Kanye West has been criticised over Teyana Taylor’s delayed K.T.S.E. drop

After much excitement, Teyana Taylor's second album, K.T.S.E. (an acronym for “Keep The Same Energy”), finally arrived on June 23. Amidst all of the fanfare on Twitter, there were worries that Kanye West (and the team at G.O.O.D. Music) had possibly botched what should have been a major moment for Taylor. 

K.T.S.E. is Taylor’s second album. As is the case with previous albums released created during West’s time in Wyoming (including ye and Kids See Ghosts), it’s a short album, with just seven tracks and each song coming in at two or three minutes each. Also similar to previous albums West produced, there was a listening party for K.T.S.E. on June 21. But, unlike the next-day release schedule for ye or Kids See Ghosts, K.T.S.E. landed on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal two days later, on June 23, with no reason given for the delay.

It may not seem like a big deal, but the delay of the release of the album for one of G.O.O.D. Music's few female artists has caused some to criticise West. June 22 saw fans complaining that West and Taylor were risking losing enthusiasm or streaming numbers by not doing a next-day release. One Twitter user even rebuked West, tweeting, “Kanye West continues to prove he doesn't see Teyana Taylor as a priority.”

When K.T.S.E. was released, author Michael Arcenaux commented that even though the album was finally here, the underwhelming amount of music (23 minutes total of new music), plus the starange delay in its release, was an issue. 

“So Teyana Taylor’s album is up on iTunes and Tidal, but it’s eight songs and not even eight full songs which makes it 23 minutes long. Because that’s how you respond to an aside with buzz built on a slept on debut, great performances & amazing covers floating around social media?” Arcenaux writes. Comments in agreement with Arcenaux's observation rolled in, with one follower agreeing that everything about K.T.S.E.'s release made it feel like the shine was taken away from Taylor and put back on West. 

Neither West nor Taylor have commented on why K.T.S.E.'s release was delayed.