Yola announces upcoming album, shares “Diamond Studded Shoes”

Country-soul singer Yola announced the upcoming release of her sophomore album Stand For Myself on Thursday, along with a brand new single "Diamond Studded Shoes" and its colorful visuals.

“This song explores the false divides created to distract us from those few who are in charge of the majority of the world’s wealth and use the ‘divide and conquer' tactic to keep it," Yola said of the bluesy, guitar-driven track in a statement. She went on to explain the meaning behind the Kwaku Otchere-directed clip, where we find Yola exploring a world of magical surrealism where fantasy meets the everyday. “The video is in part inspired by The Truman Show and is about being trapped in a false construct," she explained. "It is supposedly perfect, but you're trapped in a life that wasn’t meant for you. I wanted to convey the feeling that everything you know to be true is not quite working the way it’s supposed to."

With production by Dan Auerbach, Yola's upcoming album will find her in new sonic territory; exploring all of her eclectic musical inspirations from classic Brit-pop to neo-soul. “It’s a collection of stories of allyship, black feminine strength through vulnerability, and loving connection from the sexual to the social,” she said of the project.

Watch “Diamond Studded Shoes” above.

Thumbnail image: Joseph Ross Smith.