A nice big dose of hip-hop and R&B from the show Empire was released this past week. The March 9 release of the album “Empire Cast’s Original Soundtrack From Season 1 of Empire” features 18 tracks on its digital version (11 on its CD edition). All tracks are from the musical drama television series on Fox. Each episode features original music produced by Timbaland, with rapping and singing provided by the actors.
As an album, this compilation of songs runs pretty smoothly. While the songs certainly get an added boost in context with the visual aid of TV, they still sound good on their own. Several of the compilation’s tracks hit Billboard’s R&B/ Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart, including “Drip Drop,” “Keep Your Money,” and “Money for Nothing.”
Another bonus of this soundtrack is the appearance of several industry giants. Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Juicy J, Courtney Love, and Charles Hamilton are just a few of the famous names appearing alongside the cast of Empire.
The immediate response to the album has been massive. As of Friday, the album was on top of Amazon.com’s Music Best Sellers list, and topped the retailer’s Pop Music and Television Soundtracks categories, trumping Madonna’s Rebel Heart, Taylor Swift’s 1989, and Kelly Clarkson’s Piece by Piece.
As for production, Timbaland certainly hit the mark. While most of the songs almost sound overproduced, they definitely fit the theme and spirit of the show. There is also a heavy pop influence on most of the tracks, but in the spirit of radio and popular music, this is exactly what one would expect from a TV show that follows the behind-the-scenes of an iconic record label. The soundtrack was issued by Columbia Records.
Empire premiered on January 7 on Fox. The show follows Empire Entertainment mogul Lucious Lyon (played by Terrence Howard) and his ex-wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson). Lucious is dying from ALS, and the empire will soon be up for grabs. The show’s viewership has grown significantly every week since its premiere, making it a TV phenomenon.
Overall, this soundtrack is a must have for Empire fans and fans of solidly produced hip-hop and R&B music. Fans of the show will enjoy a broad collection of their favorite songs from TV. Fans of solidly produced hip-hop and R&B music will enjoy smooth quality and a range of industry giants. Many of the songs were released as singles previous to the album, but the full compilation is a solid addition to any music library.
