The Idol is SEX Personified! As it Should Be!

“When was the last truly fucking nasty, bad pop girl?”

That’s the question posed at the beginning of the new teaser for The Idol, the HBO and A24 series co-created by Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. the Weeknd), Reza Fahim, and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.

Protagonist Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is prepared to answer that question. After being the subject of “brutal” press coverage, she goes about reinventing herself with a darker, sexier image with the help of self-help guru and secret cult leader Tedros (the Weeknd).

“You have the best job in the world. You should be having more fun,” he tells her. The pair soon strike up a toxic relationship that could destroy them both.

Previous trailers have shown a connection between Jocelyn and the currently unnamed character played by Jennie Kim from the K-Pop group Blackpink. In one scene, they can be seen holding hands as they attempt to escape the paparazzi together. However, they might soon find themselves at odds when Jennie’s character seems to receive an important contract.

Whether they stay friends remains to be seen, but as the Weeknd warns, “Los Angeles is where all of the monsters of the world come to gather. Trust no one.”

What is it about?: The Weeknd stars as a modern-day cult leader and self-help guru who starts a turbulent relationship with up-and-coming pop star Jocelyn, played by Depp.

Trailers for the series have offered more vibes than details, but have featured drugs, cash, club scenes, more drugs, a possible orgy, unsafe behavior in a moving convertible, and yes, even more drugs. There’s a reason why Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO programming, previously described the series as a “subversive, revelatory take on the cult of the music industry.”

Other than Depp’s pop star and Tesfaye’s cult leader, HBO has yet to release specific character descriptions for its remaining cast. However, we do know that the pair will be joined on screen by Kim, Roth, Troye Sivan, Jane Adams, Mosey Sumney, Mike Dean, Suzanna Son, Da’vine Joy Randolph, Dan Levy, Rachel Sennott, and Hari Nef.

The Idol will premiere Sunday, June 4, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. It will air on HBO and stream on Max (since it will arrive after HBO Max officially rebrands as Max on May 23).