My first YEBBA performance. This Vocal Analysis of "My Mind" nearly left me in tears!

[@ragtop63]

People think she showed up to sing a song. She showed up to tell a story.

[@ElleGee77]

Her runs are telling the deeper part of the story that words simply can't convey. Her runs are telling the story of love, rejection, broken trust, and all the depth and fear of loneliness. Her runs are what our souls would sound like if souls could sing.

[@runyunhyde4373]

Ed Sheeran signed her after watching this performance. I can't really blame him. This is in my top 5 performances of all time.

[@tiggerfitness976]

What’s the other 4?

[@ceboz]

What do you mean by “signed”?

[@runyunhyde4373]

@@ceboz he gave her a record deal

[@runyunhyde4373]

@@tiggerfitness976 Dimash SOS at the Singer, LP Lost on you live session, Devin Townsend Kingdom live at EMG and Whitney Houston National anthem

[@mkim14388]

She should've stared in the movie Yeasterday. Would've fit her story closer lol.

[@lunabear]

PLEASE. One of my very favorites! If you do any others, consider her Tiny Desk, which is absolutely magical.

[@kburdy]

Particularly the Background Singers are SOOO angelic

[@Rainy2255]

@@kburdy Yebba always seems to be surrounded by the best people and in high demand for very talented role . I can’t imagine seeing her live.

[@BridgetteMcCaskill]

Yes indeed!!!!

[@azannawishart9710]

Tiny Desk blew my mind.Fell in love with her!

[@RobGtz29]

MAGICAL

[@kaylynhill4337]

This is my Favorite thing to do is watch people react to this song for the first time! Its incredible I get chills EVERY SINGLE TIME! 😘

[@pipercity]

Same

[@larsscholz3762]

"I sure won't stay, but I'll be damned if I ever leave" - one line only, but how to the point does it describe this emotional prison? One of the best song lines ever!

[@JayBigDadyCy]

Completely agree. Her delivery of it is absolute perfection. I cannot think of a better way to sing that than how she did. Just ridiculous.

[@Wired4Reality]

This is so emotional it almost feels intrusive to listen to.

[@TembaBallardHankins]

Who feels it KNOWS it...

[@rubyraymond646]

This song had me almost in tears!! This girl can sing. I suggest getting your emotions in check before tuning in to her. Her voice is phenomenal!! ❤

[@makaylaskyy]

I’ve been sitting here crying for almost an hour… She is singing from the soul. “It’s like he’s singing because he has to…like he has no choice,” -Ne-yo

[@doyoulikecrystalgel]

I watched it when it first came out. I felt the same then as I do EVERY single time I watch/listen to this song. It does feel intrusive, yet incredibly relatable and almost painful. Yebba isn't singing for a show, she's singing to your soul. When you learn WHY this was such an emotional performance for Yebba, it feels even heavier.

[@WoodlandT]

Her cover of Gravity with Clark Beckham is absolutely stunning

[@Hylebos75]

Absolutely, it is so amazing I came to suggest the same thing.

[@senorbrooz]

and the Jacob Collier collab on Bridge Over Troubled Water

[@charleshooligan1]

I agree wholeheartedly!

[@jerseybultaoreune6107]

An emphatic yes to this suggestion- would love your take on Clark!!! 🙏✨️💜

[@madoodah]

Agree agree

[@OGArmy0613]

Yebba has a new song, I Adore You, and it's amazing. She deserves so MUCH MORE. I need her to win a few Grammys and more. Let's support her at all cost!

[@regolf.d6519]

The fact that this performance hasn’t won a Grammy award is an indictment of the award itself.

[@bbymishu]

I love the way she sounds like she's wheeping so beautifully when she sings. I just want to cry with her.

[@nadinelindo7448]

She's weeping on the inside.

[@timothysmith9128]

Finally, finally, finally! Please go down the YEBBA rabbit hole! The progression she makes from song to song is amazing! -Evergreen, October Sky, her work w/Mark Ronson, her tiny desk concert, Boomerang, and many more.

[@xperfloorcare]

We went to church with her in west Memphis Arkansas. She’s been that great for ever, she was part of the band at church. Her dad is the pastor also sings and plays keyboard amazing as well! So long ago but not surprised at how far she has come. Way to go Marion/River Trace Ar. She’s wow

[@teehee123]

You can definitely hear and see the gospel influence

[@Dbgrego]

What a privilege you had! Having her as part of the church's band must've been insane.

