Album Review: Teyana Taylor’s G.O.O.D Music Debut ‘VII’

VII is definitely Teyana Taylor‘s biggest introduction to the music world yet—her Kanye-approved album is officially out. After spending years working behind the scenes and releasing respectable projects, her star-studded resume that includes work on Ye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and G.O.O.D Music‘s Cruel Summer is finally ready for the most important entry: Debut LP.

VII starts off with a vulnerable “Interlude” that lets us know very quickly that Taylor’s fearlessness is now matched with a beautiful and well-developed voice that blooms most prominently in “Just Different” and “Request”: the majestic, nostalgic and incredibly well-composed numbers that follow the first track. These two songs are bonafide hits that highlight just how incredibly polished she has become as a musician. Her harmonies and hard-hitting vocals are fireworks on the proceeding track as she is joined by Chris Brown on “Do Not Disturb,” a bouncy, fast and passionate affair that fits both artists’ profiles to a T. “Broken Hearted Girl” is her iconic duet with Brooklyn’s Fabolous, the only other rap feature on the album besides the Yo Gotti & Pusha-T assisted “Maybe.” Both are well executed songs that channel pensive MCs that are comtemplating love and life at a nuanced, mature level.

“Dreams” starts off Taylor’s confident atittude on the project as she croons openly about those that dream about getting with her. In “Sorry,” her tender vocals are on full display as she unapologetically asserts that her previous relationship’s failures were not her fault; that now she is free and in a better, happier place. At this point the listener realizes that this is the breakup part of her story as she definitively addresses her departure from her past on “In The Air.” “Outta My League” is a return to the introduction as she contemplates the object of her affection and the world of distance that exists between them. “It Could Just Be Love” is Taylor’s final soliloquy over a grand soundscape that sums up her sounded effectively: rich, lush and honest, VII is a perfect introduction to a young woman who understands how to express herself as she traverses through her storied and exciting life. The incredible thing about this album is how intimately the listener engages with Taylor: she’s upfront, eloquent and bold as she finds herself at the doorstep of a music career that is about to take off to higher places than it’s ever been. VII blew me away and I can’t stop listening to it. I’m not sure any artist has done this to me yet in 2014.