HBO has unveiled the new trailer for an upcoming documentary — or rather, dockumentary — about the emergence, popularity, and impact of the yacht rock sub-genre. Officially titled Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, the film will sail home on November 29th. Watch the trailer below.
Directed by Garrett Price, who recently worked on the Emmy-nominated Daisy Jones & The Six, Music Box: Yacht Rock explores how the niche of soft rock earned its retroactive label and speaks with many of the artists who grappled with its rise and legacy. The footage in the trailer teases interviews with Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Thundercat, Questlove of The Roots, Mac DeMarco, and more.
“The singers all seem to be saying, ‘Hey, it’s going to be okay,’” comedian and musician Fred Armisen remarks in the trailer.
After successfully melding elements from jazz, funk, and R&B to the tune of millions of records sold, yacht rock took a hit in the mid-1980s with the emergence of MTV and a cultural shift toward slicker pop production. Yacht Rock is the latest entry in HBO’s Music Box series, which has previously explored cultural touchstones like Woodstock ’99, DMX, and Kenny G.
Earlier this year, Pat Simmons of The Doobie Brothers revealed that new music was underway with Michael McDonald after their recent reunion tour.
Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary will also stream on Max. Get started with HBO’s streaming platform here.