Teyana Taylor’s year of reinvention: a return to music, bold film roles, and a growing multi-hyphenate empire
Teyana Taylor is not slowing down. After a five-year pause in music, she’s stepping back into the spotlight with a self-directed visual album, Escape Room, while weaving a packed slate of acting projects, fashion moments, and new personal ambitions into a single, high-energy arc.
The comeback she’s crafted is more than a return to form; it’s a declaration that Taylor now anchors her career on control, collaboration, and a willingness to explore every corner of her artistry. On the heels of a live BET Awards performance where she floated through a futuristic “Long Time” in a shimmering robot suit, Taylor’s schedule shows a deliberate shift from spotlight to spectrum—music, film, directing, producing, and even culinary studies.
Escape Room marks a milestone in her music career, described by Taylor as an “ombre album” that moves fluidly from heartbreak to healing, with tracks that range from club-ready anthems to intimate ballads. The album unfolds with spoken-word intros voiced by prominent women Taylor admires, including Sarah Paulson, Taraji P. Henson, Kerry Washington, and Jodie Turner-Smith, helping set a universal mood for vulnerability, resilience, and renewal. She has spoken about the project as a universal charger—something listeners can plug into during their own moments of growth, not just a personal narrative tied to her life.
Taylor’s return to music is complemented by a busy acting trajectory that has been quietly expanding since her retirement from music in 2020. She’s lined up a sequence of high-profile roles: in Tyler Perry’s Straw, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair, and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s The Rip, with more on the horizon. She also revealed plans for Get Lite, her feature directorial debut, and a Dionne Warwick biopic for which Warwick handpicked Taylor to portray the singing legend.
Her collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson is particularly notable. In One Battle After Another, Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a fiercely independent revolutionary whose influence drives the film’s momentum. Anderson has praised her as a fearless performer who brings both intensity and a sharp sense of character, hinting at a future collaboration that could extend beyond this project. Leonardo DiCaprio, who stars in the film, has called Taylor a strong, capable presence whose multi-faceted talents enrich the movie’s energy, even when she’s off screen.
Taylor’s work with Ryan Murphy on All’s Fair offers another facet of her versatility, moving from the minimalist and intimate aesthetic of her recent acting work to the grand, glam energy of a courtroom drama helmed by a figure like Kardashian. The collaboration underscores Taylor’s comfort across genres and formats, from intimate drama to high-glam storytelling.
Behind the camera and behind the scenes, Taylor continues to balance motherhood with professional ambition. She shares two young daughters, Junie and Rue Rose, and has discussed how motherhood has reshaped her work ethic and decision-making. In 2023, she filed for divorce from NBA player Iman Shumpert; since then she has embraced privacy around her personal life while continuing to pursue creative opportunities. Recently, she has been linked to actor Aaron Pierre in a way that signals she’s exploring life beyond traditional relationship labels, emphasizing her desire to protect her peace and privacy as she navigates the media’s gaze.
Taylor is also expanding into new personal frontiers. She’s enrolled in culinary school, a long-held dream she plans to pursue to earn a pastry arts degree. She envisions a future that could one day include a restaurant and bakery, adding another dimension to her already diverse résumé. For her, cooking is restorative—therapy that helps ground her amid the relentless pace of a career that now spans music, film, directing, and a growing list of entrepreneurial interests.
In conversations about timing, Taylor has emphasized the importance of living in the present and allowing the universe to unfold at its own pace. “Don’t be in the future, don’t be in the past, be in the present,” she said, underscoring a philosophy of patience and purpose. That mindset aligns with the way Escape Room was created—deliberate, intuitive, and centered on authentic growth rather than chasing a predefined result.
As she moves through this expansive period, Taylor offers a clear message to fans and artists who look to her for inspiration: you don’t have to choose a single path to be successful. You can be music maker, actor, director, executive producer, and even a culinary student all at once. Her story reflects a broader shift in Hollywood and the creative world—a recognition that modern careers can be multi-faceted, collaborative, and rooted in personal resilience.
Summary:
Teyana Taylor is returning to music with Escape Room while each acting project expands her reach and showcases her range. She’s directing, producing, and nurturing new partnerships, all while balancing motherhood and personal growth. With a vocal-cord procedure behind her and a schedule packed with major projects, Taylor’s journey illustrates a new model of artistic reinvention—one that embraces openness, experimentation, and a future that is still being written.
Additional notes and value adds:
– Escape Room’s format with spoken-word intros from respected women adds a documentary-like resonance to the music, potentially expanding its appeal beyond traditional R&B audiences.
– Taylor’s collaboration with acclaimed directors and fellow actors suggests a long-term, spine-tingling potential for signature roles that blend intensity and vulnerability.
– The culinary study path could inspire fans with a tangible, grounded hobby that reinforces a broader message of self-care and diversification of talents.
– Her public stance on privacy and peace signals a trend toward more measured, intentional celebrity storytelling that prioritizes well-being and personal growth.
Overall impression:
Taylor’s career arc embodies a hopeful, forward-looking narrative of resilience, reinvention, and creative courage. Her ability to juggle music, high-profile acting roles, directing ambitions, and personal development serves as an example for a new generation of multi-hyphenate artists.