Teyana Taylor- The Album 

A triumph of womanhood and music, Teyana Taylor’s third album The Album released by Kanye West’s GOOD music label, is not only a celebration of Taylor but an introduction to her immense potential as a musician. While Taylor’s 2018 album K.T.S.E. was praised for her unique approach and reinvention of R&B, this album sees Taylor taking more creative control. The result is a thoughtful well planned out LP that is equal parts musically intriguing and intimate. The album is split up into five “studios” or moods, Studio A (tracks 1-5) is love songs, Studio L (tracks 6-10) songs about sexuality, Studio B (tracks 11-14) focuses on self-worth, Studio U (tracks 15-18) concerns vulnerability and finally Studio M (tracks 19-23) represents triumph. Taylor holds nothing back, opening the album with audio of the 911 call her husband, Iman Shumpert, placed when Taylor unexpectedly went into labor. This choice is reminiscent of Joan Didion releasing her psychiatric report in her 1979 book The White Album. Like Didion, Taylor is pushing boundaries, which will no doubt result in a shift to how listeners think about autobiographical albums.

By Emma Chekroun