Teyana Taylor, The Album | Album Review 💿

R&B standout Teyana Taylor follows up her brief sophomore album, K.T.S.E. with the lengthy but superb third LP, The Album. 

Teyana Taylor is back with The Album, which is actually her third studio album.  That said, it’s no secret that Taylor had her fair share of self-criticism regarding her 2018 sophomore album, K.T.S.E..  Despite its brevity, K.T.S.E. had its fair share of moments, but the lengthier The Album is easily a stronger, more accomplished project. The Album has the opposite problem that K.T.S.E. had – it’s too long.  Even if the 80-minute runtime is a bit much, the quality is top-rate, and Teyana Taylor shows the full range of her artistry.  The Album, hence, ranks among the best R&B albums of 2020.

“Intro”

Often, album intros only go so far, but “Intro” from The Album does indeed set the tone.  It covers Iman Shumpert’s marriage proposal to Teyana, as well as the premature birth of their daughter, Junie. Junie appears on ✓ “Come Back to Me,” which actually predates her life according to Taylor (it didn’t make her debut album, VII, from 2014).  Thankfully, the DJ Camper-produced standout made The Album, alongside a cool Rick Ross feature on the first verse.  With Ross on autopilot, Taylor also ‘puts in work’ on the memorable chorus, a brutally honest verse (“Patience, n***a, don’t talk to me ‘bout no patience / Down-ass bitch, an understatement”), and a pretty sweet bridge.

Following a rock-solid start, The Album maintains momentum with ✓ “Wake Up Love.” Teyana keeps it ‘all in the family’ tapping her hubby Iman for a feature.  In many instances, these sorts f collaborations can be hit or miss, but it’s effective in this particular instance.  The best part of “Wake Up Love” are Taylor’s rich, sultry vocals and the vibe given off, amplified by the production work of Cardiak and Swiff D.  Taylor then looks to Erykah Badu (!) for a big-time assist on ✓ “Lowkey.”  Notably, the 1997 Baduizm classic, “Next Lifetime”, is interpolated and sampled throughout. Adding to the excellence of experiencing that gem more than two decades later is the actual guest appearance by Badu herself.  The results are glorious.

“Let’s Build” 

Teyana Taylor continues to keep The Album moving in a positive direction.  Sure, Quavo has become a wee bit too ubiquitous at this point, but he perfectly fits on “Let’s Build.” When he hums in particular, it’s definitely a whole vibe! What’s being built, of course, is a strong, loving bond.  From there, “1 800 One-Night” marks the first solo record by Teyana.  Brief, Taylor gets her point across on this sexy, sultry number which feels like a fitting preface to ✓ “Morning”.

“Got my legs up, hands up, at attention / You make me stand up and switch up on it…” Whoa, Nelly! “Morning,” featuring Kehlani is a lush, sexed-up affair.  Neither Teyana nor Kehlani hold back in the least, keeping it 100 on this steamy joint.  The first, performed by Taylor, makes it clear what’s going down: “Ain’t no limit when I’m pullin’ when I fuck on you, babe.” If we didn’t get it, on the pre-chorus, she’s even franker (“Titties in your mouth”). Kehlani keeps it explicit on the second verse, asserting, “Yeah, I fuckin’ feel you / Mean I feel you fuckin’ / Shit, I feel you cummin’ / Ain’t gon’ be no runnin’, oh.” That’s enough to titillate anybody. On the chorus, the naughty tandem combines forces on select parts. Beyond the seductiveness, the production (Mixx, Tune Da Rula, and Miguel “Louis Gold” Jiminez) perfectly captures the SEX.

“Boomin” 

The hits on The Album just don’t stop.  Neither does the sex for that matter.  ✓ “Boomin” samples “808” by Blaque to perfection. Furthermore, Teyana collaborates with Future and Missy Elliott.  Regardless, Taylor is the star in the leading role, with Future taking the lead role for one verse, and Missy firmly planted in an effective backup role.  The chorus is a huge selling point:

“Boom like an 808, makin’ circles like a figure eight
Feels good from head to toe, here we go, oh.”

Taylor goes solo for only the second time in the first 10 tracks of the album with “69.” Of course, “69” is about exactly what you think it is. “Got you curling your toes while you’re deep in my throat.”  Yep, this is a joint that makes you feel some type of way… we’ll leave that at that!

After some truly sexed-up contemporary R&B, Taylor shifts on to tropically-infused R&B joints – not to say they aren’t sexy too. “Killa,” like the majority of The Album is effective, enlisting the talents of Davido.  Is it a gem? Not stacked against the crème de la crème, but still effective.  “Bad” is a fitting follow-up, doubling down on the tropical vibes.  “Bad” actually steps things up, fully embracing reggae over its brief runtime.  Better than both of the international numbers is the unapologetic ✓ “Wrong Bitch” where Teyana is NOT playing around.  She makes this crystal clear with the opening bullet, “Ain’t no more insecure Issa Rae shit (nope).” LOL!

