{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox album | name = Stand for Myself | type = studio | artist = Yola | cover = Yola - Stand for Myself.jpg | alt = | released = 30 July 2021 | recorded = | studio = Easy Eye Sound, Nashville, Tennessee | genre = * Americana<ref name="Paste"/> * country-soul<ref name="Observer"/> * pop<ref name="AMG"/><!--Please do not add genres without a reliable source--> | length = 46:18 | label = * Easy Eye Sound * Concord | producer = Dan Auerbach | prev_title = Walk Through Fire | prev_year = 2019 | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Singles | name = Stand for Myself | type = studio | single1 = Diamond Studded Shoes | single1date = 22 April 2021 | single2 = Stand for Myself | single2date = 27 May 2021 }} }} '''''Stand for Myself''''' is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Yola. It was released on 30 July 2021, through Easy Eye Sound and distributed by Concord Records. The album debuted at number 196 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and at number 46 on the UK Albums Chart chart, being her first entry on both charts. The album was nominated for Best Americana Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
==Background== The album features various songs that Yola was trying to finish over the years. Recording took place in Nashville, where Yola had to locate permanently after the COVID-19 pandemic. Like her previous album, Dan Auerbach, guitarist and vocalist of the Black Keys, served as producer while songwriters such as Natalie Hemby, Liz Rose, Ruby Amanfu and Joy Oladokun also collaborated on the album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/interview-yola-new-album-stand-for-myself-influences.html|title=Yola Had to Break Music History's Rules to Make Stand for Myself|work=Vulture|last=Curto|first=Justin|date=4 August 2021|accessdate=11 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811173613/https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/interview-yola-new-album-stand-for-myself-influences.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Promotion and release== On 22 April 2021, "Diamond Studded Shoes" was released as the album's first single, a music video for the song directed by Kwaku Otchere was released the same day.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/yola-interview-stand-for-myself-album-diamond-studded-shoes-1157119/|title=Yola on the 'Good Energy' of Her New Protest Song and Finding Her Voice on Her Second LP|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Browne|first=David|date=22 April 2021|accessdate=11 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811173615/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/yola-interview-stand-for-myself-album-diamond-studded-shoes-1157119/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 27 May 2021, "Stand for Myself", the album's title track, was released as the second single. It was also performed on 21 July 2021, on ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2021/05/yola-stand-for-myself-video/|title=Yola's New Single "Stand For Myself" is a Black Feminist Anthem: Stream|work=Consequence|last=Rowley|first=Glenn|date=27 May 2021|accessdate=23 August 2021|archive-date=23 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823061735/https://consequence.net/2021/05/yola-stand-for-myself-video/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/yola-stand-for-myself-colbert-1199995/|title=Watch Yola Perform 'Stand for Myself' on 'Colbert'|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Zemler|first=Emily|date=21 July 2021|accessdate=11 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811173613/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/yola-stand-for-myself-colbert-1199995/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | ADM = 7.5/10<ref name="ADM">{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/12949/Yola-Stand-For-Myself-.aspx|title=Stand for Myself by Yola reviews|publisher=AnyDecentMusic?|access-date=11 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811173615/http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/12949/Yola-Stand-For-Myself-.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> | MC = 82/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/stand-for-myself/yola|title=Stand for Myself by Yola Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=11 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811151803/https://www.metacritic.com/music/stand-for-myself/yola|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/stand-for-myself-mw0003514689|title=Stand for Myself – Yola|website=AllMusic|last=Monger|first=Timothy|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Mojo'' | rev2score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="Mojo">{{cite magazine|title=Yola – Stand for Myself: Bristol singer widens her musical horizons with eclectic second album.|magazine=Mojo|last=Waring|first=Charles|date=August 2021|issue=333|page=83}}</ref> | rev3 = ''musicOMH'' | rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="musicOMH">{{cite web|url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/yola-stand-for-myself|title=Yola – Stand For Myself|website=musicOMH|last=Marsh|first=Graeme|date=3 August 2021|access-date=23 August 2021|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803070427/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/yola-stand-for-myself|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev4 = ''The Observer'' | rev4score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="Observer">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jul/25/yola-stand-for-myself-review-nashville-dan-auerbach|title=Yola: Stand for Myself review – retro country soul with bite|website=The Observer|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire|date=25 July 2021|access-date=11 August 