The second season of blockbuster drama Empire will consist of 18 episodes with an extensively growing behind-the-scenes cast. Fox chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman confirmed the additions during the network’s press call this morning. NE-YO, who has spoken publicly of his love for the show and desire to appear on it, has officially closed a deal to write music for Season 2, joining the series’ current music producerTimbaland.
“We just signed NE-YO who’s going to be writing all new music with Timbaland,” announced Fox co-chairs Dana Walden and Gary Newman to the thrill of anyone who thought mid-’00s R&B was underrated.
Empire’s second season will also be slightly different from the last. It will be split into two parts; Part 1 in the fall, ending with a cliffhanger, and Part 2 in the spring—with a crazy cliffhanger for the mid-season hiatus in which a fourth Lyon son will emerge, as played by Zac Efron.
As of now, there are no current plans for NE-YO to act on the series.
