Teyana Taylor: The Album | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- Aptly titled the The Album, American singer Teyana Taylor’s third record is a statement. Beyond its stunning Grace Jones inspired artwork, The Album is a sudden and disarming formation of the past and future of R&B music. Over twenty-three tracks and a runtime of an hour and eighteen minutes, what Kendrick Lamar did to hip-hop with 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly Teyana Taylor attempts to do to R&B.

From it’s emotionally charged Intro alone, which features a leaked 911 call following her childbirth, it’s as though a switch has been flipped. The Album is Teyana Taylor’s most personal work yet, a gripping showcase of personal experiences and stories that give merit to the record’s tender, warm production that equally reflects classic R&B and futuristic electronica. Not only does Teyana Taylor act to replicate this -with her own spin, of course- she acquires contributions from stylistic pioneers.

Over the sultry, A Tribe Called Quest-like production of early cut Lowkey, Erykah Badu delivers an effervescent flow that pairs delightfully with Taylor’s own vocals. As Lowkey progresses, its jazz punctuated production gradually transforms into a soft, metallic fuzz which only acts to magnetise both Taylor and Badu. Likewise, the incredibly vulnerable We Got Love features Lauryn Hill amongst a chorus of vocalists. It's not only the record’s most intimate track with lyrics like, “Don’t need makeup to dress you up / I gave birth on the bathroom floor / Don’t let this life defeat you,” but an incredibly adventurous one that immerses this high profile feature with vivacious production that culminates in a bold string section.

Fortunately, with its length and long list of collaborators in mind, The Album’s courageous production keeps it incredibly fresh for the bulk of its runtime. The mellow Morning features production that both accelerates and freezes as Taylor and featured artist Kehlani require. it has the same charisma of the Caroline Polachek song of the same name. Deep cut Still radiates more of that primal energy, with production that captures a sexual, starry-eyed desire.

Across that mammoth runtime and that truly epic number of features, it’s as though Teyana Taylor has finally proven to herself what she is capable. Yet, despite the grandiosity, she still comes across as a person, a human being. The Album is by no means perfect. However its flaws, like its unwavering humanity and bold melodrama, allow it to be real; to be joyful yet genuine.

- Sean Tayler.
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