Stream Teyana Taylor’s New Kanye-Produced Album K.T.S.E.
We have finally arrived at the end of the month-long marathon of albums produced by Kanye West at his Wyoming hideaway. Four weeks ago, we got Pusha-T’s Daytona. Three weeks ago it was Kanye’s own Ye. Two weeks ago it was the Kanye and Kid Cudi collaboration Kids See Ghosts. One week ago it was Nasir, the first new Nas album in six years. Now, at long last and after some delay, comes the latest from G.O.O.D. Music’s resident R&B singer, Teyana Taylor.
Taylor has a lower profile than the rest of her Wyoming Tapes peers, but she’s been part of the G.O.O.D. team for a long time, dating back to 2012’s Cruel Summer era. (Before that, she sang on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy while still signed to the Neptunes’ Star Trak label.) Standing for Keep That Same Energy — a phrase Ty Dolla $ign can be heard singing on Ye track “Wouldn’t Leave” — K.T.S.E. is her second full-length for the label following 2014 debut VII. In between, she starred in the video for Kanye’s The Life Of Pablo track “Fade” with NBA player (and aspiring rapper) Iman Shumpert, whom she married last year.
Unlike the rest of the Wyoming albums, K.T.S.E. is eight tracks long. Call me OCD, but I am unreasonably frustrated by this protocol breach. The album features guest appearances by Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, and writing credits from 070 Shake and Mykki Blanco.
As with Ye, Kids See Ghosts, and Nasir, Taylor’s album has taken its sweet time making its way online. Even Taylor herself has been publicly complaining about its delayed arrival. Frankly, it’s no surprise; Kanye was still working on K.T.S.E. Thursday on his flight back from Paris, where he attended longtime collaborator Virgil Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton show. And although the album premiered late Thursday night at a listening party in LA, a tweet from Pusha at 2:42PM EDT yesterday suggested the G.O.O.D. braintrust was still putting the finishing touches on it Friday afternoon, TLOP style.
Fortunately, Taylor and her fans can enjoy the final, official version of K.T.S.E. at last. The project is available to stream now — all eight tracks of it, SMH — so dive in below.
K.T.S.E. is out now on G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam.