Being nominated for four Grammy Awards in the same year is definitely quite an honor and illustrates a high level of talent. Even though British artist Yola did not win any of them, she is in focus of the music industry. Her second album Stand For Myself will be released on 30th July 2021. Here are my thoughts about the very personal work.
Yola – About The Artist
Yola, whose full civil name is Yolanda Quartey, was born in Bristol, England, in 1983. She initially got some fame with her band Phantom Limb, which released an album in 2010. After working as a background singer, she turned solo. Yola’s initial release was the EP Orphan Offering in 2016. Her debut album Walk Through Fire reached the UK charts in early 2019. She received four Grammy nominations in 2020, including the Best New Artist one. While Phantom Limb was rather doing a mixture of country and soul, her solo works are rather Americana roots music.
Yola – Stand For Myself – Track by Track
The twelve song album lasts 46 minutes.
1. Barely Alive
Barely Alive is a rather slow opener to Stand For Myself. It is a song about the pressure to assimilate and living in white-dominated social structures. Especially the chorus is very powerful and impressive and feels like a big stage show performance. Impressive track with a lot of soul.
2. Dancing Away in Tears
Breaking up is always hard to do
One last dance is all I want with you
I can’t go and do it all again
And pretend that I ever wanted to
We’re dancing away in tears
The music we make disappears
The second song is accompanied with a more present rhythm, which underlines the soul-pop character of the track. Already in the first minutes of the album, Yola is catching me and doing an impressive performance.
3. Diamond Studded Shoes
Diamond Studded Shoes is again a very social-critic track. The song comes with a very strong groove, which for the first time obviously adds Americana elements to the soul-ish character of the song.
Fight, for the life and soul of the world we love
Fight, cause the promise is never gonna be enough
A very energetic performance, which still does not touch me as well as the two songs before did.
4. Be My Friend
Especially Dan Dugmore, who is playing the steel guitar in Be My Friend, is adding quite some country music spirit to Be My Friend. The album has definitely reached the soul-Americana grounds now – and it sounds good with that blending!
5. Great Divide
Great Divide is one of these majestic, powerful performance. I somehow feel to see Yola on a big state with a large band and people having their mouth wide open as they are fascinated listening to the performance. Not that surprising – as Yola has been accompanied by eleven additional musicians in this song only. If you are able to have one organ, two pianos, three guitars, bass, drums, percussion and two background vocals in one song… and add a lot of talent… you are able to reach the sound of this amazing track.
6. Starlight
Yola’s team simply did not spare any effort and expenses to turn Stand for Myself into a massive album. Starlight is another example for this. I won’t give you the list of musicians involved to this song again (actually, there are even more people and instruments in the credits than at Great Divide). Just listen to the result. It just feels to be on point.
7. If I Had To Do It All Again
The track is about friendship and connecting each other to become stronger. If I Had To Do It All Again is dominated by the rhythmic work of Aaron Frazer on the drums and percussionist Sam Bacco. And, of course, the voice of Yola herself. The artist feels a bit of quiet in this song initially, but then this track is gathering more and more power and energy.
8. Now You’re Here
The previous tracks of the album have been very soul-ish. The dominating genre and style of Now You’re Here is definitely soul as well, but there is a stronger touch of Americana in this track. I feel that Yola is a perfect artist match to that blending of genres.
Now you’re here
There is sunlight in the midnight
It’s crystal clear Ai yai yai yai yai
Guess it took a little time
Baby, now you’re mine
9. Whatever You Want
Whatever You Want is one of my favorites of the album. A very energetic song with a strong message and a nice touch of Americana songs. The chorus is just great and stays in mind from the very first listen.
10. Break the Bough
Break the Bough is an uptempo song with a lot of soul and power. This time, Yola is even accompanied by horns, which lead to a nice sound. Great work by Nick Movshon on the bass, who is creating a nice vibe.
11. Like a Photograph
Yola closes her album with the two longest tracks. The longest one is Like A Photograph, which starts like a beautiful R&B ballad, but then has rather powerful parts here and there. Really nice listen.
12. Stand for Myself
Finally, there is the title track. Stand for Myself adds a very own character to the album. There is even a touch of indie-rock in some of the electronic guitar parts. Impressive way to close the album.
Yola – Stand For Myself – Spotify
Here is Stand For Myself on Spotify:
Yola – Stand For Myself – My View
Yola and her team invested a lot of effort into Stand For Myself. No doubt it pays back. The twelve songs are a very good listen. I would just long to have a bit more versatility, some more surprising moments like the very cool title track at the end of the album. Thus, I just don’t see the very top rating for this album, but a really good one.
British Media Reviews
Here are more music and other media reviews about bands originated in the United Kingdom:

Ludwig Wright – Turn of Tides or Where the Waves Come From

Skindred – Smile

Kezia Gill – Misfit

Sekou – Out of Mind EP

Lloyd Cole – On Pain

Yes – Mirror To The Sky

Anna Demetriou – More To This

As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet

Katie Melua – Love & Money

Drew Sycamore – Superfaith

Those Damn Crows – Inhale/Exhale

You Me At Six – Truth Decay

Vic Allen – Some Place I’d Rather Be

Ski Holiday – Ski Holadiy

Circa Waves – Never Going Under

Joesef – Permanent Damage

Poppy Fardell – Back On My Feet

Olly Murs – Marry Me

Massive Wagons – Triggered!

