Teyana Taylor Reacts to First Grammy and Golden Globe Nominations

2025 has emerged as a major milestone year for Teyana Taylor, marking a powerful moment of growth, recognition, and creative renewal in her career.

The New York City native has been chasing her dreams since signing her first record deal at just 15 years old. Over the years, she built a career as a singer, dancer, actor, and creative director. But in 2020, after releasing her third studio album, 'The Album,' Taylor shocked fans by announcing she was stepping away from music. At the time, she shared that she felt deeply underappreciated as an artist.

Music And Acting Career

Instead of slowing down, Taylor shifted her focus to acting. She appeared in 'Coming 2 America' in 2021 and delivered a powerful, widely praised performance in 'A Thousand and One' in 2023. While her acting career flourished, music quietly called her back.

Image Courtesy: Teyana Taylor/ Instagram

Now 35, Taylor returned to music in August with 'Escape Room,' a 22-track visual album that marked a creative rebirth. During her time away, she went through a divorce from former NBA player Iman Shumpert, with whom she shares two daughters, Junie and Rue Rose. That personal transformation fueled a renewed sense of purpose and artistic freedom.

Taylor has explained that returning to music on her own terms made all the difference. Feeling valued, respected, and free from being boxed into one image allowed her to fall in love with music again after proving herself to both critics and doubters.

'Escape Room' Album

'Escape Room' is a deeply emotional and cinematic R&B project that traces the journey of a woman moving from survival mode toward healing. Through soulful ballads and slow-burning grooves, Taylor explores themes of rebirth, pain, and resilience, touching on experiences like postpartum depression and divorce without explicitly naming them.

Image Courtesy: Teyana Taylor/ Instagram

She has emphasised that while the album is vulnerable and raw, the stories are not meant to be taken literally. Instead, her goal was to make listeners feel seen, understood, and less alone.

To help bring the album's emotional layers to life, Taylor enlisted a powerful group of women to perform spoken-word monologues throughout the project. The lineup includes Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts, Kerry Washington, Jodie Turner-Smith, Taraji P. Henson, La La Anthony, and others. These women, many of whom supported Taylor during difficult moments in her life, became voices that helped tell her story.

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First Grammy Nomination

The impact of 'Escape Room' has been undeniable. The album earned Taylor her first-ever Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album, a milestone she views as the culmination of years of patience and perseverance. Rather than seeing the recognition as overdue, she considers it preparation, finally aligning with purpose.

For Taylor, the Grammy nomination represents every project she has released, including 'VII,' 'K.T.S.E.,' 'The Album,' and 'Escape Room.' She has made it clear that she no longer questions timing, believing that delays are part of a bigger plan.

Image Courtesy: Teyana Taylor/ Instagram

Teyana Taylor's Standout Performance in  'One Battle After Another'

Beyond music, Taylor is also receiving major acclaim for her acting. She delivered a standout performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 political dramedy 'One Battle After Another,' portraying the layered and complex revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills. Taylor carefully built the character by exploring her emotional depth, contradictions, and vulnerability.

The film doesn't shy away from uncomfortable realities, including the objectification of Black women and the emotional toll that comes with it. Taylor believes these moments are necessary because they reflect real-life experiences that deserve to be seen and discussed.

Image Courtesy: Teyana Taylor/ Instagram

Taylor has expressed pride in the film's ability to spark honest conversations, something she believes contributed to her first Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Despite the accolades, Taylor is choosing to stay grounded. She has admitted she feels shy and even a bit superstitious when it comes to awards talk. For now, her focus remains on the work in front of her, trusting that everything else will fall into place in its own time.

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