Teyana Taylor is the definition of a modern-day Renaissance woman who is no stranger to breaking barriers, and now she’s become the first Black woman to set a new record at Maxim Magazine. This week, fans learned the retired R&B artist was named Maxim’s “Sexiest Woman Alive,” a title that couldn’t be more deserving for Taylor.
“Somebody pinch me!!!! Maxim Hot 100 to be named the ‘Sexiest Woman alive’ by literally living in the skin I’m in,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. “WOW…Stepping back in front of the lens has been a journey of self-reflection and self-confidence.”
Since we witnessed her breakout moment in Kanye West’s “Fade” music video, the multi-hyphenate has been every woman’s #bodygoals. On top of being a super mom to two beautiful daughters, Taylor does it all as a wife and the one-year creative director of fashion retailer Pretty Little Thing. The 30-year-old has accomplished something no other Black woman can say she’s done, but her achievement is one that fans all over are supporting wholeheartedly.
“Living up to the name and title of this shoot wholeheartedly made me nervous,” she continued in her Instagram post. “As an entrepreneur, wife, a busy mother of two & working behind the lens in my director bag, I tend to hide behind my sweats & vintage tees, My “Spike Tey” glasses, and whatever hairstyle I’ve mustered up that day under my @theauntiesinc snap back! So I as you can see, I don’t have much time to be and feel sexy. This particular day was dope because it made me see another side of myself..”
What’s so cool about Taylor’s magazine shoot is that she wasn’t even glammed up. In fact, she was instructed to show up just as she was after dropping off her daughter Junie at school. “My hair wasn’t done for a “shoot” because I planned on throwing on a wig & I didn’t have on any make up. But when I got there the legendary @Gilles_bensimon said and I quote…. “Let’s shoot! I want you to stay in this,” she wrote. “LOL I was like SO LET ME UNDERSTAND THIS…I WILL BE THE SEXIEST Woman Alive IN SWEATS AND A SKULLY? 🥴
And indeed, she is. Sweatpants, a simple tank, no makeup on – Taylor’s flawless natural look was all she needed to be bestowed with such a title, and it sends a powerful message to all women. We don’t need to be dressed to the nines or have on a pound of makeup all of the time to feel beautiful or look sexy. Just look at how Teyana pulled it off. Her natural beauty was all she needed to make history and look damn good while doing it.