CULTURE

Teyana Taylor Channels Janet Jackson’s 1995 MTV VMAs Look at This Year’s Awards

And for an awesome reason.


MTV Video Music Awards, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 27 Aug 2017
Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock

Teyana Taylor made jaws hit the floor at last year’s MTV Video Music Awards as the solo star of Kanye West’s “Fade” video—and this year, she’s doing the same by channeling an iconic artist: Janet Jackson.

Taylor showed up to the 2017 VMAs red carpet donning a white cropped scoopneck shirt and wide-leg black pants (which conveniently showed off her incredible six-pack abs, in case you’d forgotten how ripped she was since last year’s show), as well as a super-short bob haircut. But the entire look was much more than just a testament to her #goals-worthy physique; it was also a dead ringer for Janet Jackson circa 22 years ago, who wore almost the exact same ensemble—down to the hairstyle—at the 1995 VMAs.

Taylor’s getup also went beyond being just a style tribute. At the 1995 VMAs, Janet Jackson’s music video for “Scream” was awarded Best Choreography—and we think it’s no coincidence that at the 2017 show, Kanye’s “Fade” video (which Taylor stars in) has already won the same award. Take a look at the twinning moments below.

Here is Janet Jackson in 1995…

Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

And now here is Teyana in 2017…

Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock

Practically identical, right?

This isn’t the first time that Taylor has made an intentional statement with her fashion choices, either. In November, while accompanying her husband, Cleveland Cavaliers player Iman Shupert, on a visit to the White House, Taylor donned an Afro, turtleneck, velvet pantsuit, and hoop earrings in an homage to Angela Davis, a Black Panther and civil rights activist. Taylor wore the politically charged outfit on the very same day that then president-elect Donald Trump was to visit the White House, making her ensemble a clear statement of protest.

Related: Teyana Taylor Talks Life After “Fade,” All Access Concert and New Album

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