'Empire': The Top Musical Moments From Season 1

by Alexa Tietjen 3/18/2015

The final episode of Empire’s first season airs tonight. While we wait to see what goes down in the two-hour finale, relive the top musical moments from the first season so far, including V. Bozeman’s “What Is Love,” “Drip Drop,” and Jennifer Hudson’s “Remember The Music.”

We spoke with Empire Music Director Jim Beanz a while back about the show, his 10-year working relationship with Timbaland, and his addiction to Love & Hip Hop. Check out what Beanz, the man who brought you “Drip Drop,” had to say in our interview here. But for now, read on to see our picks for Empire’s greatest musical moments!

“What Is Love” featuring V. Bozeman

Episode 1, Pilot

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V. Bozeman is one of the first faces you see in Empire’s pilot episode. Her song, “What Is Love,” turned so many viewers on to the show. You heard Bozeman hit that high note, and there was no turning back. She has an album, which Beanz had a hand in creating, on the way.

“Good Enough” featuring Jussie Smollett

Episode 1, Pilot

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“Good Enough” sounds like Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River,” but we love it all the same. Jamal, a.k.a. Jussie Smollett, performs the song before his musical career takes off. During his performance, we get a better sense of Jamal’s relationship with Lucious through Cookie’s heartbreaking flashback of Lucious throwing childhood Jamal into a trash can after seeing him dressed up as a woman.

“No Apologies” featuring Jussie Smollett and Yazz

Episode 2, “The Outspoken King”

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You know Jamal’s really singing when those neck veins come out. This song later got Hakeem, who donned the late Bunkie’s chunky gold chain, laid by Tiana.

“Up All Night” featuring Jussie Smollett

Episode 3, “The Devil Quotes Scripture”

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Everything Jamal touches turns to gold, which explains how Jussie Smollett scored a record deal with Columbia and is now labelmates with Beyonce, Adele, and You Oughta Know artist Hozier. “Up All Night” was one of the show’s highlights early on in the season in episode three.

“Keep It Movin'” featuring Serayah McNeill and Yazz

Episode 4, “False Imposition”

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When Hakeem and Tiana performed “Keep It Movin'” at the Teen Choice Awards Nominations concert, my thoughts during were aligned with Cookie’s: “Work, Tiana!”

“Drip Drop” featuring Yazz and Serayah McNeill

Episode 5, “Dangerous Bonds”

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Jim Beanz unknowingly created a banger in the form of “Drip Drop” featuring Bryshere “Yazz” Gray, who plays Hakeem, and Serayah McNeill, who plays Tiana. The song hit the top of Billboard’s “Emerging Artists” chart shortly after it was released on Spotify, and Beanz —who didn’t know the song was so well-received before we told him it was— was shocked to hear the news.

Jamal recording “Keep Your Money” in the studio

Episode 5, “Dangerous Bonds”

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The song is great, but if you set the video on mute and just watch it without the music playing, the listening faces of Tyree and company are entertainment enough.

“I Wanna Love You” featuring Jussie Smollett

Episode 6, “Out, Damned Spot”

Jamal’s sultry voice filled up the room when he performed “I Wanna Love You” on Sway Calloway’s show. The scene was very “Love On Top” by Beyonce.

“You’re So Beautiful” featuring Jussie Smollett

Episode 8, “The Lyon’s Roar”

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Who could forget Jamal Lyon coming out to a remix of his father’s “You’re So Beautiful”? You know you kinda dig Lucious Lyon’s version, too.

“Conqueror” featuring Jussie Smollett by Estelle

Episode 9, “Unto the Breach”

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“Conqueror” comes to us from Estelle’s latest album, True Romance. It was reworked to be a duet between Jamal and Delphine, played by Estelle, and was the first collaboration between Jamal and someone other than a family member.

“Remember The Music” featuring Jennifer Hudson

Episode 10, “Sins of the Father”

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Jennifer Hudson’s commanding vocals on the triumphant “Remember The Music” are enough to make the song an Empire musical highlight. The song falls alongside some of the other aspects of the show that blur the lines between the real music world and Empire’s fictional one, as it sounds like something Hudson, who plays Andre’s musical therapist on the show, would release herself.