'Empire' Crowns New Star, Striking Soul Siren V Bozeman
Drug seed money, downlow R&B star, Terrence Howard’s character’s ’80s-styled perm aside, FOX’s new hip-hop thriller Empire managed to score one of its most captivating moments even before the drama began to unfold – it shined a light on a dynamic rising soul singer V Bozeman.
An opening scene of the premiere episode features Bozeman singing “What Is Love” as the record label executives look on in awe. Her wrenching, guttural vocals connected with viewers, old and new fans.
On Wednesday, the day of the second episode, Bozeman released a video performance of the entire song. Though she’s a protégé of Timbaland, and has previously been groomed by the likes of CeeLo, Babyface, Polow da Don, and Ester Dean, her reoccurring role on the buzzy new show could be the break she’s been waiting for.
Timbaland gushed about the Los Angeles native Veronika Bozeman, a new signee to his Mosley Music Group. “What excites me about V is that she is excitement,” he told MTV. “There’s nobody that you heard of with a tone like her in years. She is a diamond that’s been sitting there, and good ol’ Timbo discovered it. She’s my diamond. And she’s the best vocalist, to me, I’ve seen in years – meaning singing songs that touch your soul. She’s amazing. She’s groundbreaking.”
In 2011, Bozeman and Timothy Bloom filmed a nude video for their sensual R&B ballad “’Til The End of Time" that has generated more than a million plays on YouTube. Last fall, she released a provocative visual for her song "Race Jones" that celebrates her dark skin and portrays her in white body paint. She has also performed with CeeLo.
Bozeman will appear on Timbaland’s forthcoming Opera Noir album and her solo set, Music Is My Boyfriend, will follow.
