HBO Max shook up reality television with their reality dating competition seriesFBOY Island last year and now it’s back for season 2. For those who aren’t familiar, FBOY Island is a reality show that follows three women looking for love. The ladies are joined by 26 good-looking men, but there’s a catch. Thirteen of the men are self-proclaimed “Nice Guys” while the other 13 are self-proclaimed “FBoys.” The women are challenged to determine who is who as the male contestants’ titles aren’t revealed right away with hopes that they will choose the “Nice Guy.”
But not only are their hearts on the line but so is the prize money. If the ladies choose a “Nice Guy” the couple will split $100,000, but if they end up choosing an “FBoy,” the “FBoy” will walk away with the prize money instead.
The second season premieres on July 14 on HBO Max. Similarly to the Love Is Blind roll-out, three episodes will be available on July 14. Three more will release the following week on July 21. Two more episodes will debut on July 28, leading up to the final two episodes dropping on August 4.
Get to know the cast below:
Who is Mia Emani Jones?
Mia Emani Jones
Ramon Naquid/HBO Max
Mia Emani Jones is one of the three women looking for love on FBOY Island. Mia is a 26-year-old dental student from Tampa, FL, and a pageant queen. She’s a former Miss Delaware USA and Miss Delaware Teen USA. According to PEOPLE, Mia joined FBoy Island to find love no matter what.
The Ladies of 'FBOY Island' Season 2
Louise Barnard, Mia Emani Jones, Tamaris Sepulveda
Ramon Naquid/HBO Max
Joining Mia on her journey to love are Louise Barnard and Tamaris Sepulveda. Louise is a 25-year-old model from Onekama, MI, and Tamaris is a 29-year-old account executive from New York City.
The Men of 'FBOY Island' Season 2 Cast
Ramon Naquid/HBO Max
In alphabetical order, the men of FBOY Island Season 2 include A.C. Long, Asanté Tait, Benedict Polizzi, Braydon Elgar, Carlos Lopez, Danny Louisa, Dewayne Rogers, Ilon Hao, JaBriane Ross, Jared Seay, Jeremy Edberg, John MgBemena, Kian Lewis, Kyland Hewett-Newbill, Lukasz Yoder, Mercedes Knox, Michael Dakessian, Nick Priola, Nick Warfield, Niko Pilalis, Nikolay Pranchenko, Noam Atzil, Tom Carnifax, and Zachary Wambold.
Below are some of the men that make up season 2 of FBOY Island and where to follow them on Instagram.
John Mgbemena
John Mgbemena is 28 years old and hails from Atlanta, GA. His occupation is a pharmacy technician.
Dewayne Rogers
At 26 years old, Dewayne Rogers is ready to find love and is hoping that his time on FBOY Island can help.
Jared Seay
Jared Seay is a 25-year-old model and content creator from San Diego, CA.
JaBriane Ross
Sacramento healthcare worker, JaBriane Ross, enjoys learning about food and has a dream of being a food critic.
Kian Lewis
Kian Lewis is a frat boy from Spartanburg, SC who likes the simple things in life such as spending time with family and his frat brothers.
Kyland Hewett-Newbill
Kyland Hewett-Newbill is a 24-year-old college student from Springfield, MO.
Mercedes Knox
Dallas, TX native Mercedes Knox enjoys fashion design and hopes to meet the girl of his dreams on FBOY Island.
Nick Warfield
Michigan-born Nick Warfield is a graphic designer who enjoys art galleries and museums.
Watch the trailer below:
FBOY Island Season 2 | Official Trailer | HBO Max
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Featured image by Ramon Naquid/HBO Max
Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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There's nothing like a dynamic duo, and SZA and Kendrick Lamar are ones that don't get talked about enough. While both of them are musical geniuses in their own right, they have also made musical magic together multiple times while signed to TDE. Their music collabs have led to them receiving Grammy noms, Golden Globes noms, and Academy noms.
Now, it's just been announced that they are going on a joint tour in 2025. In honor of their latest collaboration, we take a look at all the times SZA and Kendrick have teamed up together.
SZA Ft. Kendrick Lamar- "Babylon"
The first time we heard the two collaborate was in 2014 on SZA's EP, Z. Their song "Babylon" marries both of their sounds best and forecasts what fans can expect from the pair going forward.
SZA Ft. Kendrick Lamar- "Doves In The Wind"
Kendrick showed up and showed out for SZA again, this time for her 2017 debut album Ctrl. Their song "Doves in the Wind" is a dreamy song, and the Compton rapper's delivery was a chef's kiss.
Kendrick Lamar Ft. SZA- "All The Stars"
This time, Kendrick called up his sis to assist with the song "All The Stars" for the Black Panther album, which he also produced. The song was nominated for multiple awards, including an Oscar.
Kendrick Lamar Ft. SZA- "luther"
Kendrick surprised everyone when he dropped GNX in November. SZA appears on the album twice, including "luther," which samples the late legend Luther Vandross' song "If This World Were Mine." This song instantly became a favorite for Instagram Reels and TikToks.
Kendrick Lamar Ft. SZA- "gloria"
GNX closes out with "gloria," a song dedicated to Kendrick's love of writing rhymes. SZA's voice fills in beautifully between Kendrick's rhymes and ends with her singing, "I see you, you see me, both see what we want."
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Feature image by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella