Over the past years, from the introspective mixtape Madison Tapes to last year’s critically-acclaimed debut LP Remember Your North Star, we witnessed Yaya Bey reach a joyous creative fruition. On the forthcoming follow-up EP Exodus to North Star, Bey looks beyond the trappings of Black trauma, exulting in what it means to feel joy and optimism. And per usual, she does so with unmatched emotional clarity and wisdom.
On the beaming, open-the-blinders tune “On The Pisces Moon” that inner generosity shines through. “Love is ours for the taking/ Love is ours for the making / And I want more” she declares, relishing in the bravery to love fully again.
On the new music, Bey says: “This is how I see joy and love in the world and what I aspire to feel and be. I have become an expert at turning my pain and grief as a black woman into music. Black people have a masterful way of telling our stories and sharing pain, but we’re also masters of joy and imagination. We have always been in a global conversation about how to alchemize our experiences and reimagine our circumstances. From the ties between Lovers Rock and R&B to Gospel and House. Our joy is a collective effort.”
She continues: “I rarely write about what I would like my existence to be in this world. This is a new level of vulnerability for me. Proclaiming my desires. What I’ve come to learn I deserve. This is my thank you to my people: my peers, the elders and the ancestors for being in this work with me. Cheers to the future.”
Listen to “on the pisces moon” below or on streamers.
The release of Exodus to North Star on March 24 (preorder/save) is capped by tours through the US and Europe.
You can find Yaya Bey on Bandcamp, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
