Description
With this CD edition, Intuition Music presents singer-songwriter Iyeoka's 2010 neo soul-jazz masterpiece Say Yes Evolved to a new generation of listeners, reaffirming the enduring relevance of Iyeoka's unique fusion of poetry, soul, and song. Iyeoka has explored many artistic disciplines throughout her career, yet at her core she has always remained a storyteller and poet. "My goal is very simple," says the American artist. "I want to move the world, one poem at a time."
On Say Yes evolved, she fulfills that ambition through songs that grew naturally from poetry. Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, to use her full name, presents the perspective of a confident, self-assured woman navigating love, relationships, identity, and everyday life. Her songs explore what it means to be a woman in the 21st century while reflecting on her personal search for her African roots. Musically, Iyeoka demonstrates remarkable versatility. Her repertoire ranges from electronic soul ("Breakdown Mode") and contemporary R&B ("Broken Hearts Anthem (Walk Away)") to dance grooves ("The Yellow Brick Road Song"), jazz ("Happily Ever After"), rock ("Say Yes"), sophisticated pop ("Soundtrack To Life"), reggae ("Testify"), and elegant ballads such as "This Time Around" and "Simply Falling." Few artists move so effortlessly between styles.
The original 11-track version of this diverse collection first appeared in the United States in 2010 under the title Say Yes. Conceived as an "evolving album," it offered purchasers free access to additional recordings as the project continued to develop, reflecting a modern interpretation of a work in progress. Say Yes (R)Evolved was expanded to 13 tracks on the 2014 version, which is reissued here.