Yaya Bey – Do It Afraid

Today, Yaya Bey releases her new album do it afraid via drink sum wtr.

As a body of work, do it afraid bravely commits to life’s delights – humor, love, the power of human movement and connection – and the resolve to embrace that joy in the face of uncertainty. Musically on this album, Yaya is also embracing a wider range of sounds, working with an expanding cast of co-producers including BADBADNOTGOOD, Exaktly and Virginia musical collective Butcher Brown, with additional guest features from Rahrah Gabor, Nigel Hall, and others.

Alongside the album’s release, she’s also sharing a music video for the yearning album cut “spin cycle”, which Yaya describes as “a working class love song” that balances romance with life’s less glamorous realities. do it afraid’s power is in finding cohesion in its range of sounds and emotions – from high-velocity pointed verses like “wake up b*tch”, to tender close-ups (“raisins”) and a warm embrace of her Bajan roots on the soca-inspired “merlot and grigio”.

Yaya will take the album on tour in September across the East & West Coasts, concluding on September 27th at the Lodge Room in LA.

Yaya Bey 2025 Live Dates

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

#yayabeybay