Album Review: Yaya Bey, Remember Your North Star

As creative surges go, Queens-raised artist Yaya Bey’s output over these last few years has been particularly impressive – chronicling her ongoing artistic evolution across 2020’s Madison Tapes, 2021’s The Things I Can’t Take With Me, and now her latest project, Remember Your North Star.

Across 18 tracks – some of which are snippets of ideas or skits – Bey takes us on a journey that’s not always seamless, but never falters in its authenticity. She taps into the concerns and joys of her generation, and specifically the experiences of Black women, with an approach that successfully marries fearlessly honest and provocative lyrics with a smooth, organic fusion of jazz, R&B, reggae and hip-hop.

It’s a direction that finds Bey bridging the gap between generations and genres – embracing the bold energy of contemporary rap icons, the unabashedly romantic impulses of jazz and soul greats, and the deeply engaged, socially conscious commentary of the likes of Noname.

Despite her obvious ambition, Bey resists the temptation to incorporate a more flashy style of production and instrumentation, instead opting for a consciously grounded approach. The focus remains on the force at the centre of it all: her voice – serving not only as a compelling instrument, but as the proud proclaimer of her own truth.