( CNN ) Fox 's smash hit series `` Empire '' had its season finale on Wednesday night , and the ratings once again grew . According to Deadline , the drama reached 16.5 million viewers , up 10 % from the 14.9 million who tuned in the week before . The show has managed to grow its total audience every week since its premiere , a rare feat in the television landscape . Deadline notes that it 's the best showing for a new series in a decade . Most fans were not disappointed with Wednesday night 's season finale . As the show aired , # EmpireFinale was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter , and the show got its most tweets ever during the two-hour finale . The show about the passionate Lyon family and the drama surrounding them and their record label has been a TV phenomenon , with ratings growing weekly . Its soundtrack scored a rare success this week , debuting in the No . 1 spot on Billboard 's top 200 album chart , topping Madonna 's `` Rebel Heart . '' Danny Strong told Deadline that he and fellow `` Empire '' creator Lee Daniels have steered the series to be both socially conscious ( issues of race and sexuality were central to the plot ) and night-time soapy . `` I think that 's one of the secrets of success to the show , '' Strong said . `` That it 's working on both levels , and the layered character drama grounds the juicy soap turns . So the soap turns are a blast , but we have this drama there that also keeps it emotional and real . '' In January , the network announced plans for a second season .
16.5 million people watched the season finale . The show 's first season ended Wednesday Wednesday night . The soundtrack topped Billboard 's album chart .