Serayah, the actress-singer-dancer who plays superstar Tiana on Empire, recently sat down with reporters to talk about her new song, "Aces High", her upcoming album, and what else fans can expect this season. (Warning: If you're two out of three Lyon brothers, you better watch your back!)
On “Aces High”:
Serayah raved about her new song, which will make its debut during a fashion show in which Andre tries to sabotage Tiana’s big appearance in an attempt to get Nessa into the spotlight. “It’s a really fun song — it has that upbeat feel, that DJ feel. 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.”
On Tiana’s rivalry with Nessa:
Serayah said fans are going to be surprised when they see how Tiana reacts to Nessa’s power play. “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 the battle between the two.”
On Tiana’s feelings for Hakeem:
According to Serayah, Tiana’s feelings for Hakeem remain as complicated as ever. “I would say that Tiana has a lot of history and feelings for Hakeem. Obviously they were dating in the first season, so they’ve had a lot of ups and downs that they went through. I really do think that she is so annoyed with him just because of everything that’s ever happened. But, people always say there’s always a chance exes will get back together, especially if they’re around each other. So we’ll see.”
On Tiana’s blowup with Becky:
Good news for the A&R rep played by Gabby Sidibe — it looks like there won’t be lasting fallout from Becky’s disagreement with Xavier, and the lies she told to Tiana about it. “Becky definitely went and got into some trouble trying to get some of the songs released, but things are looking up for Becky and Tiana, I can say that,” Serayah revealed.
On what fans can expect from upcoming episodes:
A lot of characters on Empire have been taking shots at Tiana lately, including ex-boyfriend Hakeem and now Andre, but Serayah warned us that Tiana isn’t going to just sit back and take it from her haters. “They’re definitely going to be sorry. I feel like anything done in the wrong, with the wrong intention, always comes back and gets you. They’re going to get something back for it for sure—boomerang effect.”
As to why Tiana is suddenly the focus of this negative attention, Serayah noted, “I can say that she’s definitely focused on her career like always, but she’s getting picked on a little bit by people who want to be in her spotlight, like Nessa, and then people who want to be back with her, like Hakeem. Throughout all this, she’s just trying to press forward and get this music out, and that’s what really matters to her — trying not to let the personal life override. But sometimes, you just can’t help it.”
As far as the music, Serayah told us we can expect a collaboration with one of the Lyon brothers — but not the one you might expect. “I always wanted Tiana to collaborate with Jussie [Smollett, who plays Jamal Lyon], and in future episodes she finally gets to.”
On similarities between herself and Tiana:
Serayah identifies with Tiana a great deal — mostly because she and her character have the same dreams. “I would say me and Tiana have a lot of similarities as far as being a go-getter and a dreamer and singing and dancing. All this stuff is what I’ve always wanted to do.”
She added, “I’ve been in the shoes of fighting all the no’s and waiting to get the yes and, once you get the yes, pressing forward and doing what you can with your opportunity that you got.”
On Tiana’s bisexuality:
Serayah was thrown off guard when Empire’s writers first told her about Tiana’s bisexuality. “When I first got word that that was what was going to happen, I didn’t know how to feel, to be honest,” she said, adding, “I just wanted to know where she was coming from as far as an actor. I didn’t want to just be doing it. So my only thing was just to have a talk with the writers and be like okay, why is she this way?
Once she spoke with the show’s writers, Serayah felt she had a better idea of where the storyline regarding Tiana’s sexuality was coming from. “What we came up with for the character was that she was going through a period of being in the industry, being in the fast life, and some people get caught up and they start trying things they’ve never done. But the thing for Tiana was it was just an experiment. So I had a far greater understanding about it after we talked.”
On what she admires about Empire:
Serayah said it’s more than just Empire’s predominantly Black cast that makes her proud to be a part of it; it’s also the types of stories it tells about the Black experience. “What I really admire about the show I’m on is that not only does it have a relatively African-American cast, but that we’re seen in the light of, not only can Black people come from in the gutter, but they can rise and become moguls and millionaires. So that’s what I really admire about the show.
She added, “Also, I think it’s really amazing that now at this time we get to have Black television back and see it back in action. For the young kids watching, it’s great.”
On the possibility of an Empire tour:
While Serayah said she hadn’t heard anything about an Empire tour, she sounded game to participate in one. “That’s actually a really good idea. I know for the first season that Hakeem and Jamal did a spot tour and a couple of dates around in malls and stuff like that, but I haven’t heard any word about us all being on tour. We’ll see, but I’m not sure.”
On her upcoming album:
In addition to her work on Empire, Serayah is currently working on her debut album. “The album’s coming along great. I’m actually still working on it, it’s a work in progress. I’m really excited about it and everyone that I get to work with and in the future that I’m going to work with.”
When asked about her collaborators, Serayah revealed, “I’ve been working with this producer named Donut. I’ve been working with Ester [Dean] and a few others and hopefully more. But I’d definitely love to keep the team of just a couple people and have a sound that’s consistent, so I’m not too much focused on having everyone on the project, I just want it to be great.”
As far as whether any of her songs from Empire will appear on the album, she said, “I’m looking forward to doing all originals, but we’ll see. Maybe if Aces High does good enough, as like Look But Don’t Touch did, of course, but as of now it’s all originals.”
While listeners can expect the overall sound to be similar to her work on Empire, Serayah said the vibe will be a bit different: “more sultry, soul, R&B stuff as well.”
On her musical influences:
According to Serayah, the three biggest influences on her music career are her mom, Janet Jackson and Beyonce. “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 all in onstage. And 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.”
On living the dream:
When asked what it is like to star on a hit television show at the age of 21, Serayah replied, “It’s actually unreal sometimes. I don’t think about it a lot until I get a question like this…What’s the most surprising part about it to me, and that I’m still surprised at, is yes, I did want to act and sing and everything, but the universe gave it to me all in one package, and that’s really, really cool.”
However, Serayah isn’t taking anything about her rise to stardom for granted. “I’m just always grateful for the opportunity, and I’m just always working really to just work on different stuff and just to keep the ball rolling.”
You can listen to Serayah’s new song for Empire, “Aces High”, here. And don’t forget to watch the latest episode, “The Unkindest Cut,” airing Wednesday, December 7 at 9:00 pm EST.
