Teyana & Iman

Teyana Taylor has slipped in and out of the world of R&B since she initially burst onto the scene. The multihyphenate’s career has multiple focuses, with curating genre-driving albums solely being one aspect of Taylor’s accredited career. Initially discovered by Pharell Williams at the mere age of 15, she signed a record deal with his Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Her early career existed in the world of MTV, making an appearance on My Super Sweet 16. By 2010, she was contributing guest vocals to Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Now 33 years old, Teyana Taylor is a seasoned veteran in the chaos of the entertainment world. She’s been at it since 2005, and recent development suggests that she’s only just getting started.

Of her numerous influential albums, none stands out more in her discography than K.T.S.E. Kanye West’s summer of 2018 featured iconic projects such as Kids See Ghosts and Ye. However, he also produced Taylor’s sophomore studio album. Blending aggressive frustration with her intimate relationships with the R&B soundscapes of her Harlem upbringing, K.T.S.E. was widely regarded as her hallmark project to date. Debuting at No. 2 on the R&B album charts, it’s also been her most commercially successful sonic initiative to date. Taylor’s sound walks a tightrope between being smooth and adventurous and emotionally harrowing. In essence, the record displayed newfound growth from 2014’s VII.

K.T.S.E. Was Her Breakout Project

While K.T.S.E. was a successful endeavor for Taylor, its success was largely attributed to the College Dropout era production chops from Kanye West rather than the emotionally engaging and harrowing vocals of Teyana. In addition, the project’s four-year wait was only justified with 23 minutes of new music. The record mirrored Teyana Taylor’s struggling relationships with record labels, which led to her announcing her retirement from music at the age of 31 years old. Worn down by the music industry, Kanye West’s GOOD Music made plenty of mistakes in their handling of generational talent. The Album in 2020 saw her regain control of her art under a long and complex form of sonic narratives, embracing a persona of self-loving autonomy.

However, we haven’t heard much from Taylor on the music front since the critically acclaimed 2020 release. As previously mentioned, Taylor’s interests have always subverted solely to being a musician. At only 15 years old, she was choreographing Beyonce’s hit single “Ring the Alarm.” That would only be the beginning of her chorographical career. More recently, she teamed up with Lola Brooke as the Creative Director behind her Hot 97 Summer Jam debut. She collaborated with Summer Walker on her one-night show. Taylor’s influence was blatant in Walker’s performance, which was well-received by local Atlanta fans of the fellow R&B icon. In addition, she’s teaming up with the Jordan brand to release her Jordan 1 sneakers. Taylor enlisted star Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts for the captivating commercial behind the anticipated release.

Teyana Taylor Is Pivoting Away From Music

In essence, Teyana Taylor isn’t in love with the studio. She’s captivating both in front of and behind the camera. Taylor delivered an emotional performance on A Thousand And One, which saw her break away from comedically casual roles into one as a struggling mother. Speaking to Atlanta Black Star, she stated, “I always wanted to just be taken more serious, you know what I’m saying? I feel like this put me in a position for a person to never second guess when they hear my name.” The role also more accurately mirrors her personal life, as she currently shares two daughters with ex-NBA player Iman Shumpert. In addition, she recently acted as Imani in the Jack Harlow-assisted White Men Can’t Jump. Teyana Taylor is some sort of wild blend between Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé, and Misa Hylton.

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