Teyana Taylor is officially back—and she’s making sure the world feels her return. After a five-year musical hiatus, the Harlem-bred artist announced on Wednesday (June 4) that her highly anticipated new album, Escape Room, will arrive this August.
To kick off the comeback, Taylor dropped her fiery new single “Long Time” along with a visually arresting music video that has fans and critics buzzing. The video features acclaimed actors LaKeith Stanfield and Aaron Pierre, and unfolds like a mini thriller-meets-fashion film.
On the track, Taylor’s frustration and liberation are front and center as she chants the instantly addictive line: “Shoulda been walked out this bi— a long time.” With club-ready production pulsing beneath her vocals, Taylor confronts betrayal head-on, locking up Stanfield’s character and walking away from the wreckage.
But the story doesn’t end there. The second half of the video shifts into an emotional and cinematic tone. Taylor is seen lying in a moment of heartbreak, draped in couture that screams for a Met Gala invite, singing: “You said that you would love me till you die / But I guess our love must be a lie / Why won’t you love me back to life?” Aaron Pierre enters the scene as a symbol of redemption and new beginnings, giving the narrative an emotional twist.
Escape Room will be Taylor’s first full-length project since her 2020 release, The Album, a 25-track body of work featuring major collaborations with Iman Shumpert, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Rick Ross, Erykah Badu, and more. That project debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and cemented Taylor as one of R&B’s most fearless and visionary creatives.
Adding to the excitement, Taylor is also set to perform at the 2025 BET Awards at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. She joins an already star-studded lineup that includes Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Playboi Carti, and Leon Thomas for the show’s 25th-anniversary celebration.
With “Long Time” reigniting her musical fire and Escape Room on the way, Teyana Taylor is reminding the industry that she doesn’t just make a comeback—she makes a statement.
