Ashley Pointer | April 17, 2024
Throughout an emotional, soul-stirring set, the multitudes of Yaya Bey's music and artistry are on full display in her Tiny Desk concert. The New York-bred singer-songwriter opens the show by paying homage to her Barbados roots: reggae-tinged grooves of "meet me in brooklyn" from her powerful 2022 album, Remember Your North Star, that flow seamlessly into "on the pisces moon" from 2023's Exodus The North Star.
Our little corner can be a space for artists and musicians to approach their music in more intimate ways, often leading to incredibly raw experiences. Bey manages to create a sense of closeness with the audience as she emphatically expresses how difficult this performance is for her to get through: "My dad died last year, so I be spacing out sometimes when I do this joint," before diving into the sentimental "reprise."
Before closing the set with "me and all my n*****," a new song from her upcoming LP Ten Fold, which she says she wrote as "an ode to human resilience," she continues to open up about her battle with long COVID: "That mask s*** is real; [this] s*** is hard." Bey's performance feels like peeking into her personal journals, and it's truly healing to experience. Not a dry eye was left in the building.
SET LIST
"meet me in brooklyn"
"on the pisces moon"
"reprise"
"me and all my n*****"
MUSICIANS
Yaya Bey: vocals
Sweet Corey-Bey: bass, vocals
Andrew Velez: trumpet, vocals
Jo Palmer: drums
Colin Chambers: keys
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Ashley Pointer
Director: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
Editor: Maia Stern
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#tinydesk #nprmusic #yayabey
My name is DAVID and I bear witness to the truth. We need more YaYa and less rah rah.👊🏿
But also more Rah Digga
What a treat. Fresh and with heart. NPR sends a Yaya Bey shaped gift. I do love NPR Tinydesk - it's what makes the internet mean something.
11:30 - 13:00 turned me from a fan to a whole air-conditioner , love from Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦, RiP to your Dad
🙏🏽
Reprise got me crying at my desk like a baby. Wow I really felt those lyrics
Beautifully vulnerable and emotional and that muted trumpet is great.
Her moment to shine but I can't but think of Bey and Noname becoming a super duo...be well in all things...
Feels like a Miles Davis collaboration.
@@MichaelWalker-wu2pq anyway thx NPR the one day i fly diplomat pff forget about real music?
These are the artists who deserve the Grammy award , yaya deserves it , who's with me????? put a like over here
I love the traditional reggae sound of Yaya’s band…very cool, clean, well-crafted and relaxing.
YAYA BEY TO THE WORLD! MUCH DESERVED TO BE PROMOTED ON THIS BIG OF A PLATFORM
She is so amazing!! Her music reach my life at the perfect time. Love to listen to such a beautiful soul!!!
Rest in peace to her father, Grand Daddy I.U.
She played my favorite song first 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩 I love her so much
Yeah this is my joint
Nice vibes thank you guys I’m grooving away here in Ireland 🇮🇪✊👌👉😁💚💓💚💓❤️🙌
Thank you for your resilience, Yaya Bey, Tiny Desk Concert, NPR music, and all the beautiful brave souls 🎶💫✨️🎶
I have been waiting for a tiny desk like this, its beautiful springtime/summertime vibey and super soulful and emotional i am connected to it. Love YAYA
your music is such a gift YAYA and anyone who has the opportunity to see you has had their souls touched by your heart and talent, thank you you deserve it all
Love Yaya so much! the raw vulnerability! the vocal control! the poetry! truly an all time great and still launching!
待ってました!Yaya Bey❣️ありがとう✨
Love the sparse, musical groove of the band... and really enjoy when Yaya goes from rapping into singing... beautiful voice, so soulful.
So much Flava.ILL organic vibez!Tiny desk for the culture as usual 💪🏾💪🏾👊🏾🙌🏾🙏🏾 Bless up/Cheers/Peace/1 Love
Tiny Desk!!! It absolutely makes my day to wake up to a new concert. Without researching the artists, I automatically click and wait for my ears to be blessed.
LOVE her.
YOU BETTER COME WITH THAT CREW TO THE JAZZ FESTIVAL!!!!!!!!! much love & support from mtl ❤️
I was itching 4 this typa music all morning this really was a relief great job
Love Yaya Bey
Same
Oooo this is a soul massage! Thank you.
go yaya! excited for the album on 5/10
First time hearing of her❤ from Pretoria South Africa
just find her last year! really love ❤
Real af 👍🏾
Yaya picked the best track list for us to soul search to
Go head Yaya...proud of you.
