Girls5Eva Hits All the Right Notes

Pop music is mined for laughs in new female-led comedy on W Network

Whether it’s This Is Spinal Tap or Josie and the Pussycats, there can never, ever be too many TV series or films that deliver unto viewers a comedic look into the life and times of a fake recording artist, but it must be said that you never know how successful these parodic flights of musical fancy will end up being.

In the case of Girls5eva, however, odds are pretty high, thanks to a perfect combination of cast, creative team and, of course, composers… because you can’t possibly have success in this genre if the songs don’t come across as both completely ridiculous and sonically spot-on.

Co-executive-produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock (the duo behind 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Girls5eva revolves around the titular ’90s girl group, whose one big hit is sampled by rapper Lil Stinker, resulting in an appearance on The Tonight Show that convinces the girls—who are now most decidedly women—that the time is ripe for a comeback.

The songs for Girls5eva were penned by series creator Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond (a.k.a. Tina Fey’s husband), who also wrote the music for the two aforementioned Fey/Carlock series. And the tunes were actually sung by the cast members: indie-rock star Sara Bareilles, Hamilton alum Renée Elise Goldsberry, Cougar Town‘s Busy Philipps and Mapleworth Murders’ Paula Pell.

Watching the group’s difficulties as they struggle to reclaim their fame are as funny as the flashbacks to their semi-glory days (like, say, appearing on MTV’s TRL), so to borrow a line from the show’s theme song, “What are you waiting five?” Go forth and watch!

Girls5Eva airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. & 9:40 p.m. on W Network