2021|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810220621/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jul/25/yola-stand-for-myself-review-nashville-dan-auerbach|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev5 = ''Paste'' | rev5score = 8.7/10<ref name="Paste">{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/stand-for-myself-album-review|title=Yola Shows Us Who She Is on Stand for Myself|website=Paste|last=Crump|first=Andy|date=30 July 2021|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev6score = 7.4/10<ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yola-stand-for-myself/|title=Yola: Stand for Myself Album Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Johnston|first=Maura|author-link=Maura Johnston |date=5 August 2021|access-date=11 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811173613/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yola-stand-for-myself/|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev7 = ''PopMatters'' | rev7score = 8/10<ref name="PopMatters">{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/yola-stand-for-myself-review|title=Yola Brilliantly Expands Her Soulful Sound on 'Stand For Myself'|work=PopMatters|last=Horowitz|first=Steve|date=27 July 2021|access-date=23 August 2021|archive-date=23 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823234739/https://www.popmatters.com/yola-stand-for-myself-review|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev8 = ''Rolling Stone'' | rev8score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite magazine|title=Quick Hits: Ten new albums you need to know about now|magazine=Rolling Stone|last1=Bernstein|first1=Jonathan|last2=Dolan|first2=Jon|last3=Freeman|first3=Jon|last4=Grow|first4=Kory|last5=Martoccio|first5=Angie|date=July–August 2021|issue=1353/1354|page=133}}</ref> | rev9 = ''Uncut'' | rev9score = 8/10<ref name="Uncut">{{cite magazine|title=Yola – Stand for Myself: Pop, soul, outrage and joy...|magazine=Uncut|last=Deusner|first=Stephen|author-link=Stephen Deusner|date=August 2021|issue=291|page=32}}</ref> | rev10 = ''Under the Radar'' | rev10score = 7.5/10<ref name="Under the Radar">{{cite web|url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/stand_for_myself_yola|title=Yola: Stand For Myself (Easy Eye Sound) – review|website=Under the Radar|last=Saalman|first=Austin|date=29 July 2021|access-date=23 August 2021|archive-date=23 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823234748/https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/stand_for_myself_yola|url-status=live}}</ref> }} ''Stand for Myself'' was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 11 reviews.<ref name="MC" /> Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.<ref name="ADM" />
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Timothy Monger called the album "a fully present and vital collection of timely emotions and timeless arrangements" commenting that the album "is a stunner with plenty of emotional firepower, but it can also feel soft as a wool blanket".<ref name="AMG" /> Steve Horowitz of ''PopMatters'' said, "The dozen tracks here showcase the range of her talents as a singer and a songwriter and that of a human being who refuses to accept life's limitations and stand up for herself".<ref name="PopMatters"/> Charles Waring of ''Mojo'' praised Yola's "caressing vocals", calling the album an "enthralling step on her musical voyage".<ref name="Mojo" /> Reviewing the album for ''Uncut'', Stephen Deusner wrote that Yola emphasises "the nuance in her voice" on the ''Stand for Myself'', which he called "lovingly written, arranged and produced".<ref name="Uncut" /> Writing for ''musicOMH'', Graeme Marsh stated, "The vocals here are telling; it's effortlessly stunning, grabbing attention with how easily she achieves something countless others spend years chasing".<ref name="musicOMH"/> Austin Saalman from ''Under the Radar'' enjoyed the album, saying, "''Stand For Myself'' hangs together more cohesively than ''Walk Through Fire'', feeling more urgent and existing upon a grander scale than its predecessor".<ref name="Under the Radar"/>
Writing for ''Paste'', Andy Crump described the album as "triumphant" and claimed that "it's frank and fresh in its fashion, carrying darkness and unguarded emotions on crests of S-tier artistry".<ref name="Paste" /> Maura Johnston from ''Pitchfork'' gave the album a 7.4 out of ten writing that the album "isn't a record defined by genre as much as it is by Yola's spirit, which transforms her matter-of-fact assertions of personhood into amphitheater-ready anthems".<ref name="Pitchfork" /> Kitty Empire from ''The Observer'' gave the album three out of five stars mentioning on the "eclectic inspirations" of the album.<ref name="Observer" />
===Year-end lists=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="border:none; margin:0;" |+Select year-end rankings of ''Stand for Myself'' ! scope="col"| Publication ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| List ! scope="col" data-sort-type="number"| Rank ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- ! scope="row"| ''Consequence'' | Top 50 Albums of 2021 | {{center|47}} | {{center|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2021/12/top-50-albums-2021-list/|title=Top 50 Albums of 2021|work=Consequence|last=Siroky|first=Mary|date=7 December 2021|access-date=7 December 2021|archive-date=7 December 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211207213156/https://consequence.net/2021/12/top-50-albums-2021-list/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} |- ! scope="row"| ''PopMatters'' | The 75 Best Albums of 2021 | {{center|44}} | {{center|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/75-best-albums-of-2021/4|title=The 75 Best Albums of 2021|work=PopMatters|last=Elliott|first=Mike|date=8 December 2021|access-date=8 December 2021|archive-date=8 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208190433/https://www.popmatters.com/75-best-albums-of-2021/4|url-status=live}}</ref>}} |- ! scope="row"| ''Rolling Stone'' | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | {{center|38}} | {{center|<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2021-list-1260864/|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Freeman|first=Jon|date=3 December 2021|access-date=7 December 2021|archive-date=8 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208175316/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2021-list-1260864/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} |}
