On Nov. 4, Teyana Taylor took to her Instagram to make the surprising announcement that she would be retiring from her career in music.
Following the announcement, Taylor received a barrage of support from fans as well as from her industry peers, such as Cardi B, who called Taylor’s latest effort her “favorite of 2020” and “the best album of the year.”
The Game also shared a heartfelt Instagram message in support of Taylor’s talent and worth as an artist.
“You know I know first hand about being the underdog as the odds have been stacked against me my entire career…. but, we didn’t get where we are by things going exactly the way we thought they would,” he wrote.
“We made it here cause WE believed in our craft when no one else did. I say all of this to say, YOUR GIFT IS SO APPRECIATED and as your big bro I want you to know, you are truly one of the best artist/people inside & outside of music I’ve ever known,” The Game posted.
After the considerable responses of shock and disbelief to her sudden news, the singer took to Instagram Live to explain that her “post was misread,” and clarify her statement.
“I think my core fans got mad before understanding what I was saying,” she said.
“A lot of people said I was being a quitter, and I’m not quitting. I’m just elevating,” she continued.
Taylor said that despite her frank response to the Grammy Awards her frustrations had nothing to do with them, but rather her label, Def Jam Recordings.
“I am going to feel underappreciated if I am putting in 110% and my label is reciprocating 10% of that,” she explained. “I constantly feel alone. I constantly feel unappreciated. I constantly feel failed, because there’s literally no push. The crazy thing about it is I’ve asked Def Jam to drop me on almost 10 different occasions.”
In her original Instagram message, the R&B artist admitted that the career high of garnering over 160 million Spotify streams in 92 different countries didn’t compensate for continuously being “overlooked” for all of the hard work she had put in through the years.
“I ain’t gon’ front in times of feeling super underappreciated as an artist, receiving little to no real push from the ‘machine,’ constantly getting the shorter end of the stick, being overlooked, I mean the list on and on lol…so I’m retiring this chapter of my story with the comfort that i can depart with peace of mind seeing that all the hard work & passion put was indeed loved & supported somewhere in the world,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who released her third full-length album, “The Album,” in June, has been vocal about her displeasure with aspects of the music industry in the past.
Taylor was unafraid to air out her grievances about the state of the R&B genre in a Billboard interview she did jointly with Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker, and Kehlani last month.
“We just want the same opportunities. However, we’re not a bunch of bitter, angry R&B chicks complaining either. We want to be honest without coming off feeling a type of way. These are our truths.”
Somewhat of a behind-the-scenes perspective came through a 2018 article by The Atlantic, which praised Taylor as an artist on the verge of greatness who was being hampered by the controversies of the male artists on her label, G.O.O.D Music, including the label owner Kanye West.
“Taylor’s positioning at the end of the release wave—and her status as the least established of the G.O.O.D. artists—made her uniquely vulnerable to West’s missteps. In the two months that transpired between Kanye’s announcement of Teyana’s album and the belated K.T.S.E. release, the G.O.O.D. Music team sidelined its most prominent female artist not just by neglecting her work, but also through the dizzying maelstrom of its male stars’ antics.”
Yet, in light of the discouragement Taylor acknowledged in her career, she was committed to making sure her loyal fans still knew how much they were appreciated.
“To all my supporters from day one, and all my new ones I love you, and I thank you for everything and don’t worry y’all know all hustlers have the understanding that when one door closes another will open…either that or I’m pickin’ da locks petunia!!!”
