Regina King Salutes Teyana Taylor’s “Singular” Artistry as Star Lands on 2025 TIME100 Next

Actor and director Regina King is celebrating Teyana Taylor’s ascent as one of the year’s most dynamic entertainers, penning a tribute for Taylor’s inclusion on the 2025 TIME100 Next list.

For fans who’ve watched Taylor evolve from MTV’s Super Sweet 16 standout to charting musician, in-demand choreographer, creative director, and film actor, the honor feels overdue.

Taylor briefly announced a music retirement in 2020, citing industry undervaluation, before returning with new music, a forthcoming album, and expanding screen credits, including a role in One Battle After Another alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Regina Hall.

“I first met Teyana Taylor years ago… Even then, she struck me as singularvibrant, confident, and unapologetically herself. That hasn’t changed,” King writes in her TIME100 Next essay. “Whether she’s dancing, directing, singing, creating, or simply speaking, there is a depth and honesty that radiates from her… When Teyana takes the stage, she doesn’t just perform. She ignites!”

Taylor’s imprint spans music, fashion, and film. She captured global attention with her athletic, iconic turn in Ye’s “Fade” video; has headlined electrifying tours; and behind the scenes has shaped live shows as a creative director for artists including Summer Walker and YoungBoy Never Broke Again, while choreographing for top names from Beyoncé to the Backstreet Boys, as well as stage productions like The Color Purple musical.

On screen, Taylor earned critical acclaim for her breakout in A Thousand and One, a New York–rooted family drama that showcased her dramatic range. Beyond the spotlight, she’s a mother to daughters Junie and Rue, and recently enrolled in culinary school, describing the experience as a therapeutic return to a lifelong passion.

Taylor joins fellow honorees across the TIME100 Next list, including actors Tramell Tillman, Miles Caton, Damson Idris, and Kara Young in the Artists category, with GloRilla and Rema featured among the Phenoms and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott recognized in Leaders.

For King, Taylor’s power lies in her authenticity: rooted in truth, unbound by category, and unmistakably her own.