LISTEN TO “MORNING”
WATCH THE VIDEO
EARLY LISTEN TO “MORNING”HERE
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Teyana Taylor – multi-hyphenate R&B superstar singer, songwriter, producer, director, dancer/choreographer, actor, fitness guru, model, mother and Harlem native – announces the release of “Morning” featuring Kehlani, the brand new single and steamy video, both available today via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings. “Morning” is the second advance track from THE ALBUM, following up the R&B smash “How You Want It? (HYWI?)” featuring King Combs.
THE ALBUM is the long-awaited follow-up to Teyana’s KTSE, one of the five G.O.O.D. Music/ Def Jam albums produced by Kanye West during his 2018 sojourn in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Released in June, KTSE (acronym for Keep That Same Energy) set off an 18-month chain reaction for Teyana, starting with its summertime RIAA- certified Gold smash “Gonna Love Me.” Teyana performed “Gonna Love Me” (in a medley with “Rose In Harlem,” also from KTSE) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Hip-hop audiences embraced the “Gonna Love Me” remix featuring Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Raekwon, whose video was directed by Teyana herself.
KTSE spun off a hot new single and video for Teyana in early 2019, the explicit “WTP (Work This P***y).” The video was nominated last week for “Best Dance Performance” at the upcoming BET Soul Train Awards, airing live from Las Vegas on November 17. The third single from KTSE was the evocative “Issues/Hold On.” After slaying the audience with the song live on Ellen in April 2019, Teyana was surprised on-air when Ellen presented her with the RIAA gold award plaque for “Gonna Love Me,” bringing it all full circle.
As she continues to direct her own videos, Teyana – aka ‘Spike Tee’ – was again at the helm of the clip for her recent single, “How You Want It? (HYWI?)” featuring King Combs, released in August.
About TEYANA TAYLOR:
Being a jack of trades has allowed Teyana Taylor to become a master of all. From her smoky melodic vocals to her dynamic dance moves, the entertainer dips in dives between her talents that also include producing, songwriting, acting, directing and everything in between. When it comes to describing herself, the Harlem native can only think of one word: Everything.
“I literally can do everything. I never look at anything as being impossible,” she explains. “I exhaust all options to make what happen when I need to make happen.” Her mantra made her an early favorite to artists like Pharrell, who she signed her first deal with, and later choreographed videos for artists like Beyonce and Jay-Z. Her love for the arts and R&B later earned her the title of the first woman signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint.
Between R&B’s identity crisis in the 2010s, Teyana dropped her debut album VII, with tracks like “Maybe” (featuring Yo Gotti and Pusha T) and the sultry “Just Different” shaping her musical persona. The critically acclaimed album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 2014, cementing her position in today modern R&B field. “I fought for that raw, hood necessary R&B and now I feel like it’s better than ever,” she says.
After spicing up the R&B charts, Teyana was blessed with the arrival of her daughter Junie with husband and NBA star Iman Shumpert in 2015. “I do all of this for my baby. She’s who I do it for,” she says about Iman “Junie” Tayla Shumpert Jr., her main source of inspiration. “I always show her how to be a leader and a businesswoman. I want her to believe that she can be anything she wants to be and it not be a shocker that she’s a female doing it all.” Soon after, Teyana went on to star in the internet-breaking video for Kanye West’s “Fade,” and scored her first MTV Moonman for “Best Choreography” at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.
But it wasn’t until the release of her sophomore project K.T.S.E. in June 2018 that the world experienced Teyana’s talents. With her all-female production company The Aunties, Teyana self-directed videos for “WTP,” the Gold-selling single “Gonna Love Me,” and recently, “Issues/Hold On.” She has also directed videos for her peers like T.I. (“You”), Monica (“Commitment”) and Lil Duval (“Pull Up” featuring Ty Dolla $ign) with fans like Ms. Lauryn Hill and Elton John praising her boss moves.
Part of what makes Teyana stand out from the rest is her ability to move with precision and poise in everything she does. From the studio to the stage, every idea is a project with the singer front and center with a vision all her own. With her musical inspirations like Aaliyah, Teena Marie, Mint Condition and Janet Jackson speaking to her soul, Teyana is aware her mission is larger than life. “I’m working on me every day and I think that’s my purpose,” she says, comparing her life to a never-ending book. “I’m still going, still mastering and being a better me.”
