Various artists
Empire: Season 1 original soundtrack
****
For the fan.
If you have withdrawal symptoms over the fact that the first season of Empire has come to an end, then this album is for you. The main stars of the show might be Terrence Howard and Taraji P Henson, but when it comes to the music we can’t look away from Jussie Smollett and Bryshere Y Gray who play Jamal and Hakeem respectively. Jamal has the Michael Jackson-esque vocal tones, while Hakeem is up there with Drake and Big Sean in his rap style.
The two basically flood the album with their songs, most of which we heard on the show. Standouts include Keep It Moving, which features Serayah who plays Tiana on the show.
There is also Conquerer, on which Smollett gets help from Estelle and the song was big on iTunes before the release of the album. Bet you didn’t know Howard is a closet musician? Well, he comes out on Shake Down with Mary J Blige just to show off his vocal maturity. Like the show, this is a Timbaland production, so expect a party. – Munya Vomo