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Buzz Feed
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Why Forever Is Netflix's Most Addictive Teen Romance
Forever has only been on Netflix for two full days and I truly can't stop thinking about it, but more importantly, I don't want to stop thinking about it. Forever is a reimagined version of Judy Blume's controversial 1975 coming-of-age novel of the same name. The teen drama series adaptation was created by Mara Brock Akil — the same woman who brought us Girlfriends, The Game, Being Mary Jane, Love Is, and more. I mean, who better to give us a layered romance with dynamic characters?! The story is set in 2018 Los Angeles and follows highschoolers, Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) and Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.), as they navigate first love, dating woes, societal norms, and family and friends — all this as they prepare for life after high school. Meet Keisha: a driven, intelligent, and resilient high school senior with aspirations of attending Howard University on a track scholarship. She also has a closet of clothes I'd love to raid. As a standout athlete and top student, Keisha is determined to forge a successful future, despite the challenges she faces growing up in a single-parent household where her mother, Shelly (Xosha Roquemore), works tirelessly to provide for her. Keisha's haunted by a past incident that keeps interfering with her present life, despite how hard she tries to move on from it. Meet Justin: A talented basketball player, Justin is also intellectually curious, often described as "a nerd at heart disguised in an athlete's body." He is in the process of understanding his neurodivergence, specifically ADHD, which adds another layer to his journey of self-discovery. He's also refreshingly honest and in-tune with his emotions. Justin is the son of affluent parents—his mother, Dawn (Karen Pittman), a Harvard-educated executive, and his father, Eric (Wood Harris), a successful restaurateur. Despite his privileged upbringing, Justin grapples with the pressures of high expectations and the desire to forge his own path. Keisha and Justin reunite after randomly seeing each other at a party. It's the first time they've seen each other in person since they were kids, and what blossoms between them after that reunion is a wild, heartfelt tale of young love and the roadblocks that come along the way. Lovie and Michael were the perfect choices to bring these characters to life on screen. I can't applaud their performances enough. I'm 34 years old and going on this teen journey had me in my feelings, reminiscing about my younger years, and how heightened my emotions were dealing with relationships for the first time. This show encapsulated it perfectly. What also makes this series so special is the way the viewer is brought into their entire world. You not only connect with the protagonists, but you also form a bond with the parents... ...and friends who play a big part in Justin and Keisha's lives (again, perfect casting for everyone involved). I was hooked from the very first episode, and I'm already plotting on my next rewatch. But I'm not the only one who fell head over heels for Forever. Here's what people online are saying: Have you watched Forever yet? If so, pleaseeeee share your thoughts in the comments so we can talk about it!
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Marianne Faithfull's Burning Moonlight is a spookily beautiful gift from beyond the grave
The voice is smoky and blue, full of ancient wisdom married with devil-may-care insouciance. 'It's just the sort of mood I'm in,' sings Marianne Faithfull. 'Burning moonlight, like fire, like food.' It is wonderful to hear the late, great troubadour sing to us again, just a few weeks since we lost her, in a spookily beautiful gift from beyond the grave. Burning Moonlight, released today, is from an EP of recordings Faithfull made in her last year, before her death on January 30, age 78. We know that she was suffering from emphysema and long Covid-19, and had told me in an interview in 2021 that she was barely able to sing any more. The fact that she summoned up the strength to carry on making music says a lot about what a formidable character she was. Co-written by Faithfull (and two other writers) Burning Moonlight finds her pondering the creative need to live life on the edge. 'Burning moonlight to survive, walking in fire is my life.' There are hints of loneliness, sorrow and regret, as she tells us 'It seems I nearly had a plan' and 'wherever I go I'm alone', but there is a counterbalancing sense of resilience in the mysterious notion that 'burning moonlight' is the very purpose of her existence. The stark musical setting (produced by long-time collaborator Head, aka Howard Bullivant) harks back to the folk pop of her debut single, the Jagger and Richards composition As Tears Go By, from 1965. But there are six decades of life experience between that debut, and this swan song, and you can hear it in every note. An EP of four new songs will be released by Decca as limited-edition vinyl for Record Store Day on April 12, and will be made available worldwide as a digital EP on June 6. It includes two originals, Burning Moonlight and Love Is (the latter written by her grandson, Oscar Dunbar) and two folk songs, Three Kinsmen Bold (which she learnt from her father, Glynn Faithfull) and a new interpretation of She Moved Thru the Fair. There is often a sense that singing is a young person's game, particularly in the pop realm. Old voices grow weaker, more cracked. But Faithfull's singing is a reminder that the voice is a vehicle for our humanity, and when the singer has the ability to put themselves fully into the song, age can bring a majesty inaccessible to the young. Faithfull only really started sounding great when she lost the sweetness of her youthful tone and has rarely sounded better than on this utterly gorgeous end-of-life recording. For more on Marianne Faithfull, listen to the Telegraph's Mick Brown interview the musician over 'champagne and a spliff' in 1994, and 'talk about the worst of times' on the Daily T podcast.
