On Friday. Yola released “Hold On”, a star-studded fundraising single featuring members of The Highwomen including Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby on backing vocals, Sheryl Crow on piano, and Jason Isbell on electric guitar. A portion of the proceeds from “Hold On” will go to benefit MusiCares and National Bailout Collective.
The song, penned by Yola, was recorded during The Highwomen’s sessions at RCA’s Studio A and was produced by David Cobb, who also plays acoustic guitar on the track.
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Though it features an all-star cast of musicians, “Hold On” is something uniquely personal to Yola. The inspiration for the song’s lyrics comes from conversations the singer, born Yolanda Quartey, had with her mother while growing up. These conversations are all too familiar to any person of color who has raised a child, as her mother explained to her the systematic racial oppression that she would face growing up as a Black woman.
“‘Hold On’ is a conversation between me and the next generation of young black girls,” Yola said in a press release. “My mother’s advice would always stress caution, that all that glitters isn’t gold, and that my black female role models on TV are probably having a hard time. She warned me that I should rethink my calling to be a writer and a singer…. but to me that was all the more reason I should take up this space. ‘Hold On’ is asking the next gen to take up space, to be visible and to show what it looks to be young, gifted and black.”
Listen to the latest Yola single “Hold On”, featuring a slew of special guests.
Yola – “Hold On”
[Video: Various Topics – Topic]
