Teyana Taylor
K.T.S.E.

3.5
great

Review

by A.R.O. STAFF
July 1st, 2018 | 61 replies

Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist

Review Summary: What Drake's dreams are made of.

A lot of the criticism for Teyana Taylor’s K.T.S.E. has been leveled against its mixed bag of sounds. Many seem prepared to select a track or two they enjoyed, lamenting that the rest of the album didn’t exploit that sound further. But in a world dominated by R&B artists like Drake that can churn 20 near-identical tracks out like clockwork, I view the variety to be found here as invigorating. It’s one of the more diverse R&B albums I’ve heard, and yet it still retains a strange cohesion thanks to its flow. There are rarely pauses between the tracks, yet for some reason the mashing of dissimilar sounds help them meld more than clash.

The album is not so much groundbreaking as it is extremely comfortable. Kanye’s soul samples fit this genre at times even better than his usual stomping grounds. He develops the warmth and familiarity (it’s familiar, not generic) of the record in nuanced ways, striking a lovely midpoint between aged strings and clattering beats. He falters only in the out of place inclusions of the rapped guest verse in “3Way” and the his own immersion-breaking entrance in “Hurry,” which cuts in and out so jarringly that it seems to have been carelessly slapped on at the last minute. The track is otherwise so smooth and inviting that it’s hard to believe the move was made for any other reason than the necessity of an obligatory Kanye verse to help round out his five-release series. However, when Teyana herself dabbles in more aggressive hip-hop influenced moments like in “Rose in Harlem” and “WTP,” she holds a commanding presence that surely proves a force to be reckoned with. Her vocals croon and sway as readily as they snarl and jab. This ability to channel more classic talents as well as dabble in newer trends lends an accessibility to the release that should land her a large audience if she plays her cards right.

As both her performance and Kanye’s production feature a blend of old and new, it’s only fitting that the cover should too. Teyana lies across a floral patterned bed (reminiscent of a grandmother’s) in a deliberately aged photograph. Yet she holds a very modern attractiveness with her. Not so many years ago people would’ve called her outfit scandalous or obscene—but now it’s beautiful. K.T.S.E. is at its best when Teyana is at the forefront, mixing styles and ideas into one cohesive package. It’s modern and rash at times, but it never forgets where it came from.

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Teyana Taylor K.T.S.E.

Review

Teyana Taylor
K.T.S.E.