Teyana Taylor is stepping back into the music scene after her retirement, and this time she’s calling every shot. After walking away from the industry five years ago, the singer, songwriter, and creative powerhouse is set to release her fourth studio album, “Escape Room,” on August 22nd.
While visiting Casa de Flores in Encino, California, Taylor sat down with Billboard’s Gail Mitchell for a candid conversation over a table full of red roses. She revealed that her decision to return came from a place of freedom she didn’t have before. “When I spoke to you five years ago, it wasn’t on my terms,” she said. “I’ve returned now in a time when I get to come back on my terms. And that was important for me because … I don’t like to be stuck in a box. I don’t want to be stuck in one room. I’m a Glade plug-in: I’m going to plug in wherever I see a socket, wherever I see an outlet.”
She broke it down even further with her own vivid analogy. “For me, why only make one room smell good when you can make the whole store smell good? What do I look like just being plugged up in a bathroom? I need to be plugged in all over! I must be able to smell the fruits of my labor everywhere I go. Coming back to music and being able to do it on my terms was a big turn-on for me.”
Her fans are already buzzing, and Escape Room promises plenty to get excited about. The 22-track project includes collaborations with Jill Scott, Tyla, Lucky Daye, Kaytranada, and her daughters Rue Rose and Junie Shumpert. Spoken interludes from Taraji P. Henson, Issa Rae, Regina King, and more round out the album, setting the stage for one of the year’s most anticipated comebacks.
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