With her fourth album Remember Your North Star (2022), Yaya Bey finally garnered the critical acclaim she had actually deserved years earlier. Leading online publication Pitchfork gave the record a rave review and quality newspapers like The Guardian and The New York Times were also lyrical in their praise. The album was nominated for a Libera Award in the Best R&B Record category. Fitting recognition for the work ethic of the 34-year-old singer from Brooklyn. At age nine, she was already writing songs for her father, the rapper Grand Daddy I.U. (Ayub Bey). Since her debut album in 2016, she has released several EPs and singles, on which she hypnotizes listeners with her dreamy, husky voice. Hidaiyah Bey, as her full name goes, does not shy away from experimentation. She incorporates influences from her Caribbean and African-American roots into a contemporary sound. In addition to R&B, you can hear hip-hop, jazz, reggae and Afrobeat influences in songs that sound modern yet timeless.