Chez Kane – Powerzone

Simple Minds – Direction of the Heart

Jim Kroft – The Isolation Diaries Vol. 3 EP

Billy Idol – The Cage EP

Bryde – Still

Alan Parsons – From the New World

Berries – How We Function

Ewan Mainwood – Broken EP

RXPTRS – Living Without Death’s Permission

George Ezra – Gold Rush Kid

Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos

Famyne – II: The Ground Below

Suki Waterhouse – I Can’t Let Go

Amber Run – The Start (Act II) EP

Cold Years – Goodbye To Misery

Emily Roberts – thank you for leaving. EP

Placebo – Never Let Me Go

The Shires – The 10 Year Plan

Danny McMahon – Senses EP

Ard – Take Up My Bones

Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory

Saxon – Carpe Diem

Kiefer Sutherland – Bloor Street

Yard Act – The Overload

Magnum – The Monster Roars

Gregorian – Pure Chants

Spell Songs – Spell Songs II: Let The Light In

Al Lewis – Moving On Moving Past EP

Billy Bragg – The Million Things That Never Happened

Skinny Lister – A Matter of Life and Love

Duran Duran – Future Past

Elton John – The Lockdown Sessions

Dahlia Sleeps – Overflow (A-Side) EP

Natalie Imbruglia – Firebird

Peter Vale – Deep River

Billy Idol – The Roadside EP

Amber Run – The Search (Act 1) EP

The Vaccines – Back In Love City

Iron Maiden – Senjutsu

Baby Queen – The Yearbook

King Calaway – Midnight EP

Krissy Matthews – Pizza Man Blues

Ray Wilson – The Weight Of Man

Lauran Hibberd – Goober EP

Ida Mae – Click Click Domino

Rivers Of England – Eight In The Evening In Spring EP

Gary Kemp – INSOLO

Eliza Shaddad – The Woman You Want

Super db – Ecoute Ca

Kat Eaton – Talk To Me

Roger Chapman – Life In The Pond

Del Amitri – Fatal Mistakes

Jon Allen – …meanwhile

Levara – Levara

People Club – Take Me Home EP

Emma Moore – the table EP

Mighty Oaks – Mexico

Van Morrison – Latest Record Project Volume 1

Etaoin – Bedroom Walls EP

Gary Moore – How Blue Can You Get

Ray Cooper – Land Of Heroes

London Grammar – Californian Soil

Charlotte Young – Coffee and Conversations EP

The Fratellis – Half Drunk Under A Full Moon

Adrian Smith & Richie Kotzen – Smith / Kotzen

The Dust Coda – Mojo Skyline

As Everything Unfolds – Within Each Lies The Other

John Smith – The Fray

Ringo Starr – Zoom In EP

Billy Lockett – Reflections EP

Thunder – All The Right Noises

Chez Kane – Chez Kane

Pet Needs – Fractured Party Music

The Paper Kites – Roses

Mason Hill – Against The Wall

Bonnie Tyler – The Best Is Yet To Come

Bow Anderson – New Wave EP

Kerri Watt – Neptune’s Daughter

Barry Gibb & Friends – Greenfields – The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook Vol. 1

Passenger – Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted

Paul McCartney – McCartney III

Gary Barlow – Music Played by Humans

Ross Antony – Lass es glitzern (Weihnachten mit Ross)

Sam Smith – Love Goes

Elvis Costello – Hey Clockface

Katie Melua – Album No. 8

The Struts – Strange Days

Benediction – Scriptures

Ward Thomas – Invitation

Melanie C – Melanie C

Tommy Atkins – Kiss Me, Cowboy EP

Roachford – Twice In A Lifetime

Hurts – Faith

Billy Ocean – One World

Talk Show – These People EP

Erasure – The Neon

Snow Patrol – The Fireside Sessions EP

Emilia Quinn – Firecracker EP

Pretenders – Hate For Sale

Ellie Goulding – Brightest Blue

Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure?

Georgia Ku – Real EP

Right Said Fred – Good Times Everybody EP

Hannah White and The Nordic Connections (Album)

Asking Alexandria – Like a House on Fire

Paradise Lost – Obsidian

Jack Curley – Tomorrow EP

Cutting Crew – Ransomed Healed Restored Forgiven

Bob Fitzgerald – Another Highway EP

Natalie Shay – Naked EP

Twinnie – Hollywood Gypsy

Liv Austen – popsicle EP

Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter

A Choir of Ghosts – An Ounce of Gold

Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia

The Shires – Good Years

Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man

Pet Shop Boys – Hotspot

Coldplay – Everyday Life

Robbie Williams – The Christmas Present

Vic Allen – Enough EP

King Calaway – Rivers

Andy Clark – I Love Joyce Morris

The Luck – Ready To Run

Sarah Darling – Wonderland (Album Review)

Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood (Album Review)

Bananarama – In Stereo (Album Review)

Emma Bunton – My Happy Place (Album Review)

