Teyana Taylor on what it means to be first Black ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’
‘I think that having an amazing heart is sexy. I think being strong is sexy,’ says Taylor
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Your support makes all the difference.Teyana Taylor, the first Black “Sexiest Woman Alive” announced by Maxim since its launch in 1995, said this “should have been done a long time ago.”
The announcement was made on 7 June, and the celebration for the 30-year-old singer’s new title was held on 13 July in Hollywood.
“I’m just honoured to be the sexiest woman alive in some cargo pants and a wife-beater,” the model told Business Insider. “But as far as being the first Black sexiest woman? That should have been done a long time ago.”
Taylor is an American singer-songwriter who made her first national appearance on MTV’s My Super Sweet 16. In 2012, she signed with Kanye West’s GOOD Music label through Def Jam.
She also featured on West’s hit album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and has written records for artists such as Usher, Chris Brown, and Omarion.
The Harlem-based singer announced her extensive music album titled The Album in 2020 featuring leading names in the industry such as Kehlani, Future, Big Sean, and Erykah Badu.
At the time, she announced that she will be temporarily retiring from music.
Taylor’s new title was celebrated at The Highlight Room located on the 10th floor of the Dream Hotel in Hollywood. The event was attended by Brown, Offset, Kaash Paige, Jordan Jackson, and Shantel Jackson among others.
According to the model, Halle Berry and Nia Long deserved the title in previous years, and “prominent Black women in the nineties alone would have called for ‘the Sexiest Woman of the Day.’”
“All Black is beautiful,” she said. “It wouldn’t have mattered who else they put on that cover.”
“I am, however, grateful that the time is here,” she added. “The girls are getting readjusted, you know? They know that this is going to be the new normal and that’s the part that’s exciting for me.”
When asked about the topic of sex appeal, Taylor said: “I think people hear ‘sexy’ and think that it’s like just body and looks. And I kind of see that debate all the time.”
“For me, I think it’s how you carry yourself. I think is your charisma — your strength. I think that a girl can have a pretty face and, and have a nasty heart. And I think that having an amazing heart is sexy. I think being strong is sexy,” she said.
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