Apple Music’s Adaptation Of James Corden’s ‘Carpool Karaoke’ To Premiere August 8

After experiencing some delays, a digital series based off a successful late-night TV bit has received a definitive premiere date. Carpool Karaoke, a continuation of the Late Late Show segment of the same name, will arrive through Apple Music on August 8.

The original Carpool Karaoke clips, in which Late Late Show host James Corden and his musically-inclined co-stars sing along to famous songs while sitting in cars, have become astronomically popular on YouTube, rolling up hundreds of millions of views. The Apple Music version of the program will look to attract considerable attention of its own by boasting an impressive lineup of celebrity guests. Top recording artists, such as Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, and Metallica, are slated to appear, as are actors like Billy Eichner and athletes like John Cena and Shaquille O’Neal. All of those familiar faces, as well as others, can be seen in a trailer Apple Music posted on YouTube back in February.

Notably absent from most of the forthcoming installments will be Corden himself, who will do only occasional singing in the Apple Music version of Carpool Karaoke. In one of a handful of appearances, he will show up alongside Will Smith for an episode that will include a helicopter-set installment of R. Kelly’s ‘I Believe I Can Fly.’

It was initially believed that Apple Music would premiere Carpool Karaoke sometime around April, though the $9.99-per-month subscription service opted to delay its prized series until later in the year. If Apple Music is going to be a major player in the world of online video, it’s going to want to get this show right, so the setback makes sense. In August, we’ll begin to learn whether the 16-episode first season of Carpool Karaoke can shine even without Corden steering the wheel.