Catherine McGrath – Talk of This Town (Album Review)
Flyctory.com on Eating & Drinking
Flyctory.com is not a culinary blog. Nevertheless, here are all posts dealing with Eating and Drinking:

Helsinki Old Market Hall (Pictured Story)

The Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth (Pictured Story)

Hamburg Coffee Museum Burg

Skyrland Selfoss

Pasteis de Belem – Home of the Famous Pastry (Pictured Story)

Husavik Eurovision Exhibition

Traveling on Iceland’s Ring Road (Day 8 – 6th May 2023) – Day in Reykjavik & More

Big Mac Museum (North Huntingdon PA, Pictured Story)

Five Years of Flyctory.com – My 20 Most Popular Travel Posts (so far…)

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando, Pictured Story)

Puttshack White City (London)

Bitburger Brewery World

Al Majaz Park & Waterfront Sharjah (Pictured Story)

Leadenhall Market in London (Pictured Story)

Reykjavik Maritime Museum

Cyprus Meze – A Culinary Travel through the Island’s Cuisine

Wizard Afternoon Tea at Wizards Exploratorium (London)

Carlo’s Bakery Hoboken NJ – The Heart of a Cake Empire (Pictured Story)

Swingers London West End / Big Wheel Course

Food I Had Onboard IV (May 2022 til August 2022)

The Raeren Carrot Museum – Belgium’s Smallest Museum

New Bedford Whaling Museum

Spicy’s Spices Museum (Gewürzmuseum) Hamburg

Exploring the City Center of Woodstock, NY (Pictured Story)

The Bergisch Coffee Table (Bergische Kaffeetafel) – A Sweet and Savory Tradition

Pig Museum (SchweineMusuem) Stuttgart

Zotter Chocolate World & Edible Animal Park (Riegersburg, Austria)

Home of Ritter Sport – Art Museum & Chocolate

A Walk Through Greetsiel in East Frisia (Pictured Story)

Last Exit Al Khawaneej (Dubai)

Food I Had Onboard III (Mar 2022 til April 2022)

Driving Up Jebel Jais Mountain

The Paradise of Calories – Chocolate and Candy Outlets in Aachen

Food I Had Onboard II (Nov 21 til Mar 2022)

Brewery Museum (Brauerei-Museum) Dortmund

Souk Madinat Jumeirah Dubai (Pictured Story)

East Frisia Tea Museum (Norden)

Ottawa ByWard Market (Pictured Story)

High Tea at At.mosphere Burj Khalifa Dubai

Christmas Market at Westfield Centro Oberhausen

Cereal Killer Cafe Dubai

Charles Dickens Christmas Market Heimbach

Food I Had Onboard (Oct 2021 til Nov 2021)

Olivia Star Observation Deck (Gdansk)

Parma Ham Museum

Disgusting Food Museum Berlin

Walking in the London Docklands (Pictured Story)

Robo Cafe Dubai

Papenburg Von-Velen-Anlage Open Air Museum

Stiegl-Brauwelt Salzburg – A Brewery Museum

Schloss Burg – a Gem in Bergisches Land

German Food Additives Museum Hamburg

Al Seef – A Historic District at Dubai Creek

Heineken Experience Amsterdam

Dave & Buster’s – Sports, Eating & a Video Game Arcade

Views of London from One New Change (Pictured Story)

Coffee Museum Dubai

taku Dining Box in Cologne – Gourmet Food at Home

Chocoversum by Hachez Hamburg

Chocolate Museum Cologne (Schokoladenmuseum)

Gaststätte Grossmarkthalle – The Best Bavarian White Sausage in Munich

Voss Chocolate Hotel (Schokoladenhotel) Westerstede

High Tea at Euromast and Euroscoop (Rotterdam)

Vleminckx – The Best French Fries in Amsterdam?

Hangar 7 (Salzburg, Austria – Pictured Story)

St. Helier (Jersey) Markets (Pictured Story)

100 Years of Gold Bears and More – Haribo Shopping around Cologne

Planespotting at In-N-Out Burger Los Angeles Airport

Clarke Quay (Singpore) by Night (Pictured Story)

The Bourbon Room / Rock of Ages Hollywood

Tombo x Sanrio – Hello Kitty-branded meals in London

Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh

Afternoon Tea with a View at Observation Deck at 300 in Abu Dhabi

ThEATre by Rhodes – U.A.E.-style Luxury Cinema

Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

Historic Mustard Mill Cologne

Cologne Stadtgarten Christmas Market

Cologne Harbor Christmas Market at Chocolate Museum

An Ode to Singapore Hawker Center Culture

Twinings – The Oldest Tea Room in London

Finca Las Margaritas – Banana Experience on Tenerife

TWG – My Favorite Tea Brand

Beefeater Gin Distillery Tour (London)

Royal High Tea at the Emirates Palace

Last Exit and Mad X – Alternative Refueling

ICON Park Orlando – A new Entertainment District

Orlando – A very different McDonald’s Experience

Global Village Dubai – simply amazing!

Visiting the Home of the Curacao Liqueur Factory

It’s all about bread – Museum of Bread Culture Ulm
