On Friday night, PYGMALION welcomed Yaya Bey to Urbana, where she performed an intimate, one-hour R&B set at Rose Bowl Tavern. As she took the stage at 11 p.m., she commanded the crowd with a calm confidence, seated on a stool with a mug in hand.
PYGMALION, a music festival founded in 2005, has become a staple in Champaign-Urbana. The lineup includes acts from all across the board: comedians, musicians, poets, drag queens and more.
This year’s lineup featured Bey as one of its late-night headliners. Bathe opened the show at 10 p.m. with a 30-minute set, warming up the crowd before Bey took over.
Johnna Ferris-Goins, junior in FAA, said she initially found Bey’s music after the PYGMALION lineup was announced.
“I was just looking up random artists to see who I liked, and I heard her stuff on TikTok,” Ferris-Goins said. “Then, I listened to the full album last night, and it was good.”
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While she was born and raised in Queens, New York, Bey eventually moved to Washington, D.C. in her early twenties. Her music weaves between genres of R&B and soul, often reflecting themes of romance, self-appreciation and layered experiences of Black womanhood.
She began her set with two slower, dreamlike songs. Her lower register filled the tavern with a soulful calm, while the crowd swayed slightly at first, hanging onto her every riff.
Bee Keene, senior in FAA, said Bey’s voice and style stood out from other artists.
“I’m also a big rap and R&B person, but Yaya Bey takes it a little slower,” Keene said. “It’s a little bit more soulful, and she just has a very gorgeous voice overall.”
After the first few songs, Bey finally addressed the crowd, her dry wit shining through and immediately comforting everyone.
“How y’all doing?” Bey asked. “I’m happy to be here, y’all.”
The line earned cheers, and she laughed.
“Ooh, child, I’m tired,” Bey said. “I don’t even know what day this is on the tour.”
Moments like that kept the crowd laughing, but her tone also shifted to more reflective comments. Speaking of her hometown, Bey added that New York City has undergone noticeable gentrification. She dryly compared it to an “Ohio college campus,” a line that drew laughs but also hinted at her mourning the imperfect city that raised her.
Later, she admitted, “I have no idea where I’m at,” prompting someone in the audience to shout back, “Not Ohio!”
By the third song, “iloveyoufrankiebeverly,” the energy shifted. Each band member had a solo moment once Bey introduced them, drawing cheers from the audience. Later, Bey explained that the track was a tribute to her favorite musician, Frankie Beverly, and also “a song about capitalism.”
“I love my work, but I hate the concept of working to live,” Bey said, her words landing with a seriousness that the audience openly related to.
Bey also used her stage presence to highlight broader social issues.
“I never play my show without acknowledging that there are multiple genocides that are happening,” Bey said. “I have a platform, so I’m here using it the best way that I can.”
Nevertheless, she urged the crowd not to give in to hopelessness. While Bey shifted smoothly from soulful riffs to casual, rap-like verses, her words lingered just as much as her melodies. It was clear that her show was about something larger than just music.
Additionally, she spoke candidly about her battles in the music industry.
“I’m referencing a city that no one gives a f— what it used to be,” Bey said. “I’m making music, and no one looks like me, and they’re telling me no one gives a f— about this anymore.”
After having been on tour for so long, she explained that it’s the audience that shows her that her music matters.
The set’s energy grew steadily as the night went on. During her song, “in a circle,” the beat picked up, and the crowd began dancing more freely as the instrumentation deepened.
Bey finished with one of her most popular songs, “meet me in brooklyn,” where she led a call-and-response with the audience. Stepping off the stage, she handed her mic to a woman in the crowd, who sang confidently back.
The room erupted in cheers as the audience rallied behind the singer. The carefree, communal moment perfectly matched the joy of Bey’s finale.
“I love that she is so honest and pure and just so much herself,” said C-U resident Savannah Donovan. “I love that she really beckons participation and engagement from the crowd; it’s really beautiful.”
By the end of the night, Bey had woven her humor, vulnerability and rich vocals into a performance that felt deeply personal yet widely resonant. For the audience, her music mattered — and Bey made sure they knew it.
