Billboard honors Teyana Taylor in a unique way in the latest edition of our “Takes Us Out” series. Five years after she announced her retirement from music, Taylor is set to release her fourth studio album, Escape Room, on August 22.
The versatile artist — singer-songwriter, dancer-choreographer, video director, and actress — recently visited Casa de Flores in Encino, California, to create a beautiful arrangement of red roses and engage in a conversation with Billboard’s Gail Mitchell. When asked what led her to end her musical retirement, Taylor reflected on her 2020 Billboard cover story that followed the success of her gold-certified third studio album, The Album.
“When I spoke to you five years ago, it wasn’t on my terms,” she begins. “I’ve come back now at a time when I can return on my terms. And that was crucial for me because … I don’t like to be confined to a box. I don’t want to be limited to one room. I’m like a Glade plug-in: I’ll connect wherever I find a socket, wherever there’s an outlet.
“For me,” she continues, “why settle for making just one room smell pleasant when you can make the entire store aromatic? What do I look like only being plugged into a bathroom? I need to be connected everywhere! I want to experience the fruits of my labor wherever I go. Coming back to music and doing it on my terms has been incredibly exciting for me.”
Based on the enthusiastic response from her fans, it’s equally exciting for them as Taylor prepares for the release of Escape Room. This week, it was announced that her fourth studio album will feature 22 songs with contributions from Jill Scott, Tyla, Lucky Daye, and Kaytranada, along with her daughters Rue Rose and Junie Shumpert. The album will also include monologues by a group of powerful women’s voices, including Taraji P. Henson, Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash, Issa Rae, and Regina King, among others.
Taylor, who recently underwent emergency vocal cord surgery, had previously announced her comeback with the singles “Long Time” and “Bed of Roses.” The accompanying music videos for both tracks, which feature her partner, actor Aaron Pierre, have received 2.2 million and 1.2 million views, respectively, on YouTube.
Watch “Teyana Taylor Takes Us Out” to discover more about her journey to well-being and upcoming projects.
