Tiana has been through a tough time on FOX’s hit show “Empire.” From an estranged relationship with Empire hier and star artist Hakim (Bryshere Gray) to having her reign as the label’s top female artist challenged by a new up and coming singer, Tiana’s portrayer Serayah is always kept on her toes. The actress, singer and official member of Taylor Swift’s “squad” previews what viewers can expect when “Empire” airs it’s last two episodes ahead of the Winter finale. The singer debuts a new song “Aces High” written by Ester Dean on the season finale of “Empire.”
“It’s a really fun song,” the actress told reports of a conference call. “The scene that they had me do it in a fashion show and it’s premiered very, I think, eloquently and it’s definitely a crossover song. I like the song because it has that upbeat and that DJ feel that it can be played pretty much anywhere—a club, a rave, anything like that. That’s why I’m excited about the song. It’s a lot different than any other song Tiana has done.”
Tiana finds herself in the middle of a triangle with Graham and Hakim.
“What I conclude about Tiana’s story because it’s very open-ended,” the actress shared. “I would say that Tiana has a lot of history and feelings for Hakeem. Obviously they were dating in the first season, so they have a lot of ups and downs that they went through, things like that. I think that she definitely has that place with Hakeem, but as far as Graham, I think she liked him but probably not as much as Hakeem…I don’t know if that’s telling too much, but I really do think that she is so annoyed with him just because of everything that’s ever happened. People always say there’s always a chance exes will get back together, especially if they’re around each other. So we’ll see.”Her character also found an ally in Becky, who got into trouble for supporting Tiana’s latest music.
“Becky definitely went and got into some trouble trying to get some of the songs released on the show, but things are looking up for Becky and Tiana, I can say that.”
And about Nessa, the new artist who has hooked up with Andre to become the reigning queen of Empire, even if she has to get rid of Tiana to do it and promises that viewers will be surprised.
“They’re definitely going to be surprised because I don’t think they’ve seen Tiana be so outraged at someone and I don’t think that they would be expecting Nessa to do what she did, so I’m really excited for everyone to see that battle between the two. Definitely people have been taking a shot at Tiana this season in the later episodes that we’ll show, and they’re going to get something back for it for sure—boomerang effect.”
The signer credits some of R&B’s biggest stars as her musical influences.
“I would say definitely probably a mix between my mom, Sade and Beyonce or Janet Jackson and Beyonce,” the actress said of those who helped shape her musical career. “I say that because obviously my mom supports everything I do and makes sure that I’m doing the best that I can all the time, even when I don’t want to or when I don’t feel like going anymore. I’d say Janet because she’s an amazing performer, and she just goes in on stage. I’d say Beyonce because she has an amazing career, and she’s such a big businesswoman in the midst of being a celebrity. So those three are my top.
Catch “Empire” Wednesdays on FOX.
