Today, singer-songwriter Yebba releases her second studio album, Jean, via RCA Records, marking a new chapter defined by clarity, creative independence, and a deepened connection to her roots. Arriving five years after her acclaimed debut Dawn (2021), Jean introduces a more intimate and self-possessed voice in Yebba’s songwriting. Executive produced and written by Yebba alongside producer John Rooney, the album was crafted over five years across Arkansas, Dallas, and New York’s historic Electric Lady Studios, capturing what she describes as her “adulting years” — a period of healing, uncertainty, and quiet freedom from expectation.
The project’s first single, “Yellow Eyes,” produced by Yebba and John Rooney, offered an early glimpse into this new era. Her first solo release in over two and a half years, the track balances nostalgia and acceptance, opening the album’s emotional landscape with tenderness and restraint.
Returning to her Southern roots and working largely on her own timeline, Yebba approached Jean with an intentionally insular mindset. The result is a body of work that feels instinctive and grounded, traversing a wide sonic range — from whisper-soft guitar moments to expansive full-band arrangements. Gospel conviction remains at the core, joined by touches of Delta blues, folk, country, and indie textures.
The album is named in honor of her late grandmother, Jean, a steady and formative presence in her life. Naming the project after her became both a tribute and a permission slip — a reminder to create freely, honestly, and without fear.
Much of Jean explores the emotional terrain that follows grief. Where Dawn transformed loss into language, Jean inhabits its aftermath — where anger, doubt, humor, faith, and forgiveness coexist. On tracks like “Alright,” Yebba reflects on love and spiritual endurance, while songs such as “Aggressive” and “Of Course” reveal playful confidence and emotional breadth she once held back.
Long regarded as one of the most revered vocalists of her generation, the Arkansas-born, gospel-bred artist first drew widespread attention through collaborations with Ed Sheeran, PJ Morton, Drake, A$AP Rocky, and others. Her debut established her as a singular storyteller capable of balancing technical precision with raw emotional depth.
With Jean, Yebba steps into a space of reclamation — of her voice, craft, and sense of self. Created primarily in personal and safe environments, the album reflects an artist exploring without outside pressure. Forgiveness, surrender, and spiritual grounding sit at its core. As Yebba says, “All of it is worship.”
The release also marks a milestone: Yebba’s first-ever headlining tour. After the pandemic prevented her from connecting with audiences during the Dawn era, she will now bring these songs to the stage, where their emotional intimacy can unfold in real time.
If her debut introduced a singular voice and Dawn revealed an artist capable of building beauty from devastation, Jean feels like the bloom that follows — a reminder that healing is not a destination but an ongoing conversation with love, faith, and self. On the album’s closing track, Yebba sings, “I’m swinging from the edifice and landing on the palm of your hand.”
Listen to Jean today and stay tuned for more from Yebba in the months ahead.
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