Get ready to feel the beat with Lifetime’s upcoming Lisa Lisa biopic.
Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story, which premieres on the network Saturday, February 1, tells the story of Lisa Velez, a.k.a Lisa Lisa, the 15-year-old Puerto Rican singer turned global phenomenon. Executive produced by Velez herself, the film stars Jearnest Corchado in the titular role alongside Angie Martinez and Bre-Z.
In Us Weekly’s exclusive first look at the film’s trailer, fans are given a glimpse into the true story of Lisa Lisa’s journey to becoming the first Latina artist to hit multiple music Billboard charts while battling sexism, racism and a breast cancer diagnosis.
“When I was a kid, I would dream I was on a stage, singing,” Lisa says in the teaser, later telling her mom: “One day, I’ll be so rich, Mami.”
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While the initial images feature Lisa Lisa on stage, strutting down sidewalks and getting her first big break with her 1985 hit “Can You Feel the Beat,” things quickly take a turn when Lisa realizes there’s a darker side to the industry than she anticipated.
“The music business, it’s not going to be what you think it is. It’s going to try and take a piece of you,” Bre-Z, who portrays Lisa’s best friend Toni Ménage, tells her. “You can’t let them.”
Quick flashes show Lisa being told she’ll have to start “treatment right away” for her breast cancer — “I can’t stop touring,” she tearfully replies — getting physically assaulted and being threatened by her team.
“You cannot make it without us,” her manager warns, to which Lisa Lisa replies, “Watch me.”
In May 2024, Velez, now 57, shared that she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the height of career but decided to keep it a secret — even from even her own mother — in order to keep working.
“It was hard to talk about back then,” Velez explained on an episode of the Tamron Hall Show. “It was hard, there was no one to speak on it. The guys used to ask me, ‘Are you gaining weight? Are you pregnant?’ I was like, ‘No, I’m going through chemo.’ No one knew, I had to hide it basically, my mom didn’t even know.”
Velez said she noticed bruises on her chest one day and knew she had to get checked out. “So on a stop during a nine-month tour, I went and got checked and my oncologist said, ‘You have ductal carcinoma,’” she said.
Ultimately, Velez — who is now in remission — chose to continue on with her career, balancing her professional obligations and chemotherapy.
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“It was difficult,” she said. “It was really, really hard. I didn’t know what to do, who to speak to. My doctor was like, ‘You should not be on tour,’ and I said, ‘I have to work because I have bills to pay.’”
Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story premieres on Lifetime Saturday, February 1, at 8 p.m. ET.
