer Zamora, who is also the executive producer of the series, said, "The way she expressed herself — that was really important to have this almost effortless charm, to have this layer of kindness and genuine personality that comes through." The late singer was known to be "very loving, charming and kind, and always taking time to speak to the fans."

5. Before you settle in to watch Selena: The Series, you must know that the critics and audiences haven't given it too enthusiastic a nod. Early reviews claim that the show is more disappointing than exciting since it hasn't given Pérez's iconic life the treatment it deserved. A review in Vulture states, "Her life has attained a mythic, soft-focus status as a story of young talent and terrible tragedy... So it’s really a shame that the new Netflix series about Selena’s life is so remarkably uninterested in any of that."

Image Credit: TV Line