The first episode of Carpool Karaoke: The Series was released today on Apple Music, featuring Will Smith and James Corden. And to tease those who have not yet subscribed to the streaming service, Apple released the first six minutes of the action-packed segment on YouTube.
While we have seen clips already of the pair belting out rap hits like Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, Boom! Shake the Room, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song, singing with a marching band, and even up in the air in a plane, the teaser video provides a deeper look at some of the conversations that were had in the vehicle.
The pair talk about Smith’s rise to fame, including the musician and actor having a hit song on the radio, Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble, during his final 30 days of high school. “Were you voted the most likely to have already succeeded?” joked Corden.
They also hint at Smith’s regrets about his widely panned 1999 film Wild Wild West, his appreciation for pineapple on pizza, and one of his favorite phrases, “Oh, hell no!” Also broached was whether or not Smith would consider, or has been asked to consider, playing former President Barack Obama in a movie. (Spoiler alert, the answer is yes and President Obama approves for a particularly comical reason.)
It is no surprise that the eight-minute clip has already received almost 2 million views. Carpool Karaoke, which began as a recurring segment on the Late Late Show with James Corden, and continues as such, has been a breakout hit for the British talk show host. While Corden is credited as a co-creator and co-executive producer of the series on Apple Music and appears in a few segments, including the first one with Smith, he does not appear all the segments. Rather, each segment features two (or more) celebrities who join to ride through Los Angeles together, singing songs and entertaining one another. The second and third segments, due August 15, feature Alicia Keys and John Legend, and Metallica and Billy Eichner. Two episodes will be released each week thereafter, for a total of 16 for the first season. Other celebrities participating include LeBron James, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Shakira, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
While the first six minutes of this eight-minute clip features the beginning of the Smith and Corden episode, make sure to watch through to the end. The last two minutes include highlights from future episodes, some of which we have seen in other previously released trailers and teasers, but also some new content. Most notable: The idea of a buddy cop series featuring James and Corden, aptly named James and James. Which one is the stiff, by-the-book cop and which is the rebellious one? Their interpretation will have you chuckling.
If you are a subscriber, you can watch the entire first episode on Apple Music.