“Shoot it Up”

Following two solo cuts, Teyana Taylor enlists her label mate, Big Sean for “Shoot it Up.” Another sleekly produced number (Ayo n Keyz, Marco Mavy, Sangria, Carrington-Brown, and David Drake), Taylor continues to sound utterly sublime.  She’s profane mind you, but her voice is so refined.  As for Big Sean, he’s perfectly suited for cut, bringing a mix of straight rhymes and more melodic, pop-rap.  After asserting “I’ma shoot the shit up,” she asks us to ✓ “Bare Wit Me.” Not hard to do with a brief duration, sick production (Cardiak, NinetyFour, and Bizness Boi), and superb, buttery smooth vocals.  The biggest rub? “Bare Wit Me” is too short!

As modern as The Album is overall, a previous era of R&B is not lost on Teyana Taylor.  Born in 1990, she also experienced the neo soul era, something that is clearly apparent in many instances on The Album.  The short but potent “Lose Each Other” is a perfect example.  It bridges modern R&B, yet also hearkens back to R&B of old, with incredibly soulful vocals from Taylor.  Of course, it doesn’t supplant ✓ “Concrete,” one of the surefire gems.  One of my favorite lines occurs on the first verse, where she asserts, “You dickmotize my feelings / Then judge the way I’m healing / I thought you grew up Christian / Let’s talk about forgiveness.” Woo! Nothing makes a great R&B record like matters of heart, particularly when pain and turbulence are the catalyst for such matters. Oh, and for good measure, if ‘dickmotize’ wasn’t enough, she also “weaponize the pussy” on the second verse.  Oh Teyana!

“Still”

“Concrete” is a tough act to follow – so good! ✓ “Still,” however holds its own, without a hitch.  This is another record that shows Taylor at her very best vocally – man she sounds awesome! Again, with matters of the heart propelling her forward, coupled with ‘that attitude,’ 17 tracks into The Album, she’s still ‘on.’ “Ever Ever” may sound slightly familiar – it samples Refugee Camp All Stars and Lauryn Hill (“Sweetest Thing” ).  Here, Hill’s vocals are pitch-shifted, bringing additional color to the additional production by NOVA WAV.  Even though “Ever Ever” isn’t the first song I leave The Album highlighting, it’s another consistent, solid fit for Teyana.

After the lethargic pace of “Ever Ever,” “Try Again” smartly accelerates the pace. The brief, tasty “Friends” maintains the pace, infusing both electrifying rhythm and hip-hop. ✓ “How You Want It” featuring King Combs has some of that 90s New Jack Swing nostalgia, only updated for 2020. There’s no letdown on Taylor’s end – she remains locked TF in.  Following a number of solo cuts, after the beginning of The Album was dominated with features, it’s actually refreshing to get the King Combs feature.

“Made It”

Teyana Taylor saves two of the album’s very best songs for the end – the 22^nd and 23^rd tracks respectively!  The first of the two closing gems is ✓ “Made It,” which brings more nostalgia utilizing a Juvenile sample (“Back That Azz Up”).  “Made It” checks off all boxes for Taylor.  Great vocals, attitude, catchy chorus and intriguing lyrics overall, and superb production.

The crown jewel, of course, is ✓ “We Got Love”, featuring Lauryn Hill.  “We got love, love, love / You better believe it.” The biggest takeaway from “We Got Love” is how reflective and thankful the record is.  Taylor counts her many blessings, none of which are about clout or drip of any sort. She focuses on family, self-love, and positive, uplifting vibes. Hill doesn’t have a gargantuan role on “We Got Love,” but her interlude adds some spice to this love-centric, socially conscious, and reflective number (“You keep your focus / You keep your sense of love / And you keep your sense of purpose…”).  Ultimately, “We Got Love” is great way to conclude a great album.

Final Thoughts

Not every artist can pull off such a long album as well as Teyana Taylor does on The Album.  Sure, she could’ve trimmed a few songs, but honestly, this is one 80-minute album that works extremely well just as it is.  If Taylor feels she letdown fans and perhaps herself with K.T.S.E., she more than makes up for it here.  This is the best album Taylor has made to date, not to mention one of the best albums of 2020.

✓ Gems: “Come Back to Me,” “Wake Up Love,” “Lowkey,” “Morning,” “Boomin,” “Wrong Bitch,” “Concrete,” “Still,” “How You Want It,” “Made It” & “We Got Love” 

Teyana Taylor • The Album • Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam • Release: 6.19.20

Photo Credits: Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam