We can’t get enough of Serayah’s character, specifically because she plays the diva role perfectly. “Tiana is an extremely confident woman. Whether it’s in what she wears or how she carries herself, she always owns the space she’s in. I’ve tended to be a more quiet in my own life, and it took a bit to adopt those qualities. But it’s been hugely important to become comfortable with them and to learn how to stop apologizing for myself, which women (myself included) seem to have been conditioned to do,” she said.
She also weighed in on what it was like to be invited into Taylor Swift‘s squad and asked to participate in the “Bad Blood” music video. “It was a bit surreal at first, getting a call saying Taylor wanted me to be in her video and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I walked into a room full of big-time celebrities [Cindy Crawford, Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, Lena Dunham, to name a few] and I was nervous at first. But…they were incredible. They were kind and supportive, and we instantly got along and talked about everything under the sun. It was (and has continued to be) a very encouraging experience,” she said.
The star was quick to dish on her girl crush, too! “I’ve always had a girl crush on Victoria’s Secret Angel, Candace Swanepoel. You stand in a room with her and you’re like, Wait… What… Really?”
Serayah eloquently weighed in on the backlash Beyonce faced following the release of her “Formation” music video. “‘Formation,’ [both] the song and the video, was an artist’s artistic expression. I don’t think she had any negative intentions with it and, looking at it, the video carried a great message. All art, however it is expressed, is acceptable…because it’s how someone feels. It’s no different than having a conversation with someone and hearing what they have to say. They have the right to say it. Some people might disagree with what is being said, but that doesn’t take away from a person’s right to say it,” she said.
For more from the star, be sure to scoop up the latest issue of Esquire!