Teyana Taylor has revealed the advice Beyoncé gave her on handling the music industry.
The two met back in 2006, when a then-15-year-old Taylor choreographed Beyoncé’s ‘Ring The Alarm’ music video. Taylor has now revealed some of the advice Bey has offered in the years since in a new interview with People, including some words of wisdom on navigating the music industry.
“I definitely came in the business at a time where I went into everything with my heart, and I didn’t understand certain things, and I would go to her, and she’s just like, ‘Don’t take it personal,’” Taylor said.
“I didn’t know that certain things would be isolating where you would feel like, ‘Oh shit, in order for it to be done the way I see it in my head, I’m going to have to do this shit myself,’” she continued.
She also said that Beyoncé told her to always “invest in yourself,” and that “the majority of your money [is] going toward everybody you had to pay to bring your vision to life.”
“Every single check ain’t going to hit your pocket, and that’s only if you truly believe in yourself. Believing in yourself is investing in yourself — and she taught me that,” Taylor continued, adding that Beyoncé’s “gracious and humble” attitude, “instilled in me: If the Beyoncé is this way and she’s so grounded and she’s so this, this is the way I need to be.”
Taylor released her fourth album, ‘Escape Room’, last year, which was met with a three-star review from NME, which noted: “The heart of ‘Escape Room’ is self-rediscovery. Best captured on the closer ‘Always’, Taylor’s featherlight top register shines brightest against the stripped-back guitar strums.
“Her devotional lyrics pluck on heartstrings as she sings about returning “right back to you, always” – a promise to her children, passions and, most importantly, herself. In the end, Taylor stands strong, heart laid bare in a tender, nuanced close to an imperfect but heartfelt album that proves that you can find your way back to yourself.”
She also recently appeared in One Battle After Another. In a four-star review of the film, NME wrote: “Operatic in its intensity and lush in its visuals (Anderson shot with old-school film format VistaVision), it’s a sometimes ragged, unwieldy experience. Like the recent Eddington, it’s another throw-it-against-the-wall-to-see-what-sticks movie.
“Some of it doesn’t. But thank the lord this $130m barmy blockbuster exists. From a pregnant Perfidia firing off rounds from her machine gun to an unforgettable finale on the undulating desert roads, it’s a mad stir of America’s melting pot on the cusp of boiling over.”