Yola, Set For A Performance At The American Music Awards, Tells The Story Behind Her "Song Of The Soul" Segment

Yola has slowly but surely strived to become a family mononym, with six Grammy nominations spread across her two solo albums to date, followed this year by a key appearance as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis." But as much as the TV cameras love her, she's never had a TV appearance quite like the showcase she'll get on Sunday night's American Music Awards program (on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/PT), a show that sculpts some. minutes from its usual non-stop Top 10 Locals parade for a full production number that, for much of the audience, will count as a moment of discovery.

Yola was happily drafted for the AMAs second annual "Song of the Soul" moment, which makes -singing her “Break the Bough,” from her 2021 second album “Stand for Myself,” which, like her first, was produced and co-written by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The criteria for selecting a "Soul Song" to perform at the live awards show is not that it literally belongs to the genre invoked in the category title... but in the case of Yola, it doesn't hurt.

"It's like a double meaning, because it sounds like traditional soul music, but it also bares its soul in it, so it fits perfectly,” says Dionne Harman, broadcast producer and president of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

Says Yola, a Bristol-born Brit who moved to Nashville and often lands in Americana categories as a result: “We don't really always talk about the soul — it's the elephant in the room as far as my aesthetic goes. Through every song, no matter how far I move in the genre, the soul presence is always there - based on that era specifically, I think, of the 60s and 70s - and I feel like There's definitely a soulful moment going on in this song to a great extent. »

But the pastiche or genre is some of the least interesting things about the particular song, or Yola in general. "Break the Bough" is a number that's steeped in Yola's response to her mother's death in 2013, and part of it celebrates the types of music they loved together, which is why you'll hear soulful. in the arrangement, if also a nod to disco in the visual design.

"My mom and I grew up listening to Otis Redding, and so there's definitely a bit of Otis, Sam and Dave, the Stax-y energy on that side of his record collection, of course. It's something that I guess was one of the first touchstones between us." p>

Placing Yola there was natural, says Harman, who notes, "We've been fans of Yola long before that time. Stephen Hill, who is one of the executive producers and directs music specials for Dick Clark Productions, is a lover of all things music and has loved Yola for years. she fits so perfectly into this moment and gives her that platform for the first time on this stage… Sure, everyone's seen her in "Elvis", but for those who don't know that side of her, it's really an amazing showcase. And a lot of times on shows like this, when you have a performance like this, it's maybe on the flat or on a smaller stage. But it's all about of a fully-fledged performance, taking advantage of every aspect of every space scene, and we really put a lot of production value behind it in s this area. »

The sound of the song performed by Yola may evoke a soul review, but, as a song somewhat rooted in personal grief, it's definitely not a goof. If you read the lyrics to "Break the Bough" before you hear it, you're by no means expecting the happy sound you get from doing a needle drop or hearing it in performance.

“Big time,” Yola confirms. “I like a bit of sadness, joy, joy, sadness – the whole ‘dancing in tears’ thing. And sometimes the really emotional and sad songs (in his catalog) are actually really happy. I love being able to play emotionally with that magnitude, because I think it's a great exercise in emotion, performance, and people can believe you and feel...