Yaya Bey by Cody Lidtke
“Addictive” ELLE
"Bey has created a seat for herself at the proverbial table, where many artists seek a chair" ESSENCE
"Relaxed but not reluctant" The New York Times
"a boogie awakening" New Yorker
"Creating a nightclub atmosphere in the daylight" Rolling Stone
“raisins” WATCH: https://youtu.be/wmv9jCUVzyA LISTEN: https://drinksumwtr.lnk.to/yaya-bey-raisins
Do It Afraid PRE-SAVE: https://drinksumwtr.lnk.to/yaya-bey-do-it-afraid
(May 21, 2025) - Today, Yaya Bey shares new single and music video “raisins”. The final offering ahead of her forthcoming new album do it afraid, out June 20th via drink sum wtr, this new single embodies the anchoring sentiment of the album. Produced by the Grammy-nominated DJ Harrison (Steve Arrington, Pink Siifu, Joyce Wrice), “raisins” expresses the bravery that it takes to dream, and succeed, in the face of the sobering realities of a career as an artist.
“It’s hard to sum up ‘raisins in a small burb but it’s the pursuit of love, joy and freedom with the full knowing that there will also be pain,” Yaya says of the song. “It’s a surrender. It’s me giving myself permission to dream. It might not happen. But maybe the real joy is not in the materialization but in the dreaming itself. The name is inspired by a Langston Hughes poem called Harlem where he says ‘What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?’”
Following a hometown set at Governor’s Ball Festival next month in NYC, Yaya will take the album on tour in September across the East & West Coasts, concluding on September 27th at the Lodge Room in LA. Remaining tickets for Yaya’s tour are available now HERE.
Do it afraid’s power rests in its pleasures, embracing life as it comes and finding peace in the power of human movement and connection. More than ever Yaya’s journey to finding peace in that duality has led her to do it afraid, a collection of resolutely fun, full-hearted and clear-eyed songs that draw from R&B, hip-hop jazz, soul and dance music. On the album, Yaya worked with a wider cast of co-producers including BADBADNOTGOOD, Exaktly and Virginia musical collective Butcher Brown, with additional guest features from Rahrah Gabor, Nigel Hall, and others.
Yaya has steadily risen as one of the most important voices in R&B, finding a true breakout with her beloved 2022 album Remember Your North Star. Her subsequent full-length followup Ten Fold, which was a wholehearted showcase of all of the various nuances that make her the artist she is, was awarded Pitchfork's Best New Album in a glowing review. Ten Fold was also praised by the likes of Elle, ESSENCE, and Paste Magazine, who described the album as "Bey's most liberating music to date." Yaya also performed a stunning Tiny Desk concert last Spring, which NPR described as “truly healing to experience” and noting “Not a dry eye was left in the building.”
Check out “raisins”, and pre-save do it afraid above, see below for Yaya’s full run of headlining tour dates and the do it afraid tracklist & cover artwork, and stay tuned for more from Yaya Bey.
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