What is a visual album? Everything to know about Teyana Taylor's “Escape Room”

On August 22, 2025, Teyana Taylor released her visual album, titled Escape Room. The 22-track album, Taylor's first LP in almost five years, feature collaborations with Tyla, Tasha Smith, and Jill Scott, among others. The singer's two daughters, Rue Rose Shumpert and Junie Shumpert, also feature in the album's closing track.

Furthermore, Escape Room includes narrations from various actors, including Kerry Washington, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson, Taraji P. Henson, and Regina King. The visual album's short film, directed by Teyana Taylor herself, also stars Aaron Pierre, her current partner, and actor Lakeith Stanfield.

According to Dictionary.com, a visual album is a project in which "the songs on an album [are] accompanied by a series of videos" or they are presented in "a single film serving as a visual vehicle for the music."

This means that it can either include a music video for each song or a single film featuring all the songs to narrate a cohesive story. Some examples of visual albums include Beyoncé's Lemonade (2016) and Janelle Monáe's Dirty Computer (2018).

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Teyana Taylor has released her brand new visual album, “Escape Room”.

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Exploring Teyana Taylor's Escape Room

On August 20, 2025, Teyana Taylor released several stills from her short film as part of her visual album Escape Room via Variety.

The film, reportedly developed by her all-female production company, The Aunties, will be screened following an event at the Culver Theater and Amazon Music’s Culver City HQ on August 22. According to Billboard, actor Lena Waithe will moderate the event.

Amazon Music's app and Twitch account will livestream Taylor's event at 8 pm PT. Moreover, the short film will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video after the screening. In an exclusive statement to Variety, Teyana Taylor delved into the themes explored in her new album, saying:

“'Escape Room’ isn’t just a film or an album, it’s a world I built to live in, bleed in, and heal in. I poured my heart into every layer, from the story to the sound, to capture that journey we all take through the shadows of heartbreak, whether that’s love lost, friendships broken, dreams deferred, and guide you toward the lightness of healing."

She dubbed Escape Room a "visual representation" of her scars and her healing.

"It’s the visual representation of my scars, the picture of my healing, and a mirror for anyone ready to face their own truth. This is more than a story… it’s a place to break free,” she said.

Notably, Teyana Taylor previously released Long Time and Bed of Roses as the album's lead singles in June.

Here is the tracklist for Taylor's Escape Room:

1. Taraji P. Henson's Narration
2. Fire Girl
3. Sarah Paulson's Narration
4. Long Time
5. LaLa's Narration
6. Niecy Nash's Narration
7. Hard Part (feat. Lucky Daye)
8. Back To Life (feat. Tasha Smith)
9. Jodie Turner-Smith's Narration
10. All Of Your Heart (feat. Taraji P. Henson)
11. Shut Up
12. Pum Pum Jump (feat. Jill Scott & Tyla)
13. Open Invite (feat. Kaytranada)
14. Issa Rae Narration Part 1
15. In Your Head
16. Final Destination
17. Issa Rae's Narration Part 2
18. Bed Of Roses
19. Kerry Washington's Narration
20. In Your Skin
21. Regina King's Narration
22. Always (feat. Rue Rose Shumpert & Junie Shumpert)

Teyana Taylor's Escape Room, her fourth studio album, comes five years after the singer announced her retirement from music. The new album also follows her previous LP, titled The Album, a 23-track project she released in June 2020.

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In other news, Teyana Taylor recently had an emergency surgery in early August after doctors found a noncancerous growth in her vocal cords. The singer issued a health update via Instagram at the time, adding that the growth had been "messing with [her] voice and causing real discomfort," but that thankfully, the issue was treatable.