Views: 8
Yaya Bey by Cody Lidtke
SHARES TWO NEW SONGS “DREAM GIRL” & “WAKE UP B*TCH”
ANNOUNCES US TOUR IN SEPTEMBER
Do It Afraid
PRE-SAVE: https://drinksumwtr.lnk.to/yaya-bey-do-it-afraid
“Bey has created a seat for herself at the proverbial table, where many artists seek a chair” – ESSENCE
“One of the most calculating soul artists working” – NPR
“Relaxed but not reluctant” – The New York Times
“a boogie awakening” – New Yorker
“Creating a nightclub atmosphere in the daylight” – Rolling Stone
Yaya Bey announces her new album do it afraid out June 20th via drink sum wtr. She first signaled this new chapter of her career with surprise new single “merlot and grigio” featuring Father Philis, and brings do it afraid into clearer view with two new singles “dream girl” and “wake up b*tch” also out today.
These two new songs embody the duality of do it afraid – the fantastical, fun-loving funk of “dream girl” is all about “escaping to the party for a little while” and “really tapping into your desires – knowing there’s a million heavy things that need your attention but also leaving room for fantasy.”
These two new songs embody the duality of do it afraid – on “wake up b*tch”, the album’s opening track, Yaya wastes no time setting the tone, opening the album with searing realism through a single, meticulously-rapped verse that ends with the melodic question of “what are you afraid of?” It’s a cathartic release that opens the door for “dream girl” and the embrace of fantasy. As Yaya puts it, the song is all about “escaping to the party for a little while” and “really tapping into your desires – knowing there’s a million heavy things that need your attention but also leaving room for fantasy.”
“I wrote this album from the most vulnerable parts of me, which contrary to what many people want to believe about me, is not my trauma but my desire to love, to feel joy…to be free,” Yaya says of her new album. “In this life, pain and loss are promised to us; it takes real courage to dance in the face of the inevitable. To savor the now and make it beautiful. I come from a people who are masters at this. Onlookers like to make a spectacle of us. Rob of us of our nuance. But the truth is we are brave, resilient and joyful. I made this album for us. May we continue to do it afraid.”
Following the album’s release in June, Yaya Bey will be embarking on a headlining tour in September across the East & West Coasts. General on-sale begins Friday, April 25th at 10am local time. Yaya will also be playing a hometown festival set at Governor’s Ball in June. Tickets for Yaya’s tour will be available HERE.
Do it afraid is a commitment to embracing life as it comes, finding peace in the power of human movement and connection, even if life’s circumstances have left one scarred and afraid. 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.”
Listen to “dream girl” and “wake up b*tch”, 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.
Yaya Bey 2025 Live Dates
6/7 – New York, NY @ Governor’s Ball Festival
9/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
9/11 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
9/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ 99 Scott
9/13 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
9/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5
9/18 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
9/19 – Urbana, IL @ PYGMALION
9/23 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
9/24 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
9/26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
9/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Yaya Bey
Do It Afraid
June 20, 2025
drink sum wtr
1. wake up b*tch
2. end of the world (feat. Nigel Hall & Butcher Brown)
3. real yearners unite
4. cindy rella
5. Raisins
6. spin cycle
7. dream girl
8. merlot and grigio (feat. Father Philis)
9. breakthrough
10. a surrender
11. in a circle
12. aye noche (feat. Rahrah Gabor & Exaktly)
13. no for real, wtf?
14. blicky
15. ask the questions
16. bella noches pt1
17. a tiny thing that’s mine
18. choice
Connect with Yaya Bey:
