Cartoon Network last week in their upcoming shows for the season and a twitter hint revealed that a new Powerpuff Girl was inbound and now we have some “Sugar, Spice, Everything nice, and Melanin to make it all right.” Blisstina Utonioum aka Bliss, the new addition to the Powerpuff Girls is a black girl fighting force and to make things even greater, meet South African singer Toya Delazy, the voice of Bliss.
Toya Delazy took to twitter a day after Cartoon Network made their announcement teaser to share her joy on becoming a fourth Powerpuff Girl. When she revealed her roll, many speculated that the new Powerpuff Girl would be black and sure they were on point. It hasn’t be said of her race but to have a black woman voice Bliss makes it clear on the representation Cartoon Network aimed for.
https://twitter.com/ToyaDelazy/status/905810435722665986
In a recent exclusive interview with Elle South Africa, Toya laid out the details for her upcoming album and more on how she got the role as the fourth member of Powerpuff Girls –
I started working with Cartoon Network last year when I made the theme song for Africa; so they had the reboot and they called me in to do the theme song… late last year they told us about this opportunity, saying “Hey Toya, would you like to be the voice[over] for the new Powerpuff Girl?” And I was like “Hell to the yeah!” I went for auditions earlier this year and they liked it, and yeah, the rest is history. I had to be quiet; now you know a girl can keep a secret.
Toya also shared how how it was growing up watching Powerpuff Girls as a kid and how she related to her favorite Powerpuff Girl, Buttercup, because she was a tomboy and then felt as she became older she then gravitated to Bubbles. In addition to her reminiscing on growing up with the show she also shared how the opportunity shares representation to young black girl. –
It feels amazing; there’s nothing more I can say… to fill girls, especially young black girls, with that energy, to say you can do anything, that was the point of Powerpuff Girls. It was to make young girls dream that they can be superheroes… If the representation counts to the fact that everybody’s speaking about it to this extent, that means it was very necessary, and it’s beautiful, it’s exciting putting a spotlight on Africa as well.
Song artist joining the voice cast seems to be a successful trend among Cartoon Network, seeing the awesome job of UK’s singing star, Estelle, as the beloved Garnett in Steven Universe, another awesome black female superhero.
Representation is what GEEK GAME TYTE is all about and happy to see diversity not just with the character but also with the talent behind it to make Bliss come alive. To see Bliss and the rest of her crime fighting sisters, Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles in the all new reboot special 5 part series check out Cartoon Network’s Power of Four