[@TrobisTracks]

This is so emotional. Dont think ive been able to listen to this song a single time with out watering my eyes

[@AuntyZelda]

Yebba won a Grammy in 2019 along with PJ Morton for their performance of How Deep is Your Love. About 3 weeks after this performance, Yebba’s mother committed suicide. As a result of that she began a blog about this piece and tied it into the issue of mental illness but, unfortunately, I can’t remember the website for that. She is a phenomenal singer and is the artist who introduced me to music reactors!

[@aaronbennack714]

That's a great song. I've recommended it several times on this channel. Live performance too!

[@ginger7044]

How heartbreaking 😢

[@foxandscout]

It took her 2 years to recover from mom’s suicide and then she released the gorgeous October Sky, about her mom. The double guitars are so beautiful. Every song showcases her talent. Her writing is beautiful. Yebba (Abbey, backwards: her mom’s nickname is Yebba) is exquisite. Every song a jewel.

[@tombeckett7567]

@@foxandscout October sky is a beautiful song

[@jared-boynton]

It was “My Mind” that she released in 2016 before her mother committed suicide. The “How Deep is Your Love” cover was released in 2019. Both great songs though

[@andyschnell58]

Many thanks for checking out Yebba. She is a great vocalist and storyteller. I hope for more from her in the future.

[@JayBigDadyCy]

I'm a 43 year old lifelong musician. I'm a dude. This song breaks me. I almost sob when i listen to this. It's absolutely stunning that someone can be this good.

[@chadjordan3953]

Her song Evergreen, about her mother, is absolutely incredible and brings tears to my eyes everytime

[@josequintana9617]

When artists paint, they play with the colors of their pallette. Their work of art is never the same. Their eventual masterpiece underneath is embedded with flawed strokes often undetectable to the eye but the finished product as a whole captures us in awe. Singers intentional or unintentional mistakes is what listeners yearn in a LIVE performance. It is when it is felt and the magic happens. Yebba lets her voice cry perfectly imperfectly.

[@GryLi]

Yebba is magic

[@1deloach]

I have known Abbey's (Yebba) family since before she was born. Her story is amazing and yes, still unfolding. The emotional wails that you compared to Jeff Buckley with a hint of something "MIddle -Eastern" was what is refererred to in Pentecostal circles as a "lament". Her background was showing here as well in many places throughout this song.

[@EMKAT261]

Wow. Lament

[@MackenzieNerdyEMT]

I dont ever cry while listening to songs but this one gets me every time. I loved the reaction, thank you!

[@tadanott300]

Yebba is truth. Every note she sings is so authentic. One of my all time favorite singers.

[@sarahg6886]

I’ve watched this performance so many times and one of my favorite parts is so subtle but gets me every time. At 15:29 she has such a subtle change that almost feels like she’s “snapping” back into reality, or back to masking her pain. She is an incredible story teller. Absolutely amazes me every time.

[@m.gideonhoyle409]

Yebba is a master at playing with her voice. No two performances are the same, ever.

[@iamlpinthe312]

Definitely one of those artists who is a masterful storyteller, not just with the lyrics but with their delivery.

[@anitapaulus937]

She did a live performance of her song “Boomerang” that is unbelievable.

[@Lisa-vh6mm]

I agree! I’d love to hear Elizabeth’s opinion on that performance!

[@maxhvasta8648]

Cant wait for more Yebba! You should do Evergreen, Gravity with Clark Beckham, and her Tiny Desk concert

[@henry410axe9]

I’m 42 years old. Every time I watch this performance…I bawl my eyes out. I can’t relate to the song a single bit. But I can feel her pain. Covered in goose bumps, everytime. Also…love the reaction. Instant sub.

[@Bobbias]

This is my first time hearing YEBBA. That opening run literally brought a tear to my eyes the moment I heard it. I was not surprised you had to go back and listen to that several times. I had the exact same kind of thoughts "oh, there's so much in this run that tells me she's got an incredible voice and knows how to use it".

[@callmesteviep]

OH. MY. GOODNESS. I am SO glad you finally reacted to this performance. It is one of the best - if not THE best - live performance I've ever seen in terms of the absolute heartache and devastation that anyone with a pulse has to feel watching this. She is so vulnerable and raw and your analysis was wonderful and spot on as always. Thank you!

[@rickcaruso7351]

I am so amazed She has the dexterity of Ella and the soulful pain of Billie . I consider this jazz at its best. Thank you for introducing her.

