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Empire © Twentieth Century Fox

2.5 out of 5 stars

“Aces High,” a song performed by Serayah on the third season of Empire, suffers from the pitfalls of the soundtrack cut. 

Ah, the pitfalls of the television soundtrack. Single “Aces High” appeared on the penultimate episode of hip-hop drama Empire. Performed by Tiana (Serayah), “Aces High” plays upon clichés.  In other words, the record sounds generic and inauthentic.  The production work is in line with contemporary R&B and hip-hop, which is expected, but doesn’t make it “the second coming.” While the record isn’t particularly distinct, it does have a Latin, urban-pop quality.

Final Thoughts

All in all, it is slickly produced, even if it lacks that extra oomph.  Ultimately, there’s little here to rave about – this is the type of soundtrack record you listen to and you ask yourself, so what?

Serayah (Empire Cast) • “Aces High” • Twentieth Century Fox • Release: 12.2.16
Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox 

 

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the musical hype

the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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