LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30 (UPI) — The sophomore season of Fox’s hit music-drama Empire rolls on with a star-studded second episode that will feature guest appearances by Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges and Kelly Rowland.
The episode entitled, ‘Without A Country,’ will focus around Cookie Lyon played by Taraji P. Henson and her quest to start her own record label in order to take down family matriarch Lucious Lyon, (Terrance Howard) as he focuses on getting out of jail.
While locked up, Lucious will meet officer McKnight, (Ludacris) who tries to help the music mogul by offering some much needed breathing medication in exchange for some information.
“As far as I’m concerned the world would be a better place without you in it,” says McKnight in a new trailer for the upcoming episode. “But the federal prosecutor, Ms. Roxanne Ford, she’s more forgiving than me, and that medication of yours it might just magically turn up if you just be a little more co-operative. Think about that.”
‘Without A Country’ will also give viewers their first look at a young Lucious living with his mentally ill mother played by Rowland.
“We start to understand Lucious because we understand his past,” Empire star Jussie Smollett says in a preview clip for the episode. “Especially his connection with his mother and the fact that he loved her so much but that she was suffering from a mental illness also.”
In terms of music, Veronika Bozeman returns to the series after turning heads in the show’s first season with her captivating performance of “What Is Love.” Bozeman will also be seen performing “Hourglass,” a powerful ballad co-written and co-produced by Howard.
“Terrence told me he wrote the song during one of the lower points in his life,” recalls Bozeman, whose first name is Veronika — the same as her Empire character. “When he asked me to translate that emotion for him, I said, ‘You don’t have to tell me. I’m in.’ The song was created in a lower register but Terrence wanted it higher. Going full-blast and exercising my vocal muscles like that took me back to church.”
“Hourglass” will be released as a single and featured on Bozeman’s upcoming album, Music Is My Boyfriend.
Empire continues its ratings and social media dominance as the show’s season premiere became the most tweeted-about hourlong scripted TV show to date.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.