[@paulclark3561]

Her colab with Clark Beckham on John Mayer's "Gravity" is great!

[@oksanaml9279]

Just listened to it for the first time - amazing!!

[@brydiesmithbrowsartistry3119]

She actually sings the tears the stages of emotion come out in each note damn

[@desiraevang]

I love when people discover YEBBA for the first time. She’s been a favorite of mine for so long! Definitely check out her Tiny Desk and her live version of Evergreen, it’s one of my favorite songs from her.

[@sunshinecasey]

Paranoia purple is one of my favorites. I always love when people discover Abbey. She's such a sweet soul and has been through so much, and we're just fortunate enough that she shares her stories with us.

[@spacemonkey4010]

Her dad is a preacher from West Memphis, AR, so she grew up singing in church. That’s talent and soul we’re hearing. I love her. She’s got some great solo stuff and incredible songs with other artists.

[@NaturalChaos]

Yebba is an incredible vocalist and songwriter and it's great to see her on the channel. She's been through some shit, probably why the emotions seem so close to the surface. Her song Paranoia Purple is incredible as well and definitely worth checking out!

[@vjacobs84]

@ 19:40 when she says yes you can work on your voice but what Yebba has is just god given.

[@helenagamarra2154]

i literally cannot watch this performance without tearing up, it's so damn good!!! I could only dream of being half as talented as she is

[@madelaine6]

This interpretation is a work of art... she ripped my heart out

[@_sofie]

Experiencing this song through someone, like you, who just feels it in their soul and bones and heart is amazing, so thank you for the reaction.

[@MitochondrialSteve]

I love your facial Expressions so much and how they are genuine reactions mixed with concentration. I get genuinely happy when you enjoy something a vocalist does.

[@madsquishy3410]

Holy cow!! I was already loving her voice, but when she opened up and put that distortion in there it just hit me right in the heart. She has definitely mastered the art of story telling. What a voice.

[@patriotgirlprepper8883]

I dont know how I missed this reaction, but here I am. This...this is more than just vocals, Yebba tells a story. Amazing how she conveyed emotion while keeping the vocals together. Bravo!! Love her. :)

[@RedrumVideoProductns]

About time! I was just as floored when I stumbled on this gem and still am every time I hear this. I was waiting for more of her music to be released for quite a while after this. She's just getting started for sure. She's won prestigious awards before anyone even knew her name... She's such an interesting singer. Her frame of mind after this performance is a heart wrenching story. She's feeling every second of this performance and so is everyone else, clearly. Name another artist this effective at affecting the entire audience with one song. Very few come to mind. So happy to see this pop up today!

[@kclaude]

One of the best singers I have ever heard. The emotion and control is crazy!!

[@foxandfae]

This Yebba song breaks my heart and makes me sob every time yet I can't get enough of it. 💔

[@chocoholicallemand9096]

No matter how many times I hear this I get both arms, and up over the shoulder chills.

[@jvoxfox]

YES YES YES. Flipping LOVE Yebba

[@katies8229]

YESSSSSS!! Finally! I KNEW you'd be blown away. I've been obsessed with her for years now and I just cannot get enough. It brings tears to my eyes to see YOU responding the same way I do, the way the rest of us do. Thank you!

[@Mrsknightful]

She had just lost her mom 3 days prior and this song was dedicated to her. Thats the emotion you hear rising.🙏

[@deewilson9952]

@Mrsknightful No her mom died the week after. She no longer sings it live. This was her first time performing her own music.

[@Nikki70712]

Yebba gives me full body chills. The emotion. It’s perfection.

[@sevyreyna3623]

More! I want more yebba! Oh goodness! She is has to be the most "unknown" artist that could have all the accolades in the world. She should. One of the best!

[@nickforcillo]

Yebba’s album on iTunes is impressive… never even heard of this girl… Thanks to your show ,now I do🙂

[@nickforcillo]

… it’s been a few days since that last post… I’ve had some time to live with her album “Dawn”… This girl is absolutely amazing… Cannot believe she is not on the radio… I just don’t understand it🤷

[@mattsimmons2107]

Along with many others, I'd recommend Stand from the Tiny Desk Concert, Boomerang, etc. from her more recent stuff, but also her live, acoustic version of "October Sky" in which she leans into a bit more of a folk/singer-songwriter direction and then covers a bit of Heart near the end as an improv. And absolutely take a look at her duet singing under her given name, Abbey Smith, pairing with Clark Beckham as they do a gospel infused cover of John Mayer's "Gravity", it is a fantastic arrangement of that song, and since it so cleverly pulls from those classic gospel forms it really captures one of her (not to mention his) strongest influences growing up surrounded by old southern church music as the daughter of a pastor.

