20 best original songs from TV, from The Simpsons to Empire
By Sundi Rose
“You’re So Beautiful”
The show: Empire
Empire came on the television scene back in 2015, and folks were left with their mouth hanging open. It’s a family drama, but it’s also a soap opera, a musical, and just downright bananas. It’s brimming with melodrama and outrageous storylines, but it has also produced quality music that fans have downloaded in droves.
Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard are the founders of the Empire record label, which Lucious (Howard) made hugely successful while Cookie (Henson) was in prison. After 17 years away, Cookie returns to see her family and her business very much changed, and not so much for the better. The first season is, arguably, the best overall. And you have to give it up for Jussie Smollett as Jamal. His voice is downright compelling.
Best of the best: “You’re So Beautiful” (“The Lyon’s Roar,” season 1)
I may be a little bit biased in favor those earlier episodes, but I believe season 1, by far, has the best and most interesting music selection, leading to its overall high quality. In fact, Jamal’s White Party rendition of this song serves as his official coming out, and it’s beautifully executed. Even though the show’s handling of Jamal’s sexuality has been rocky at times, this song is a nice way to support the character, even when the writing doesn’t always do him much in the way of favors.
Best lyric(s):
“Say this the kind of song that makes a man love a man”