Harlem’s Teyana Taylor Directs a ’70s Love Fight in “Issues/Hold On”

“Issues/Hold On” is a two-part soul ballad from Harlem, New York, singer Teyana Taylor about fighting to keep a long-term relationship together, and it appears on her 2018 album K.T.S.E. Taylor directed the song’s 1970s-set music video herself, casting A$AP Rocky as her unfaithful husband, and it premiered on March 15, 2019.

What Is “Issues/Hold On” About?

The title tells the story in two halves. SoulBounce described it as a ballad about “the struggles of maintaining a relationship,” leaning into the lows of a lasting commitment as much as the highs. The first half sits with the problems; the second is the decision to stay and work through them. The production carries a vintage soul feel.

The Album: K.T.S.E.

K.T.S.E., short for Keep That Same Energy, arrived June 22, 2018, through GOOD Music and Def Jam. Kanye West produced and executive produced it at his ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and it closed out his run of weekly “Wyoming Sessions” albums. “Issues/Hold On” is track three, produced by West, Mike Dean, Plain Pat and BoogzDaBeast. The album debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified gold, while “Issues/Hold On” was promoted as its second single in April 2019, following “Gonna Love Me.”

Inside the Self-Directed Video

Credited to her directing alter ego, Spike Tee, the video is a throwback love story with disco-era wardrobes and grainy, earthy color. Taylor plays a soul singer who marries her soulmate, played by A$AP Rocky, only for jealousy to boil over when he gets too close to a photographer played by Lori Harvey. Tyler, the Creator and A$AP Ferg turn up in full ’70s costume, and the couple ultimately chooses to hold on. It followed her self-directed clips for “Gonna Love Me” and “WTP,” proof that Taylor was building a second career behind the camera.

Who Is Behind the Song?

Born in Harlem in 1990, Taylor broke out as a teen choreographer on Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” video, signed with Pharrell’s Star Trak label in 2007 and joined Kanye West’s GOOD Music in 2012. By the time K.T.S.E. arrived, she had spent more than a decade in the industry, and “Issues/Hold On” remains one of the album’s most personal moments.

Quick answers

What album is “Issues/Hold On” on? Teyana Taylor’s K.T.S.E., released June 22, 2018, and produced by Kanye West.

Who is in the “Issues/Hold On” video? A$AP Rocky plays her husband, with Lori Harvey, Tyler, the Creator and A$AP Ferg also appearing.

Who directed the video? Teyana Taylor directed it herself under the name Spike Tee.

Sources

SoulBounce — “Teyana Taylor Gives Us A Throwback Love Story In ‘Issues/Hold On’”

The FADER — “Teyana Taylor’s ‘Issues/Hold On’ video features A$AP Rocky, Tyler, the Creator, Lori Harvey, and more”

Wikipedia — “K.T.S.E.”