The song reached the top 10 in Lebanon and charted moderately in countries like France, South Korea and Spain.

The song's accompanying video was released on 25 March 2014 and portrays Shakira playing a runaway bride unharmed by fire and on the side of the Montserrat mountain, near Barcelona.

[3] In December 2013, Sony Music Entertainment reported that Shakira's new single would be released in January 2014, and that it was supposed to be a duet with Barbadian recording artist Rihanna.

[10][11] "Empire" is a rock ballad,[12] beginning in acoustic mode with a sparse intro before Shakira unleashes her "inner head-banger" and "howls her way" through the chorus, according to Idolator's Mike Wass.

"[8] Maggie Pannacione of Artistdirect compared the song to the works of Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morissette, but "in the Shakira Latina way.

Leila Cobo of Billboard called the track "a gorgeous rock ballad that harks back to Shakira's earliest work.

[7] Emily Mackay of Digital Spy described the track as "a more mature, classic, piano-led sort of pop with a star-gazing, philosophical rush", with "a cosmic-orgasmic chorus".

[15] Maggie Pannacione of ArtistDirect simply called it "flawless and unique",[13] while Jamieson Cox of Time magazine complimented the track for having "Bond-theme grandeur and a spotlight on Shakira's rich, soaring vocals", noting that, "If you're going to give your single an imperial moniker, it'd better come with tons of space and an explosive climax; Shakira delivers on both counts.

"[18] The official music video was released on 25 March 2014, directed by Darren Craig, Jonathan Craven and Jeff Nicholas from the Uprising Creative.

But in a dreamy twist, Shakira has a change of heart and is seen picking up her skirts and running away across a green sunlit field.

[citation needed] The same day, Shakira performed "Hips Don't Lie" and "Empire" during a live set on The Today Show at the Rockerfella stadium.