[@danrda]

Yes! ❤

[@BrienneoffrigginTarth8888]

I've watched this so many times. I'm moved to tears and in awe every single time! Absolutely beautiful!

[@TO-hz9dr]

I’ve been hoping you’d get to Yebba! I know you’ll love it, she has an amazing voice and is a master of emotional storytelling! If you’d like another of her songs, the cover of John Mayer’s Gravity sung by her and Clark Beckham is an amazing performance . You’d love his voice as well. She also did a Tiny Desk Concert not too long ago that has good options for the next songs of hers to check out.

[@gabriellegeorge2648]

Agreed! I'd add Evergreen and October Sky.

[@TO-hz9dr]

Both of those are fantastic songs as well!

[@piresphelipe69]

You Can't forget the boomerang performance. It's also a masterpiece

[@mmcg1277]

Second the Gravity. The way they sound together, the runs, the arrangement. Magic.

[@sarabates6433]

Omg omg omg I've been waiting for you to do this!!!!!!!!!! Her runs are otherworldly. She's sooooo underappreciated. Welcome 😊

[@coaldust01]

I've just watched loads of reaction videos before this one, The level of detail you delve into is just sublime, I can see you appreciating every note, Thank you my darling for this video.

[@carolperry103]

I cannot, CANNOT watch this without tearing up 😢 it get's me every time!

[@BrienneoffrigginTarth8888]

I can't imagine what it must have felt to listen to this performance live!

[@AutumnOceanSky]

I would’ve been sobbing.

[@lucky7-1-1]

The emotional context to her voice almost leads me to believe that she has experienced these emotions in her life . And it waterfalls out of her singing . Pours and gushes out of that gorgeous voice she has .

[@lilmisschris1979]

I far, one of the most beautiful and talented and amazing voices I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. I absolutely love her so so much as both a singer myself, and just a listener of great singers.

[@tsttrewes]

Absolute goosebumps listening to this absolutely, hauntingly beautiful voice. Thank you so much for introducing me to Yebba.

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Goosebumps, indeed! ❤️

[@annemorgan2064]

Yes!!! She is amazing, so many choices to listen to next! Her Tiny Desk Concert is fabulous!

[@faizmefailov6286]

She’s such a beautiful soul i keep imaging here aura on the stage I know it’s glowing bright

[@RedlineVenom]

OMG its really happening.....the song that got me hooked to reactions. First "Hi Ren" and now this. Hype overload!

[@RedlineVenom]

So awesome!! Thanks for sharing. She was such a pleasant surprise and such a skillful and emotionally raw performance. Suggestion: Dayseeker. Neon Grave, Burial Plot, Sleep Talk, Hurricane (Thrice cover) Keep it up love your channel!

[@miacooper-g200]

This is one of my favorite vocal performances of all time. A singing masterclass and an ACTING masterclass

[@petraljungberg]

Great you reacted to her! Really hope more people will discover her. She is fantastic! 😌😊

[@Donodz1]

This song is so moving it touches the deepest depth and core of your soul. Yebba truly has a God given gift. Just breathe taking !

[@kracine9582]

Finally! More Yebba please. And yes, Yebba can sing her pain like no other. She is fantastic.

[@wheatthicks]

Yes! I have been waiting so long for this! Now I'm just hoping we can get a reaction to Pick Up Your Feelings by Jazmine Sullivan.

[@sarahbayo9730]

her tiny desk concert is one of my faves. Ever.

[@CARambolagen]

Oh, I'm glad you found Yebba! Surely one of the most amazing soul-blues singers of our time! Talk about underrated! Really a scandal she's not charted in the top 10

[@whowantstoknow4168]

Great reaction, thank you. I especially loved when you said that she sounds like her mind is running...this is exactly how I felt.

[@chelseataylor5244]

I have watched this song on sofar soooo many times and even when you replay the same part I get goosebumps EVERYTIME. She is supernatural.

[@coreywilliams4720]

There is a moment with every single person who looks at this video and song you can tell it in their face it hits them in a way and they have to determine if they are gonna acknowledge it or stay the course. This song does something to you

[@benjaminfahning6093]

I can’t believe that you haven’t done this yet. I am so glad that you are.

