Are you ready? Jamie Lynn Spears reunited with her Zoey 101 co-stars by releasing a music video of the show's remixed theme song.
Pacific Coast Academy is back in session!
Jamie Lynn Spears finally reunited with her Zoey 101 co-stars on Tuesday, Oct. 27, when she debuted a new music video of the show's remixed theme song.
The 29-year-old actress turned the "Follow Me (Zoey 101)" song reveal into a big event by bringing back favorite PCA students Chase Matthews, Quinn Pensky, Michael Barret and Logan Reese—that would be actors Sean Flynn, Erin Sanders, Chris Massey and Matthew Underwood, respectively.
Also joining the show-stopping ensemble were A-list influencers JoJo Siwa, Sofia Reyes, Dixie D'Amelio and Noah Beck, who played themselves auditioning to be characters in a very meta Zoey 101, directed by Gigi Gorgeous. Filmed on Sept. 29 at a "secret location," the casting call-themed music video ended with a confetti-filled dance party, where Dixie and Noah locked lips as Quinn and Logan.
Jamie Lynn spoke to Ryan Seacrest ahead of the premiere, telling him why the song is meant to tide fans over until the full-on TV reboot of the Nickelodeon show in 2021.
She said, "2020 was a crazy year. We'd been focusing on the reboot and giving it to the fans at the beginning of the year. And then with everything that happened, we were like, 'Well let's figure out a way that we can safely give them something.' And we figured why don't we give them a song?"
Jamie Lynn originally wrote and recorded the "Follow Me" theme with big sis Britney Spears in 2004, but a lot has happened since then. She wanted to update the lyrics with "little tweaks." Jamie Lynn explained, "Obviously, when I was 12, I was probably experiencing a different season in life, so I wanted to rewrite it a little bit."
It's no surprise that Jamie Lynn got her superstar sister's stamp of approval on the new version. "Obviously, she and the other co-writers gave it the nod and OK for us to go on and make it something for today's generation," the mom of two continued. "This is all rooted in the brilliance of my sister."
The original lyrics include, "I'm just another kinda girl/ And you wanna see my world/ So come and run away." In comparison, the reimagining goes, "You know I'll always be your girl/ Together we can see the world/ Come on let's run away."
Jamie Lynn told Nylon earlier this month that the new tune is "reminiscent of that time, but also the modern Zoey," adding, "Who would Zoey be today? What would she sound like? This hits it right on the head, especially for where I'm going with everything. And not just for Zoey, but for me, too."
She said the conversations have gotten "serious" about developing a full-on reboot of the show. She explained, "Obviously we want to meet her as an adult now, and I do think it should be a show for young adults."
As for where the show picks up, Jamie Lynn revealed to Ryan that they're in the creative part of development right now, figuring out where Zoey is in life.
"We have heard some pretty crazy twists and turns," she teased. "I'm telling you there's plenty of surprises up our sleeve."
Listen to the new song above!
“Follow Me” Out Now: https://FollowMe.lnk.to/Single
Check Out Merch Here: https://shopfollowme101.com
From Showbiz Cheat Sheet:
‘Zoey 101’ Revival: Jamie Lynn Spears Says Chase and Zoey Are ‘Like Ross and Rachel’ From ‘Friends’
Actor Jamie Lynn Spears is perhaps best known for her role in the ’00s Nickelodeon series Zoey 101. Now that the series is set to be revived, fans may wonder what’s to come for the central couple of Chase and Zoey. Here’s what Spears said about her character’s romantic future, comparing it to another famous TV pairing.
Jamie Lynn Spears starred in ‘Zoey 101’
The younger sister of pop star Britney Spears, the actor got her start on the Nick sketch show All That as a child. She remained on the program for two seasons. Spears then entered into a deal for her own scripted series, which became Zoey 101, about a high school student who attends boarding school in Southern California.
Spears portrayed the titular character, who, along with her classmates at Pacific Coast Academy (affectionately known as PCA), lives out the teenage fantasy of being surrounded by friends and no parents to speak of. Among the most popular Nick shows of the time, Zoey 101 aired for four seasons on the network.
The series is coming back for a revival
Over the past several years, revivals and reboots have become more and more common in Hollywood. Spears first broached the idea of a Zoey 101 revival in 2020. After she was reunited with some of her co-stars during an episode of the revived All That, the idea came together to become a reality.
“I think we are finally at a place creatively where we’ve found a good spot,” Spears told RADIO.COM in October 2020. “So now it’s just the business side making things really happen. But it’s full-on happening. We’re pushing forward. It’s just a matter of timing,” she finished, citing a possible 2021 debut.
Her character had a romantic interest in Chase
Among those who joined Spears during the recent cast reunions is Sean Flynn, who portrayed Chase Matthews. Chase and Zoey quickly become friends, but he has a crush on her from the onset. Both date other people throughout the show, but in the Zoey 101 Season 3 finale cliffhanger, she learns of his feelings.
In the fourth (and finale season), the two are separated as Chase is stuck at a boarding school in England (where he ended up after chasing Zoey there). Zoey dates James but realizes she’s in love with Chase, and they get finally get together in the penultimate episode. The series ends with Zoey and Chase as a couple.
Spears compared their ‘will they, won’t they’ vibe to ‘Friends’
When asked about how she sees the relationship playing out in the revival, Spears said, “Obviously, in the beginning, we can’t have all of our character’s hopes and wishes happen, or else no one’s going to watch episode 2. I think there still definitely has to be that back and forth with Zoey and Chase, like Ross and Rachel.”
She continued. “But I would think on the last episode of Zoey [101] ever — you know, in a perfect world, Zoey and Chase would walk off into the sunset together, and have a beautiful family and a beautiful life,” Spears said of an eventual finale. “I think that’s very important to the show and to the fans.”
###
Originally published: Wednesday, October 28, 2020.
