What do you get when you bring together an outspoken actor/R&B singer, and an equally hilarious reverend for a show about sex, love and relationships? Some dirty talk that will even have Jesus on the edge of his throne sipping on some holy water! #FixUsJesus
R&B artist, Tyrese Gibson, and hip-hop legend, Rev Run, are making their way to the small screen with their new talk show series It’s Not You, It’s Men (I know that’s right! Tuh).
The show, which will air on OWN on Jan. 23, promises to be full of laughs, thrills and probably some inappropriate conversations that will have you clutching your pearls from your living room (unless you're on that Foxy Brown "ill na na" wave).
Plus, you know whenever Auntie Oprah puts her stamp of approval on something, it’s going to be big! The media mogul gave us a sneak peak of the new series from the "odd couple" duo, who released their bestselling relationship book "Man-ology" back in 2013.
Let's just say we are ready to tune in to their views on modern love, monogamy, dating, and of course SEX! Here's a few reasons why it's okay to turn your Saturday Netflix and Chill session into a sex-education course for two.
Tyrese has no chill, and will keep things heated.
If you follow Tyrese on Twitter, then you already know that he has no filter. It's not uncommon for his followers to give him a strong side-eye after his controversial commentary hits the Twittersphere.
His strong ideas on life and love will most certainly make for great discussions in the studio, and at home for viewers. In truth, Tyrese's status as a single father who is still involved in the dating game, versus a married Rev Run whose marriage mantras extend further than the size of his large family, will result in some very entertaining conversation.
But here's the kicker: Tyrese has already had a head start in riling up potential viewers with his rhetoric, and the show hasn't even aired yet. When asked in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter what's one mistake that women make too early in the relationship, he said:
"They talk too much..."
"It's simple: ladies I love you to death, but shut up! Stop telling all your business to random guys that you meet. You don't know what's gonna happen in this particular relationship: he might be sexy, tall, charming, charismatic. But all of the drama--dysfunction from your childhood, all of the abusive relationships, being cheated on and lied to, going into details about what didn't work in relationships in the past--becomes too much information....You're trying to emotionally hook him in, and all he wants to do is have sex with you, if that's the case. So just keep it simple, laugh, have fun, enjoy yourself--but shut up!"
If you wanted to know how to "Think Like A Man", well there you go!
They're getting Black Twitter Involved, and they have no chill either.
According to Variety Magazine, "social-media platforms will also galvanize America to ask them their most intimate questions about relationships, marriage and sex."
I could only imagine what kind of outlandish questions will set off another trending topic. For instance, should we be following the Erykah Badu cherry juice diet to make our pum pum's taste like Starbursts? How many men are REALLY eating booty like groceries? Inquiring minds want to know!
I'm sure Tyrese and the Reverend will be weighing in with what men are really into behind closed doors. Or shoot, in public if you're nasty!
We actually get to hear from a man with a successful relationship.
No shade, but there's a lot of people giving relationship and marriage advice without being married--or in relationships, let alone successful ones. And not that their opinions aren't valid, but it's nice to actually hear some tried and true tips from Rev Run, who has been married to wife Justine Simmons for more than two decades. We've watched the Simmons family master the art of marriage on national TV for three seasons, and in a reality television world that thrives off of unnecessary drama and ignorance, that's quite an accomplishment!
Rev Run is always spitting wisdom.
From his commentary on Twitter, to his radio interviews, you have to admit that the man drops knowledge, no matter how uncomfortable you are with watching a grown man take a bubble bath while recording his thoughts about life in his smartphone.
Having grown up in the entertainment industry, and raising six kids in the public eye, I think it's safe to say that Rev Run probably knows a thing or two about keeping the fire burning without burning up or burning out your relationship.
Celebrities, celebrities, celebrities, oh my!
In addition to hearing the two long-time friend's varying opinions on different relationship topics, we also get to hear from an equally diverse handful of celebrity guests. Justine Simmons, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Vin Diesel, Rev Run, Jordin Sparks, Marlon Wayans, Evelyn Lozada, and the queen of "fixing your life", Iyanla Vanzant, are just a few familiar faces who will be visiting the show. Each guest has their own varying backgrounds in love, with relatable stories from their married, single, or dating love lives.
Any show that acknowledges that it's not not necessarily women, but it's men, is already starting on the right path.
Finally! Someone gets it!
Check out a sneak peak of "It's Not You, It's Men" below, then set your DVRs for Jan. 23rd at 8pm EST on OWN.
Will be tuning in? Let us know in the comments.
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Last year, our inaugural It Girl 100 list featured the best of the best in their regions. This year, we are highlighting women from each field. Their impact can be felt across multiple industries as they continue to use their voices to uplift those around them.
The Category Is... Culture & Entertainment:
Culture and entertainment continues to be one of the most popular industries for creative women. Whether it's comedy or singing, these ladies keep the culture buzzing and timelines lit.
The Category Is... Sports & Wellness:
With the renewed interest in the WNBA, women are showing we can dominate in any field. Women are making waves in sports and wellness due to their strength, innovation, and determination.
The Category Is... Style Innovators:
From Instagram to Pinterest, these women are on our mood boards. Their love for beauty, hair, and fashion translates in their work and inspires others to be their best selves.
The Category Is... Business:
There's nothing like a woman about her business. From signing checks to closing deals, women are taking ambition to a new level.
The Category Is... Viral Voices:
Whenever they speak, people listen proving they can move mountains with their voices alone. You can find these women on the internet keeping us entertained and/or informed.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list here.
Featured image by xoStaff