Rose IN HARLEM

TEYANA TAYLOR CONTINUES TO BLOOM, BREAK MOULDS AND REDEFINE FEMININITY FIERCELY ON HER OWN TERMS

- WORDS BY CLAUDIA DA SILVA

SHE'S THE MAN

When we think of Teyana Taylor, we think of a lethal face card, a body that’s ‘tea’ and a dripped-out personal style to match. That is all true, but she stands for so much more than her physical attributes.

To reference Tupac’s 1999 poem, 'The Rose That Grew From Concrete’, Teyana, who is from Harlem, New York, embodies the metaphor. To pay testament to how beauty is found in tough situations, she has carried this meaning across her work as a singer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, model, video director and actor.

Off her underrated 2018 sophomore album K.T.S.E (Keep That Same Energy), the track ‘Rose in Harlem' is about her struggles in life. Teyana has faced criticism for not fitting the typical mould of a mainstream black female R&B artist, and for being inconsistent with her creative work. But that’s also been the beauty of her flourishing industry presence and her refusal to follow a linear path; it's exactly what makes her stand out in a world that boxes people into categories.