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It's not every day that the words “mullet” and “black tie” end up in the same sentence—or the same room, for that matter, unless the black tie you're talking about is the kind that's printed on a trompe l'oeil tuxedo tee. But it's also not every day that someone like Teyana Taylor walks the red carpet, and the triple threat just proved that the “party in the back” part of a mullet can refer to an elegant gala if you do it right. (And she did.)
Taylor attended the 2026 American Music Awards as both a nominee and a performer. But before she hit the stage, she hit the red carpet in a jaw-dropping Balenciaga gown. As she posed in the flowy, purple, strapless dress, onlookers couldn't help but notice how perfectly her dramatic, matte-meets-shimmer eye makeup complemented her frock.
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But while Taylor opted to wear her signature short hair over one of the long, curly wigs she's been seen in over the last month, ever the innovator, she put a new spin on her go-to pixie for the AMAs. Up top, hairstylist Lateafa Alvaranga gave her pompadour-esque oomph with a hint of waviness and swoopy, soft baby hairs. The swooping continued in back, where the longest, lowest layer of her hair was straightened into a mullet and fancily flipped up.
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It may very well be the first time in the history of hair that a mullet has looked and felt truly suitable for a formalwear moment.
As stunning as this absolutely elite mullet may be, she didn't even wear it all night. She donned an icy, tousled bob for her futuristic, sci-fi-inspired performance.
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It just goes to show Taylor is one of those rare beauties that looks incredible in any imaginable hairstyle—sometimes more than one a night.