“Work that Mama!”
posted by Keyona Smith | April 24, 2019 | In Arts and CultureForget the dark cloud that was once surrounding Teyana Taylor at one point after the releasing of her album, Keep That Same Energy, involving her husband Iman Shumpert and their plus-one relationships, she has delivered. On March 14, she announced via Twitter the dropping of her latest dope video for Issues/Hold On, a song off KTSE.
The new project, directed by Taylor, referenced as ‘Spike Tee’ in the video featured the looker Asap Rocky (whew), Tyler The Creator, and Lori Harvey. In an interview with Joe Budden on Pull Up Season, she said that directing has always been a dream of hers since 2011.
“When I would be on movies sets, videos, or any type of shoots, I always used my lunch breaks to turn into an intern,” said Taylor. “I always wanted to watch, see what was going on, study it, appreciate it.”
The video has a heavy ‘70s feel: low-lights with deep blue tints and oranges, and a vintage film filter. It opens to the beat of GQ’s sampled song, “I do love you,” where we see Taylor and Rocky interacting like newlyweds over wedding cake. Rocky, featured in a ‘70s-style afro with the sideburn to match, seems to be playing some type of creative director for one of Taylor’s photoshoots. The vibe of the video is very laidback and party-like. It puts you in the mind of one of Ike and Tina Turner’s better moments.
It was a must that I ask my director friend and news editor Nieema Williams what she thought of the new release.
“I love the homage she paid to the ‘70s and how Black love has always been a common denominator of the artist and treasured,” said Williams. “Her vocals were the best since she released ‘Gonna Love Me’.”
I believe that the video is a great outlet for the artist that went through a lot of inconsistencies with the rolling out of her album all the way down to not even knowing what songs had been edited and when the album was actually released. Williams agreed that Taylor is using her music as a living diary and that’s dope, to express and reflect her own marriage. It’s great to see that she can turn that adversity into great art. Taylor said this is a way to give her audience what she initially intended.
“That’s how I can premiere the extended version of my album,” said Taylor.
And she does not fail to add subtle messages and hints to her own situation and her side of things through her expression in the visual by using Lori Harvey and infidelity.
Her vocals cannot be ignored, and this video certainly rekindles the flames that were dampened by all the extra drama surrounding her, and, after watching the music video, in the words of Junie (Taylor’s daughter): “Work that mama!”
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