Yola announces new album ‘Stand For Myself’: listen to the first song

Yola, a Grammy-nominated artist who describes herself as the “UK Queen of Soul Country”, is releasing her awaited second album “Stand For Myself” in July.

The record finds Yola returning to Black Keys producer and frontman Dan Auerbach at Easy Eye Sound in Nashville, the same room where she made her groundbreaking 2019 debut “Walk Through Fire.”

“Stand For Myself” will be released on July 30 via Auerbach’s label Easy Eye Sound.

Yola, née Yolanda Quartey, gave listeners a taste of “Stand For Myself” on Thursday with the new single “Diamond Studded Shoes”. The song hears Yola moving away from a country backbone delivered on “Walk Through Fire,” instead tapping into vintage pop-soul with a booming message.

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She sings in the chorus: “We know it’s not, it’s not gonna turn out well / We know it’s not, we know it’s not / We know it’s not, that’s why we have to fight. “

Regarding the song, Yola said in a statement: “[It] explores the false divisions created to distract us from those few people who are in charge of the majority of the world’s wealth and use the “divide and conquer” tactic to hold onto it. This song calls us to unite and focus on those who have the hold over humanity. ”

Collaborators and co-authors on the new album include Ruby Amanfu, John Bettis, Pat McLaughlin, Natalie Hemby, Joy Oladokun, Paul Overstreet, Liz Rose, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Hannah Vasanth and Bobby Wood, according to a press release.

Yola performs on March 3, 2022 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Yola’s “Stand For Myself” Tracklist

1. Barely alive
2. Dance in tears
3. Diamond studded shoes
4. Be my friend
5. Great division
6. Stars light
7. If I had to do it all again
8. Now you are here
9. All that you want
10. Break the branch
11. Like a photograph
12. Stand up