===Industry awards=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="border:none; margin:0;" |+Awards and nominations for ''Stand for Myself'' ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Ceremony ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- ! scope="row"| 2022 | Grammy Awards | Best Americana Album | {{nom}} | {{center|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/04/03/1090342877/2022-grammys-full-list-winners-nominees|title=2022 Grammy Awards: The full list of nominees and winners|publisher=NPR Music|date=3 April 2022|access-date=4 April 2022|archive-date=3 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403233522/https://www.npr.org/2022/04/03/1090342877/2022-grammys-full-list-winners-nominees|url-status=live}}</ref>}} |}
==Track listing== All tracks are produced by Dan Auerbach.<ref name="LN"/>
{{Track listing | headline = ''Stand for Myself'' track listing | total_length = 46:18
| title1 = Barely Alive | writer1 = {{hlist|Yola|Dan Auerbach|Joy Oladokun}} | length1 = 3:36
| title2 = Dancing Away in Tears | writer2 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Natalie Hemby}} | length2 = 3:48
| title3 = Diamond Studded Shoes | writer3 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Hemby|Aaron Lee Tasjan}} | length3 = 3:24
| title4 = Be My Friend | writer4 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Ruby Amanfu}} | length4 = 3:28
| title5 = Great Divide | writer5 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Paul Overstreet}} | length5 = 3:36
| title6 = Starlight | writer6 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Bobby Wood}} | length6 = 4:02
| title7 = If I Had to Do It All Again | writer7 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Hemby}} | length7 = 3:46
| title8 = Now You're Here | writer8 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Hemby}} | length8 = 4:08
| title9 = Whatever You Want | writer9 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|John Bettis}} | length9 = 3:51
| title10 = Break the Bough | writer10 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Liz Rose}} | length10 = 3:20
| title11 = Like a Photograph | writer11 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Patrick James McLaughlin}} | length11 = 5:02
| title12 = Stand for Myself | writer12 = {{hlist|Yola|Auerbach|Hemby|Hannah Vasanth}} | length12 = 4:13 }}
==Personnel== Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.<ref name="LN">{{cite AV media notes|title=Stand for Myself|type=booklet|others=Yola|publisher=Easy Eye Sound|year=2021|id=EES01802}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/191887242/credits|title=Credits / Stand For Myself / Yola|publisher=Tidal|access-date=16 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811173616/https://listen.tidal.com/album/191887242/credits|url-status=live}}</ref>
'''Musicians''' {{div col}} * Yola – vocals * Andy Gabbard – background vocals (1–3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11) * Nick Movshon – bass guitar * Mike Rojas – clavichord (1–3), glockenspiel, vibraphone (1, 2, 6, 11); piano (2–12), synthesizer (2), organ (9), harpsichord (12) * Aaron Frazer – drums * Tom Bukovac – electric guitar (1–11), acoustic guitar (2, 3, 8, 9, 11, 12) * Russ Pahl – electric guitar (1–5, 7–12), bass guitar (2), steel guitar (3), acoustic guitar (4, 6, 7) * Billy Sanford – electric guitar (1–10, 12), acoustic guitar (11) * Ray Jacildo – glockenspiel, vibraphone (1, 2, 6, 11);, organ (1–3, 5–9, 11, 12), Mellotron (4), harpsichord (6), synthesizer (7), piano (10) * Sam Bacco – percussion * Dan Auerbach – percussion (1, 6), electric guitar (2–7, 9, 10, 12), background vocals (7) * Ashley Wilcoxson – background vocals (2, 5, 6) * Raymond Mason – horn (2, 8, 10) * Bobby Wood – piano (2–12) * Matt Combs – strings (2, 6, 7, 11) * Brandi Carlile – background vocals (4) * Dan Dugmore – steel guitar (4, 9, 11) * Alfreda McCrary – background vocals (8, 9, 12) * Ann McCrary – background vocals (8, 9, 12) * Regina McCrary – background vocals (8, 9, 12) {{div col end}}
'''Technical''' {{div col}} * Dan Auerbach – producer, recording producer, mixer * M. Allen Parker – mixer, recording engineer * Alan Silverman – mastering engineer (1, 3–6, 8–11) * Ryan Smith – mastering engineer (2, 7) * Caleb VanBuskirk – engineer * Josh Ditty – engineer * Trey Keller – engineer * Mickey Smay – assistant recording engineer * Tyler Zwiep – assistant recording engineer {{div col end}}
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Chart performance for ''Stand for Myself'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Scotland|11|date=20210806|rowheader=true|access-date=1 January 2022}} |- {{album chart|UK2|46|date=20210812|rowheader=true|access-date=11 August 2021}} |- {{album chart|UKAmericana|1|date=20210806|rowheader=true|access-date=1 January 2022}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|196|artist=Yola|rowheader=true|access-date=11 August 2021}} |- {{album chart|BillboardRock|39|artist=Yola|rowheader=true|access-date=11 August 2021}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.iamyola.com/}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2021 albums Category:Albums produced by Dan Auerbach Category:Yola (singer) albums Category:Funk albums by English artists Category:Gospel albums by English artists Category:Disco albums by English artists Category:Concord Records albums Category:Doo-wop albums Category:Albums recorded at Easy Eye Sound (studio) Category:Easy Eye Sound (record label) albums