Speak it, Superstar! Sang it, Sistren and Brethren! This is my first time experiencing this special kind of magic and allyuh put ah spell on me. 🇹🇹 🙏🏿👏🏾🙌🏾🤩Well done! Many blessings. Thank you, @npr for keeping these spaces for real music!🙏🏿👏🏾
you are a truly wonderful human being.
immediate thank you! yaya bey deserves a larger audience
Love her music! :)
I didn't want it to finish 😂🔥
I wanted to hear Made This On The Spot but I’m glad she was able to get on here. Been listening since 2021 keep prospering Queen
The vibes are immaculate
BEAUTIFUL
Oh my… never heard of her before… when that first beat came through… I knew what this was all about 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I’m on the Yaya bus! ❤
I have been waiting for this for days! This woman is TALENTED
love from Chihuahua, México 5:19 this is a perfect song for tiny desk
I love this girl. Keep going Yaya hope to see you live one day
4am Central Time and you all here already putting in all this work this morning…. 🎉
You've GOT this!!!!!! GO lyricist GO!!!!!!
Good listening 🎶 🎼🎵🎙👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
She's so real and she's speaking the truth 🤫
What a refreshing change ! Welcome !
LOVE YOUR MUSIC YAYA
Yaya is dope!
Thank you
Thank you for sharing ✌️💖🤟✨️🧚♂️
❤❤❤such a great vibes. Thank you so much☮️✨
❤🎉❤ Beautiful.
very gooood Bravo
Another great performance of beautiful 🎶 much love from philly❤❤❤❤❤
roots, rock, reggae in NPR!!!!
woi! this was smooth. a classic. sounds of an old soul. new fan 👌
Wow that voice.
Thanks for the outstanding concert ❤
Love this, Yaya Bey making me tear up while I watch this performance while I’m on train. Reprise speaks to my soul
TinyDesk for the win yet again!!! Always putting me up on game so I don't fall off main!!! Big Up, Sistheren, YAYA BEY!!!
just fell in love
Spring has really sprung! My dad passed away last year too, it got to me hard when she misted over her dad. Keep singing sweetie.
My mom died 6 years ago. This song has staying power.
My dad too, passed away last year.
BRAVE ENOUGH 🔥🔥🔥NOW I AM…. ❤❤❤❤MORE thank you 🙏🏽
Crazy vocal range
So much Love for this lady❤
❤спасибо🙏💕 привет из Сибири🕊
Wow what an amazing talent…glad NPR showcased..the first time hearing this artist…🤎🔥🔥🔥Unique, vulnerable, relaxing smooth and powerful voice
❤❤❤❤❤
Also to anybody mad @ this human for standing up for humanity on this public forum should ask themselves this question; Why am I angered at another person pleading for life? Anyways, so thankful for the music yaya.
Whoa l'énergie qu'elle et son band dégage
I remember Yaya Bey when she was 4-5years old .Her Pop was my Man .He is in Heaven So Proud. Muffin I am So Proud of you.Respect .Mr.Kay,Steady Flow...
Speak it, Superstar! Sang it, Sistren and Brethren! This is my first time experiencing this special kind of magic and allyuh put ah spell on me. 🇹🇹 🙏🏿👏🏾🙌🏾🤩Well done! Many blessings. Thank you, @nprmusic for keeping these spaces for real music!🙏🏿👏🏾
this is exactly what I've been looking for.. so pleasantly surprised I'm glad I clicked on this.
Yaya MF Beyyyy !!! A gift 🙏🏾 gratitude !!!
Heater of a choice 🔥
Wow. 🥹 What an astoundingly honest performance.. Fan for life ❤ One Love
a lot of love from brasil to you Yaya! 🇧🇷💚💛
Une belle âme ❤
YaYa Bey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤❤❤ On the pisces moon is on repeat! Do you hear me?!?!?!
yeaaaaahhhh Ya!!!! beautiful! brilliant! Yaya's voice is so smooth and rich!! lyrics, message is so honest and felt. this is so powerful!
happy 420
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Come through 7 MINS… 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️
i love Yaya Bey, sooo excited to see her over here on tiny desk!! phenomenal set 🤩🤩
Omg yes!
Meet me in Brooklyn came across my Spotify a few months ago and blew my mind, such great music! Love the jamaican vibes
LOVE❤❤❤❤
This performance of Reprise has me absolutely floored. It makes me emotional in a variety of ways I can’t even place
CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU ON TOUR YAYA! 🥹
I’ve been listening to meet me in Brooklyn sinc e it came out and what treat it is to see her Perform at tiny desk! She has such a unique beautiful groove
👏
vibin w/this fo real....shades of bahamadia and lauryn hill, w/some ella fitzgerald sprinkled on top...bravo!
Word, genuine, respect 🙌
Beautiful . I love this. Also Tiny Desk can we have Faith Evans on here
the second song made me cry, beautiful set!
Who could have enough yay yay
😍😍😍