In addition to shedding light on the 1989 Menendez murder case, another byproduct of Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has been the resurgence of the popular late 1980s and early 1990s singing duo Milli Vanilli. Remember them?
Well, if not, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, the duo that was Milli Vanilli, broke onto the scene in 1989 with hits like “Blame It on the Rain” and “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You,” but fell victim to what might be considered by today’s standards a total cancellation when the public learned that they were actually lipsynching their lyrics.
When their dubbed vocals were made public, Milli Vanlli was stripped of their Best New Artist Grammy they snagged at the 1990 awards ceremony, and essentially thrown out of the business.
Until Murphy’s show, the band and their infamy have been used as an easy punchline or are just a distant pop culture memory in people’s minds.
Now, a younger generation is rediscovering the magic of their sound, and a considerable spike in the band’s streaming numbers proves it.
Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez and Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story
Miles Crist/Netflix
According to Billboard, “Blame It on the Rain” saw a 68 percent jump in its number of streams within four days of the show starting to stream on Netflix.
In the show’s premiere, the song serves not just as the episode title, but also as the soundtrack a wild scene in which Erik and Lyle sing along to the hit on the radio after they purchase the shotguns they would later use to gun down their parents.
In typical TikTok fashion, this scene and others have been edited together in what can only be described as “thirst trap” videos, lusting after the actors who portray the notorious brothers: Cooper Koch as (Erik) and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as (Lyle).
Billboard also reports that streams of “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” increased a colossal 258 percent between Sept. 20-23.
The song, a melancholic pop ballad about heartbreak, is arguably the breakout hit from the nine-episode series, as it is featured in two of the most poignant scenes.
Its first use is at a memorial service for Jose and Kitty Menendez, where Lyle chooses to play the song to close out his remarks about Kitty. It’s an odd choice for sure, and the audience’s startled reactions emphasize the absurdity.
In the final episode, when the boys receive life sentences at their second trial, a decision is made to house them in separate prisons. As the boys are driven to the facilities in separate vans, they exchange mournful glances at each other while Fab and Rob croon the song’s lyrics in the background.
Adding to the scene’s gravity is the real-life fact that the brothers did not see each other in person again for two decades. ABC News says their 2018 reunion was filled with tears.
Sadly, Rob, one half of Milli Vanilli, isn’t alive to see the songs he once mouthed the words to have this second life. He died in 1998 from an overdose.
Fab, however, is alive and well and, if his Instagram is any indication, appears to be basking in the legacy of the scandalous pop group.
