LISTEN TO NEW SONG AND
PRE-ORDER ALBUM HERE
 
STAND FOR MYSELF TO BE RELEASED
VIA EASY EYE SOUND ON JULY 30

“IT IS POSSIBLE FOR EVERY STAGE OF YOUR JOURNEY IN LOVE,
SEX AND CONNECTION TO BE NURTURING” - YOLA 

“Vibrant… Simmering guitar to full-on arena rock.” - Rolling Stone
 
“Yola’s sophomore effort buzzes with the impassioned energy of
an artist finally holding the reins to her career” - AVCLUB
 
“Yola won’t let genre barriers — or anything else — stand in her way" - Stereogum

Toronto, ON – Today, Yola released the video for Starlight, a smouldering slice of symphonic soul and the latest single from her anthemic new album, Stand For Myself, which will be released via Easy Eye Sound on July 30, 2021. 
 
The romantic visual is directed by Ford Fairchild. Set against a beautiful late night neon cityscape, we watch and wait until we witness Yola’s moment of connection. Discussing the video, Yola stated, “I wanted to put something into the world that showed people what my dating life is like now. I’m currently single, yes, but I’m not neglected or some soulless sex robot. The volume of media dedicated to showing dark skinned Black women having a nice normal time in romantic situations, be it true love or just dating, is still lacking in my opinion.”
 
Discussing the sex positive message behind the song, Yola stated, "Starlight is a song about looking for positive physical, sexual and human connections at every level of your journey towards love.” 
 
Adding, “The world seems to attach a negative trope of cold heartlessness to the concept of any sexual connection that isn’t marriage, this song looks through a lens of warmth specifically when it comes to sex positivity. Understanding the necessity of every stage of connection and that it is possible for every stage of your journey in love, sex and connection to be nurturing. Temporary or transitory doesn’t have to be meaningless or miserable. In the right situations every connection can teach us something valuable about who we are, what we want and what is healthy.”
 
Stand For Myself reflects on Yola’s belief in the possibility of paradigm shift beyond the mental programming that creates tokenism and bigotry, which have deeply impacted her personal life and professional career. It has also been hailed as a singular sonic shift, with publications including Billboard who included Diamond Studded Shoes in the best songs of 2021 so far, and proclaimed her a “powerhouse vocalist.” The Root described Yola’s “brassy twang” as “both fun to listen to and resonates deeply within the soul because of the power it holds” and CMT described Yola’s new sound as a mix of  “soulful, rootsy, and wholly countrified rock.” Diamond Studded Shoes also peaked at number 1 on the Americana radio chart.  
 
Produced by Dan Auerbach, the album traces a musical thread to Yola’s most eclectic musical inspirations. From the seminal albums Yola discovered via her Mother’s 70s record collection, to her love of eclectic British radio, which featured a fluid mix of rock, 90s neo soul, R&B and britpop—all which soundtracked her childhood and teenage years in Bristol, England. Yola experienced prejudice throughout her childhood and career and navigated these experiences, as well as homelessness in London and stress-induced voice loss to launch her solo career in 2016. She achieved breakout success with her debut album, Walk Through Fire, which landed her four GRAMMY® nominations including Best New Artist, critical acclaim and fans from Elton John to Mavis Staples. 
 
Yola recently performed at Love Rock’s annual charity event in New York alongside Gary Clark Jr and Bon Jovi and will be one of few artists to perform at both Newport Folk and Newport Jazz in the same year, when she joins the lineup of both events this summer. She will also be performing dates with Chris Stapleton on his rescheduled tour in 2021 and will headline The Ryman Auditorium in 2022. For more information and tickets please visit: www.iamyola.com
 
Stand For Myself is Magnolia Record Club's Record of the Month for July. Subscribe before July 31 and receive an exclusive purple and clear splatter version of the album. Use the code DIAMOND at checkout to get $10 off a three-month membership. magnoliarecord.club
 
Tracklist:
1. Barely Alive  
2. Dancing Away In Tears 
3. Diamond Studded Shoes  
4. Be My Friend 
5. Great Divide  
6. Starlight  
7. If I Had To Do It All Again  
8. Now You’re Here  
9. Whatever You Want  
10. Break The Bough  
11. Like A Photograph
12. Stand For Myself 
 
Live dates include: 
2021
July 23-July 25 - Newport Folk  
July 30-August 1 - Newport Jazz 
August 6 - Hinterland Music Festival
August 7 - DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI - w/ Chris Stapleton
August 21 - Globe Life Park - Arlington, TX - w/ Chris Stapleton
September 10 - Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival 
September 16 - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - Maryland Height, MO - w/ Chris Stapleton
September 17 - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre - Birmingham, AL - w/ Chris Stapleton
September 18 - The Wharf Amphitheatre - Orange Beach, AL - w/ Chris Stapleton
September 25 - Ruoff Music Center - Noblesville, IN - w/ Chris Stapleton
September 26 - Ohana Music Festival 
October 8 - Madison Square Garden - NYC, NY - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 14  - Mizzou Arena - Columbia, MO - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 15 - Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NE - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 16 - Denny Sanford Premier Center - Sioux Falls, SD - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 21 - Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 22 & 23 - Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 28 - United Supermarket Arena - Lubbock, TX - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 29 - Isleta Amphitheater - Albuquerque, NM - w/ Chris Stapleton
October 30 - AK-Chin Pavilion - Phoenix, AZ - w/ Chris Stapleton
November 4  - Frank Erwin Center -Austin, TX - w/ Chris Stapleton
November 5 - BOK Center - Tulsa, OK - w/ Chris Stapleton
November 6 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion -The Woodlands, TX - w/ Chris Stapleton
December 3 - FedEx Forum -Memphis, TN -  w/ Chris Stapleton
December 4 - Mississippi Coast Coliseum -Biloxi, MS - w/ Chris Stapleton
December 5 - Thompson-Boling Arena -  Knoxville, TN - w/ Chris Stapleton

2022
March 3 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN 
April 20 - Huntington Center - Toledo, OH - w/ Chris Stapleton
April 21 - Schottenstein Center - Columbus, OH - w/ Chris Stapleton
April 23 - A Concert for Kentucky – Kroger Field - Lexington, KY - w/ Chris Stapleton

Photo by Joseph Ross Smith
 
DOWNLOAD – Starlight Art

DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Album Art | DOWNLOAD – Press Photo

www.iamyola.com