The Anatomy of a Power Couple

Power couples are everybody’s #goals. They seem to have everything under control in all aspects of their lives, and still have time to be the best they can be for themselves, their children, and one another. From established power couples like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, to budding ones like Cardi B and Offset, there’s always something inspirational and aspirational about two driven individuals coming together in the name of love.

But being a true power couple isn’t about how famous these individuals are or how much money they have, it’s about how they elevate each other and those around them. It’s definitely not about being “perfect,” because every great relationship takes hard work and diamonds are only created under pressure. Just like Cookie and Lucious Lyon on Empire, it’s their ability to continually weather the storm together that makes them so powerful. While every power couple’s relationship is different, there are some common elements that define and bind them all. This is the anatomy of a power couple.

Power Couples Have Kid(s) With a Name Worth Remembering

Whenever it’s revealed that a celebrity couple is expecting, all people want to know is the baby’s sex and what his/her name will be. If you want to see the creativity of a power couple, all you have to do is look to the birth certificate. From Blue Ivy Carter (Jay and Bey) and North West (Kanye and Kim) to Kulture Kiari Cephus (Cardi and Offset) and Future Zahir Wilburn (Future and Ciara), the name drop is often a moment that dominates social media feeds and headlines. Sure, some reveals ring louder than others, but at the end of the day a true power couple has the confidence and foresight to come up with something that people won’t forget. Oftentimes, it’s bigger than just a name and all about creating a new brand, like how Beyonce’s Ivy Park clothing line is a nod to her and JAY’s firstborn, Blue Ivy. That leads right into…

Empire Power Couple Episode: Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot” The series premiere is when we are introduced to Cookie and Lucious’ three sons; Andre, which means strong, Jamal, which means handsome in Arabic, and Hakeem, which means wise in Arabic.

Power Couples Establish Generational Wealth

All throughout 4:44, JAY spoke about the importance of both obtaining and passing down generational wealth to one’s children. If there’s one power couple who understands that power move it’s DJ Khaled and former fashion designer, Nicole Tuck, who have, hands down, conceived the coolest baby to touch planet Earth. Their son Asahd, who is just touching his second birthday, already has executive producer credits on his father’s 2017 album, Grateful, and will be releasing a joint Jordan collection with Foot Locker Kids. Khaled and Nicole clearly know and understand the purpose of making sure your child is set up for the future and the fact that their young mogul is cashing his own checks before pre-school will ensure he has a worry-free life.

Empire Power Couple Episode: Season 3, Episode 18 “Toil & Trouble, Pt. 2” Rekindling the flame with the love of his life Cookie, Lucious is finally ready to retire from the game and decides to turn complete control of Empire Entertainment over to his oldest son, Andre Lyon. This passing of the torch leads to an explosive season finale.

Power Couples Work Well Together

Power couples know how to balance their personal, professional, and financial lives to seamlessly navigate the fine line between working and being together. The Carters are prime examples of this with their profitable On The Run tour, joint album EVERYTHING IS LOVE, and shared partnership in Tidal. But they’re not alone. Writers/Producers/Directors Mara Brock Akil and Salim Aki have spent most of their careers making some of the most timeless love stories on screen together. Similarly, Meagan Good and husband DeVon Franklin co-authored their New York Times bestselling book, The Wait, in 2015. Business. Pleasure. Who says you can’t have both?

Empire Power Couple Episode: Season 4, Episode 1 “Noble Memory” An amnesic Lucious is reminded that Cookie wrote one of his biggest records but never got credit for it. From music to business, this is just one example of this power couple bringing the best out of each other.

Power Couples Give Back

One of the things that makes a power couple truly powerful is using their platform to do good in the real world. That could mean speaking out against injustices like John Legend and Chrissy Teigen or regularly giving back to those less fortunate like Ciara and Russell Wilson. Power couples understand that their words and actions mean something, so they move in a way that’s not only inspiring to those around them but the larger world we all live in.

Empire Power Couple Episode: Season 2, Episode 15 “More Than Kin” Lucious and Andre team up on a fundraiser to raise awareness about bipolar disease. The event served as a dual purpose as a way for Lucious to convince the board of directors to reinstate him as CEO, and as an opportunity to give back to an important cause that affects both his mother and oldest son Andre.

Power Couples Have Bulletproof Love

Nothing binds a couple better than overcoming hurdles together, and power couples are the ones who have been through it all just to come out stronger. With constant outside forces trying to rip them apart, their relationships are never simple or easy, but not even jail time can break the bonds of this kind of love. When Gucci Mane got locked up for an extended stretch, his lady Keyshia Ka’oir could have easily walked away but she stayed by his side for his full bid and got to marry the man of her dreams once he was free. That commitment isn’t just for the ride or die chicks of the world. While Remy Ma was incarcerated up for six long years, her husband Papoose held her down the whole time and kept her name hot in the streets. No matter the struggle power couples are in it for the long haul.

Empire Power Couple Episode: Season 4, Episode 18 “The Empire Unpossess’d” Despite jail time, other relationships, and outside forces driving them, Cookie and Lucious finally tie the knot. They may not have control of Empire (for now), but they still have each other and that’s all that matters.

To see the ultimate power couple back in action tune-into season five of Empire, which returns Wednesday, Sept. 26th at 8pm ET/PT on FOX.