“do it afraid” arrives as a raw, unapologetic journey through vulnerability, growth, and grit. Yaya Bey’s smoky voice carries us through shifting emotional landscapes, with. each song it feels like a late-night conversation, intimate and unfiltered. There’s no pretense here, just bold confessions set to rhythm.

This album is 18 tracks deep, for now we select 4 to review.

“wake up b*tch”

A slow-burning, defiant anthem fueled by fractured piano chords and a heartbeat bass. It strikes a delicate balance between a battle cry and a lullaby.

Yaya Bey commands attention from the first whisper. It’s less about aggression and more about refusing complacency. Her voice sits right on the edge of raw and wounded, but unmistakably fierce. You can almost feel the morning light creeping through the blinds as she demands accountability of herself most of all.

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“spin cycle”

This track is Dreamy yet tense, with layered percussion and a looping, hypnotic rhythm. It moves forward with a sense of both promise and hesitation.

“spin cycle” feels like standing on a threshold. The drums pulse like a heart uncertain if it should leap. Yaya’s lyricism circles around expectation and dread, with the sense that something big is inevitable, yet you’re terrified of what lies ahead. It’s consumed with foresight, wrapped in ambiguity.

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“breakthrough”

“breakthrough” is uplifting yet textured, with a mid-tempo feel, that allows subtle synths and warm brass flickers. It gradually builds, rising from smoky reflection into hopeful release.

This is the album’s emotional apex. Yaya’s voice steps into a lighter register, still intimate but steadier. The lyrics touch on overcoming internal barriers, like sunlight filtering through cracks in concrete. It’s not triumphant in the loud sense, but in a quiet, hard-earned way. You sense relief more than joy.

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“ask the questions”

It’s sparse, almost tentative. Acoustic strums and minimal percussion frame her voice in close-up detail, like a one-on-one confessional.

Here, Yaya strips it back completely. She’s asking us and herself to confront what’s unspoken, and uncomfortable. Each line lands with presence, and the silences between them are as potent as the chords. It’s brave in its stillness; you lean in to hear every nuance.

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“do it afraid” seems to be a litmus test of emotional courage. Yaya Bey leads us through waking up to our truths, cycling through dread, breaking through walls, and asking the hard questions. By the end, you’re more awake, not despite the fear, but because she’s articulated it so clearly.

Check for Yaya Bey on IG: @yayabeybay

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