[@Euqoram]

YEsss, so excited to see you cover this one. It's one of my favorite performances of all time, and I've seen it a hundred times and I'm locked in every time. I cry almost every time too, it's so captivating. It almost feels like we're watching something that we aren't supposed to be seeing, someone's heart being ripped out and shown. It's like seeing someone cry without crying, and it hurts. I'm so glad this was recorded! I'm sure others have said it, but if I remember right, I believe her mother had recently passed at the time, so all of that emotion was really fueling this, and she was able to channel it *super* well. Thank you for reacting, I love watching voice teachers and experts especially react to her, and I was disappointed last time I went on a react streak for it that you hadn't covered it yet, so this was a very pleasant surprise, even if I'm late to the party! Much love

[@samsunguser3438]

🥺When I first saw her Sofar performance of this siren song, she left me floored and dripping empathetic tears from my eyes! She has a way of pulling you in, case in point... this is probably my 81st view of someone else reacting to her, and I still end up feeling emotional!

[@heavenwithin81]

YEBBA is such a joy to listen to, truly.

[@josephputz2964]

Wow! What a sensational voice. She reminds me of Adel. Sofar studios feature a lot of great, young talent. Billy Eilish played there early in her career.

[@hirtisrandolph4843]

Yebba is a being all of her own. That said, I think her ability to flavor songs with runs and not abuse the melody is a result of her range of voice (mezzo) and intervals. Her runs tend to be 11-16 chromatic tones up and/or 12-20 down. She'll drop fully into the deepest notes she can make, almost producing the same... "felt, not heard" effect that many bass/baritone singers give. When contrasted to pop music, the common impression involves whistle tones and upper register runs of the same 6-7 notes. More Mariah Carey than Lauryn Hill.

[@NeliosRan]

She is for sure one of the best artists of the last 50 yrs. You need to watch her Tiny Desk, it's just as mesmerizing. Also, all Yebba live performances are different than the last or recorded versions of her songs.

[@beetle5000]

First time hearing this and it’s incredible, got me crying as if I was feeling her pain from that moment in her life

[@nikkiwilliams8508]

Gurrrrllll….. I stumbled onto her and as soon as she started singing I was like bam goosebumps! I am a huge fan now.

[@david_sanchez]

Every ounce of this performance was designed to make everyone in that room the main character of that story. Beyond the lyrics, she’s using so many parts of her voice and manipulating the sound with her head, neck, chest and body to convey meaning one note at a time. She could be signing gibberish and all of that emotion would still be there. I have a hard time getting through this performance without an overwhelming need to cry… and that’s not an easy thing to do to me. She is a master of her craft. She grew up in the church and had only ever done live singing until her first recording around 2016’ish.

[@hj-ct2qi]

i'm so happy you reacted to this! i've been waiting to see you be blown away by it for so long!

[@Kercinogen]

Having listened to this song hundreds of times before, I could only smile when you said ‘oh my gosh, where is this gonna go’ after a minute in becauseeee my gosh

[@CustomWorley]

This was such an enjoyable video, I Love Singers who make you feel emotions! I was laughing involuntarily with you out of amazement!

[@squashduos1258]

One of the top vocalist I have ever heard if not the best…what a command and range and versatility of genres…..just incredible…

[@rebeccarose7405]

Wow! Thank you for adding yet another music for me to explore and fall in love with. There’s some blues in her voice, along with so much heart and soul!

[@vallis1469]

She's incredible. And her backstory gives an insight on her passionate ability to connect. Thanks for the reaction.

[@mkim14388]

Considering days before this performance she lost both her love and mother, you can see the sadness and hear the heartache cries.

[@Mr.Nubtastic]

This performance is the epitome of what the range of emotions that are the multiple phases of a mind dealing with a heart breaking sound like. Talk about connecting to the emotions behind a song. And then just a normal - "that's that one". Like okay, I'm back in the now again. Crazy.

[@aaronbennack714]

Elizabeth, I've often heard you talk about singers being "generous." I think this performance from Yebba might have been the most generous I've seen from anyone

[@ryankelley6469]

I had liked YEBBA's song "October Sky" before now. This adds another song from them!

[@tori2709]

So glad u finally finally finally got round to yebba my mind.... Like u said imperfections... For yebba IS perfection. Thanks so much for reacting to this song! Love her work her gift her talent. Hope u went away and just listened all the way through just to truly feel that emotion. Love ur channel love yebba.

[@trowabarton101]

This song makes me cry every damn time her voice is so powerful it just goes right through you.