Teyana on top

From music videos and reality TV to critical acclaim – we track Teyana Taylor's journey to Hollywood stardom

- COMPILED BY NOKUTHULA ZWANE-EJIKE

SHE was ready to walk away from it all, disillusioned with and disappointed by a record label she felt wasn't promoting her albums well enough.

She was retiring from the music business, Teyana Taylor told shocked fans on Instagram after dropping her third album in 2020.

There was no backup plan – she was simply going to throw it out to the universe and see which way it would lead her. And the universe didn’t waste any time.

Just a month later Teyana walked into an audition that would change everything. She landed the lead role in the movie A Thousand and One and her powerful performance as a mom who kidnaps her young son from the foster system earned her a Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television award – and paved the way for bigger and better things.

Teyana (34) is now captivating audiences in Tyler Perry's gripping Netflix hit Straw, which follows struggling single mom Janiyah (played by Taraji P Henson) who gets caught up in a perceived bank robbery.

Teyana plays detective Kay Raymond, who sees Janiyah’s humanity and empathises with her situation. Their conversations explore how society judges and mistreats black single mothers – themes that echo Teyana’s personal experience of fighting for recognition and respect.

“The movie is a love letter to women, especially mothers,” she says.

Reuniting with Tyler felt natural for the singer and actress who previously appeared in his 2011 film Madea's Big Happy Family. “Being directed by him is always amazing and he created such an amazing and safe space,” she says.

The admiration is mutual. Tyler has watched Teyana transform from a young singer he cast over a decade ago into a formidable actress who brings depth and authenticity to every role.

“She's brilliant,” he says. “She delivered on this thing for sure.”