Rap Sh!t, premiering July 21, is a show about two Black women believing in each other when no one else in their lives does. It’s also the latest in a string of recent series—including "Girls5eva," "We Are Lady Parts," and "Queens"—that revolve around all-female musical acts. Although TV’s preoccupation with women’s friendships predates "Sex and the City," there is something new and, amid dark times for the feminist cause, energizing about this slant on the subject. Neither snarky frenemies nor lonely achievers, these characters can achieve their dreams only by building one another up. So that is what they do. A girl band, in this context, is more than a strategic alliance of girlbosses in harmony. The core of these collaborations is creativity. Read about the influx of girl bands on TV and why they matter at the link in bio. Illustration by Loveis Wise (@loveiswiseillu) for TIME