After a run of critically lauded releases, R&B shapeshifter Yaya Bey will make her hotly anticipated Australian debut.

A sly and versatile vocalist, Bey’s lyrical themes are entirely her own, weaving political commentary, humour, grief and sex into indelible songs.

Signed by pioneering UK label Big Dada in 2021, Bey released her breakout album Remember Your North Star the next year. She followed up in 2024 with Ten Fold – ranked among some of the best music of the year and a feature album here at 2SER.

Onstage, Bey is a force of nature – as testified by her recent NPR Tiny Desk concert, which charts a tapestry of emotions in just 16 minutes. In anticipation of her Sydney Festival show, 4 January at the City Recital Hall, Yaya Bey dialed in to 2SER Breakfast, live from New York, for a chat.