yaya bey: do it afraid
Francisco Espregueira
Yaya Bey's latest album, do it afraid, marks her debut on the art-forward indie label drink sum water, and it's a profound statement of reclaiming joy amidst life's inherent duality. Following a string of critically acclaimed releases, the Queens, New York singer-songwriter thrives on this uplifting and effervescent material. do it afraid is a resolute rejection of past narratives, with Bey defiantly owning her story through nuanced songs that pull from R&B, hip-hop, jazz, soul, and dance music, even incorporating the vibrant soca stylings rooted in her family's Bajan heritage. "Suffering is promised to us all, but so is joy. You have to find peace in that duality," says Yaya, who commits to life’s delights—humor, love, and the power of human connection—even if she has to do it afraid.
The album showcases Yaya's dynamic craft, flipping emotional scripts with intensity while also celebrating pure pleasure. While past successes like Remember Your North Star (2022) and Ten Fold (2024) saw her unfairly minimized to a "face of Black struggle," do it afraid boldly counters that misconception. As Yaya asserts, "being Black is a very f*cking fun experience… but people like to minimize us to one dimension." From the raw deconstruction of societal woes in "wake up bitch" and the poignant observations on "bella noches pt. 1," to the pure, unadulterated good vibes of "end of the world" and the "throwin-that-ass-around" club call of "in a circle," the music on do it afraid feels undeniably smooth and extremely good to our hears. Her world-building ear for arrangement, complemented by co-producers like BADBADNOTGOOD and Butcher Brown, creates a cohesive journey where Yaya's boundless voice, from high-velocity raps to tender close-ups, ensures that even in vulnerability, she remains unflinching and free. Best enjoyed from the beginning til the end, smoothly traversing a myriad of genres, do it afraid is a big album from one of today’s real shooting stars. Available on vinyl, for the collectors.
“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. 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.”