YOLA
Yola, Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA 5/16/25.
After a three-year absence, Yola made a triumphant return to Atlanta on Friday night, commanding the stage at Variety Playhouse with the confidence and creativity of an artist fully in control of her path.
The evening opened with Atlanta's own Ruby Velle. She set the tone with a captivating performance that readied the crowd for an evening of soul and emotional release.
Yola opened with “Barely Alive” from her 2021 album, Stand For Myself, and much of the night's setlist pulled from that album and her recent My Way EP. With a minimalist setup—guitar, bass, two backing vocalists, and a drum machine anchoring the rhythm—Yola’s voice and energy were given the space to take the spotlight.
While her earlier tours leaned into the rootsy, Americana textures that first earned her acclaim, the music in focus for the Sovereign Soul Tour is something else entirely—an invitation to the dance floor and a celebration of freedom. Sprinkled in with her original songs was one of the best covers of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" you'll hear.
Between songs, Yola shared stories of dating, her upbringing, and reclamation over her career. The latter was on full display in her anthemic "Stand For Myself", the night's finale. Through her music and performance, Yola turned personal defiance into collective release, keeping the crowd moving and singing along throughout the show and likely long after leaving the building.
Shot and Written by Alexa Kravitz.
