‘The Music of ‘Underground’: Behind-the-Scenes with John Legend on Slave Thriller

*The highly anticipated escape thriller “Underground,” premieres Wednesday, March 9 (10 p.m. ET/PT) on WGN, and a new featurette, “The Music of ‘Underground,” goes behind-the-scenes with executive producer John Legend, and composers Laura Karpman, a multi-Emmy Award winner, and celebrated singer/songwriter and producer Raphael Saadiq.

“Underground is the story of a group of slaves who decided they wanted to be free,” Legend says. Part of his job as executive producer is to curate “bold and creative music” choices for the series, including the main title theme “Heaven’s Door” which was produced by Legend, written by Angelique Cinelu and Curtis Richardson and performed by Alice Smith. Kanye West and The Weeknd also lend their talent to the series.

“From the start we said to everyone we wanted to be bold,” says series creator/executive producer Misha Green.

“We’re all together trying to create a soundscape that fits with the show’s urgency and power,” Legends says in the featurette, which highlights the “upbeat thrill ride” of contemporary and old music featured in the series. By putting a twist on various music styles and giving the music its own “underground sound,” Green says they intend to show that “1857 isn’t so different” from modern America.

“All of the music had to have a certain rawness, at any moment they could lose their lives,” Legend says of the brave characters.

Watch the featurette below, and peep the provoking series key art above – featuring Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aldis Hodge. “Underground” also features Chris Meloni, Jessica de Gouw and Alano Miller.

Co-creator Joe Pokaski also serves as an executive producer alongside singer/songwriter and Academy Award-winner John Legend and Akiva Goldman. The 10-episode, hour-long program follows “a group of courageous men and women who use their ingenuity, power and perseverance to attempt the greatest escape in history and break free, despite the dire consequences that awaited them on the other side.”

Watch the “Underground” trailer below, and follow the series on Facebook and Twitter.