Brandy Will Sing ‘A Different World’ Sequel Series Theme Song

Following in the footsteps of Phoebe Snow, Aretha Franklin and Boys II Men, Brandy will sing the theme song for A Different World. Fans will be able to enjoy hearing the new rendition ahead of each new episode of the Netflix sequel series releasing on September 24, or by watching an early preview above.

“Singing this iconic theme song for A Different World means everything to me. It was one of those shows that I had to watch every time it came on. I remember the song and how it made me feel,” Brandy shared.

Snow sang the original series’ theme song for Season 1, followed by Franklin for seasons 2 to 5, and finally by Boys II Men for the sixth and final season. The original song is written by original cast member Dawn Lewis, Stu Gardner, and Bill Cosby, the latter of whom created A Different World, a spinoff of his family sitcom The Cosby Show.

From writer, showrunner, and executive producer Felicia Pride, the 10-episode single-cam series A Different World follows Deborah (Maleah Joi Moon), Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), and Whitley Gilbert’s (Jasmine Guy) free-spirited, well-intentioned, yet rebellious youngest child, as she enters her freshman year at Hillman College. There, she finds the shadow of her parents difficult to escape as she sets out to build her own legacy, while having the time of her life, alongside a whole new generation of Hillman’s best and brightest.

In addition to Kardison and Guy, the show will also count on reappearances from original cast members, including Darryl M. Bell as Ron Johnson, Cree Summer as Freddie Brooks, Charnele Brown as Dr. Kimberly Reese Boyer, Jenifer Lewis as Professor Davenport, Jada Pinkett Smith as Lena James, Dawnn Lewis as Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor, Glynn Turman as Col. Bradford Taylor, Karen Malina White as Charmaine Brown and Ajai Sanders as Gina Deveaux.

The new original cast also includes the next generation of the fictional HBCU’s finest: Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai), a first‑gen criminal justice major; Shaquille Johnson (Cornell Young IV), a five‑star athlete choosing legacy; Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall), a sharp psych major better at fixing everyone else’s problems than facing his own; Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece), a church‑raised small‑town girl defining her own values; and Kojo Achebe (Chibuikem Uche), a Ghanaian‑Nigerian fashion entrepreneur finding the courage to follow his vision.

The guest cast will also include Tichina Arnold as Darlene Duvall, Joshua Suiter as Andre, Raven Goodwin as Dr. Brooklyn Boyer, Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith as Coach Coles, and Norman Nixon Jr. (Grey’s Anatomy) as Professor Baptiste.

Debbie Allen, who directed 83 episodes of the original series, directed the series premiere. Additional directors and their corresponding episodes are as follows: Tiffany Johnson (102, 105, 106), Angela Barnes (103, 104), Nefertite Nguvu (107, 108), and Bille Woodruff (109, 110). The writers are Pride (101, 110), Des Moran (102), Lisa McQuillan (103, 109), Howard Jordan Jr (104), Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola (105), Des Moran & Ashley Laverne Jackson (106), Howard Jordan Jr & Tasha Armstead & Joel Armstead (107), and Pride and Moran (108). Writers from the original series, Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood, return as executive producers alongside Tom Werner, Allen, Pride, and Mandy Summers.