Teyana Taylor has paid one of the most heartfelt tributes in recent celebrity memory — and the woman she honored could not hold back her reaction. For People magazine’s World’s Most Beautiful issue, Taylor recreated one of Janet Jackson’s most iconic looks: the military-inspired cream ensemble Jackson wore while performing “If” during her Janet World Tour from 1993 to 1995. The result was stunning, deeply personal, and moved Jackson herself to respond with words that said everything.
What makes this tribute especially meaningful is the backstory behind it. For Taylor, this was not a styling exercise or a magazine stunt. It was an act of genuine reverence from a woman who has looked up to Janet Jackson since she was a little girl — and who now, remarkably, counts her as a real friend.
Teyana Taylor Recreates Janet Jackson’s Iconic “If” Look From the Janet World Tour
The recreation was exclusive to People’s World’s Most Beautiful issue and featured Taylor in the same military-inspired cream ensemble that Jackson made legendary on stage during her 1993 to 1995 Janet World Tour. The look was styled entirely by Taylor herself, with Baba Jagne and Laurel DeWitt helping bring the vision to life. Makeup artist Yeika Glow and hairstylist Lateafa Alvaranga completed the team behind the shoot.
Taylor was clear about why this particular look felt right. She has paid tribute to Jackson before — at the VMAs and the BMI Awards, among other occasions — but for this shoot, she wanted to do something that felt fresh and unexpected.
“Everyone knows I’m obsessed with Janet. I’ve already recreated so many of her iconic looks,” she said. “So I wanted to do something that’s a little different and unexpected.”
The choice to go with the “If” tour look rather than one of Jackson’s more frequently referenced images showed real depth of knowledge. Taylor was not reaching for the obvious. She was digging into the archive, pulling from a chapter of Jackson’s career that true fans know and revere — and she wore it with the kind of ownership that only genuine admiration can produce.
Janet Jackson’s Reaction to Teyana Taylor’s Tribute: “You Did It”
When Jackson saw the recreation, her response was immediate and deeply felt. She filmed a video reaction for People, and every word she said made clear that she was genuinely moved by what Taylor had done.
“Wow, I just have to say wow, Tey. You did it — you captured it; you captured the energy, the mood,” Jackson said. “If only I had looked that beautiful.”
She continued with equal warmth.
“I mean, the outfit — so gorgeous, honey, it’s absolutely stunning. And on top of that, I’m honored. I’m really honored, Tey. Thank you so much. I love it, absolutely love it.”
That kind of response from the person being honored is not something you can manufacture. Jackson’s reaction was personal, effusive, and real — and it reflected the genuine friendship the two women have built over the years. For Taylor, hearing those words from someone she has admired her entire life had to mean everything.
How Janet Jackson Inspired Teyana Taylor to Become an Artist
The roots of Taylor’s admiration for Jackson go all the way back to childhood. When she was around nine years old, Taylor discovered the DVD of Jackson’s ultra-sexy 1998 to 1999 Velvet Rope Tour — something she freely admits she had absolutely no business watching at that age.
“When I saw it, oh my God. I knew what I wanted to do when I got older,” she told People. “I knew that I wanted to be an artist.”
That single moment of discovery — a nine-year-old girl watching a woman command a stage with unmatched confidence and sensuality — set the entire trajectory of Taylor’s creative life. Everything she has built since, the performances, the music, the fearless aesthetic choices, can be traced back in some way to that formative experience. As she put it simply about Jackson: “Everybody who knows me, knows I don’t play about Janet. I’m still, like, her number one fan.”
From Fan to Friend: Teyana Taylor and Janet Jackson’s Real Relationship
What makes this story even more extraordinary is that the admiration between these two women has grown into something far more personal than a celebrity crush or artistic inspiration. Taylor and Jackson have developed a genuine friendship — one that Taylor navigates with the rare self-awareness of someone who understands the difference between being a friend and being a fan.
“When I first retired from music in December of 2020, she poured into me and gave me some really good advice,” Taylor said of Jackson. “She played a big part in why I came back.”
That detail is significant. At one of the lowest and most uncertain points in Taylor’s professional life — when she stepped away from music entirely — it was Janet Jackson who showed up with wisdom and encouragement. The fact that Taylor ultimately returned to music is, in part, a direct result of that conversation.
“It’s kind of crazy because now she’s like my homegirl in real life. I call her Jan. She’s one of those beautiful spirits. But even though we’ve grown a close bond, I’m still a fan. I don’t take it for granted,” Taylor said.
That balance — staying grounded as a fan while nurturing a real friendship — says a great deal about who Teyana Taylor is as a person. Many people in her position would either overplay the friendship for clout or become so starry-eyed that the genuine connection gets lost. Taylor does neither. She holds both truths at once, and that emotional intelligence is part of what makes her such a compelling figure in the culture.
Why This Tribute Matters Beyond the Magazine Shoot
Moments like this one are rare in the entertainment world. Celebrity tributes can often feel performative or calculated — designed for press coverage rather than genuine homage. What Taylor did here was different. The careful selection of the look, the fact that she styled it herself, the deep personal history behind her admiration, and the authentic reaction it drew from Jackson all point to something that transcends a magazine feature.
Furthermore, this tribute arrives at a moment when Taylor is having a genuinely significant cultural season. She is currently the face of Revlon’s new “Be Unforgettable” campaign and is serving as chief curator of the 2026 ESSENCE Festival. Amid all of that, she still took the time to honor the woman who made her want to be an artist in the first place — and to do it properly, with care and creativity.
For the generations of women who grew up loving both Janet Jackson and Teyana Taylor, this moment is a thread connecting two eras of Black excellence in entertainment. It is a reminder that inspiration is not a one-time transaction — that the artists who shape us stay with us, and that the most powerful tributes are the ones rooted in a love that never faded.
