Yaya Bey do it afraid
Yaya Bey's do it afraid opens as a tender, defiant statement that folds grief and healing into buoyant grooves and intimate storytelling, and across professional reviews the record emerges as a quietly triumphant work. Critics point to a consensus score of 80.4/100 across 5 professional reviews, noting how the album's pleasures arrive through texture and feeling rather than immediate hooks. The critical consensus praises the album's genre-blending production and emotional duality, where vulnerability coexists with sexual confidence and reclamation.
Reviewers consistently name standout tracks that map the album's emotional arc. “breakthrough” is repeatedly cited as the centerpiece, a pivot from despair to defiant joy; “end of the world” and “wake up b*tch” are praised for their slinky melodies and ferocious personality; “choice” and “no for real, wtf?” register as moments of lyrical clarity and catharsis. Critics from Clash and Paste highlight reclamation and optimism, Beats Per Minute and The Line of Best Fit emphasize the record's slow-burn cohesion and Caribbean-tinged rhythms, while Pitchfork underscores the album's cozy, lived-in vignettes even as it flags an occasional misfire.
Taken together, professional reviews suggest do it afraid rewards repeat listening: its best songs reveal themselves gradually, trading instant virality for emotional durability. For those weighing whether do it afraid is worth listening to, the critical consensus positions it as a mature, genre-fluid collection that balances intimacy and celebration, and secures Yaya Bey's voice as both candid and quietly commanding in her catalog.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
end of the world
1 mention
"On “end of the world”, keyboards sparkle, beats are crisp, Bey’s voice is earthy, supple."— The Line of Best Fit
choice
1 mention
"“choice,” the aptly titled closing track, holds one of the record’s rawest verses:"— Paste Magazine
wake up b*tch
2 mentions
"“wake up bitch” continues Yaya Bey’s tradition of starting her records with a clear-eyed, cut-the-bullshit rap."— Paste Magazine
On “end of the world”, keyboards sparkle, beats are crisp, Bey’s voice is earthy, supple.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
wake up b*tch
end of the world
real yearners unite
cindy rella
raisins
spin cycle
dream girl
merlot and grigio
breakthrough
a surrender
in a circle
aye noche
no for real, wtf?
blicky
ask the questions
bella noches pt. 1
a tiny thing that’s mine
choice
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 6 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Yaya Bey’s do it afraid reads as a wholehearted celebration of joy and love, and the best songs - especially “wake up bitch”, “real yearners unite” and “blicky” - carry that reclamation with fierce personality. Jessica Rogers writes with a warm, admiring clarity, noting how Bey switches from ferocious bars on “wake up bitch” to the weightless lovers ballad of “real yearners unite”, and calls “blicky” an amalgamation of everything Bey does best. The review frames these tracks as the album’s emotional core, anchored by duality - realism and fantasy - and an optimism that makes do it afraid feel timeless and full-bodied.
Key Points
-
The best song blends fierce lyricism with emotional reclamation, exemplified by “wake up bitch” leading the album.
-
The album’s core strengths are its stylistic range and optimistic reclamation of personal narrative.
Themes
Critic's Take
Yaya Bey's do it afraid is a loose, charming record that finds its best moments in small, intimate pleasures, particularly on “raisins” and “real yearners unite”. Stephen Kearse moves between admiration and scrutiny with a languid, conversational cadence, praising how those tracks turn yearning into cozy, backyard-ready songs while calling out the misfire of “dream girl”. The review emphasizes the album's relaxed atmospherics and genre-hopping - its strengths are in texture and mood more than snap, which is why the best songs feel like warm, lived-in vignettes.
Key Points
-
“raisins” is best for its fuzzy neo-soul production and melting vocal lines that encapsulate the album's warmth.
-
The album's core strengths are its relaxed atmospheres, genre fluidity, and intimate lyrical focus on holding onto joy.
Themes
Critic's Take
Yaya Bey returns with do it afraid, a cohesive, blissfully slow lull that prizes catharsis over instant hits, and the best songs show that intent clearly. The light tap of “raisins” and the glacial, reggae-tinged “spin cycle” feel like droplets of rain folding into each other, while the album’s emotional centerpiece “breakthrough” is where Bey fully owns desire and self-assurance. The record’s pleasures are quiet and insistent - songs reward repeat listening rather than single-play virality. If you want the best tracks on do it afraid, start with “raisins”, “spin cycle” and “breakthrough” for a clear sense of her aim and craft.
Key Points
-
The best song is "breakthrough" because it functions as the album’s emotional centerpiece where Bey owns desire and self-assurance.
-
The album’s core strengths are cohesive sequencing, layered collaborations, and quiet catharsis rather than bite-sized standouts.
Themes
Critic's Take
Yaya Bey refuses containment on do it afraid, and the record's best songs - “no for real, wtf?”, “breakthrough”, and “choice” - show why. Sollazzo's review moves between elegy and exultation, noting how “no for real, wtf?” becomes the emotional climax and how “breakthrough” and “choice” pivot from despair to defiant joy. The critic emphasizes Bey's knack for folding in dancehall, soca, gospel, and razor-sharp production while keeping intimacy intact. Reading the review, one hears that the best tracks are those that balance weight with levity, pulling the album toward celebration without erasing its pain.
Key Points
-
The best song, “no for real, wtf?,” is the emotional climax that balances panic and the choice to embrace joy.
-
The album's core strengths are genre-blurring production, candid memoir-like lyricism, and a tug between grief and celebration.
Themes
Critic's Take
Yaya Bey returns on do it afraid with sly, languorous grooves and an intimacy that rewards close listening, and the best songs - notably “end of the world” and “breakthrough” - crystallize that appeal. The reviewer's ear lingers on the slinky melodies and dreamy timbres of “end of the world”, where keyboards sparkle and Bey's voice is earthy and supple. Elsewhere “breakthrough” and “merlot and grigio” display her range, from happy-hour piano to tropical pacing, proving the album's strengths lie in mood, nuance, and emotional clarity. Read as a whole, do it afraid feels understated yet insistently present, a record that privileges feeling over fireworks.
Key Points
-
“end of the world” is best for its sparkling keyboards, crisp beats, and earthy, supple vocals.
-
The album's core strengths are its slinky melodies, dreamy timbres, and intimate, transportive vocal delivery.