Entertainment
Taylor Returns with New Album and Exclusive Livestream Event
Los Angeles, CA – After a five-year break, Taylor is back with her anticipated fourth studio album, Escape Room, set to release on August 22. The album is released through Taylormade Enterprises, Inc./Def Jam Recordings.
To celebrate this new chapter, Taylor has partnered with Amazon Music for an exclusive livestream of her short film, also named Escape Room, on the same day at 8 p.m. PT. This livestream will offer fans a unique look into her latest creative work.
Escape Room features 22 tracks, including the previously released singles “Long Time” and “Bed of Roses.” In this album, Taylor expresses the raw emotions of her journey to find personal healing. The music is enhanced by a diverse female chorus that includes Taraji P. Henson, Sarah Paulson, La La Anthony, Niecy Nash, and Kerry Washington.
Other notable tracks on the album include “Pum Pum” featuring Jill Scott and Tyla, “Hard Part” featuring Lucky Daye, and “Open Invite” with Kaytranada. Taylor’s daughters, Junie Shumpert and Rue Rose Shumpert, also lend their voices to the album’s closing track, “Always.”
In an interview with Billboard, Taylor discussed her recent experience with emergency vocal cord surgery. She likened her return to music to a “Glade plug-in,” saying, “I’m going to plug in wherever I see a socket, wherever I see an outlet… Coming back to music and being able to do it on my terms was a big turn-on for me.”
The accompanying short film, directed by Taylor under her all-female production company, The Aunties, showcases key songs from the album. After the livestream on Amazon Music, actress-producer Lena Waithe will moderate a Q&A session with Taylor. The film will also be available for viewing on Prime Video post-livestream.
Taylor shared her vision for Escape Room, stating, “It 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… It’s a mirror for anyone ready to face their own truth. This is more than a story… it’s a place to break free.”
