Dropping tomorrow, December 12, ‘the fear, THE FEAR’ marks a major milestone for Grammy-nominated artist YawnyBlew, behind a year-long experiment of releasing a new track every month. Featuring acclaimed Chicago vocalist Lili K, the release follows YawnyBlew’s upward momentum across the R&B/Soul and Jazz landscape, from his debut project Midnight in Brooklyn to a growing catalogue championed by tastemakers across independent radio and editorial platforms. With a reputation for genre-blurring storytelling, critical praise for vocal depth, and prior achievements including standout collaborations and grant-supported compositions, YawnyBlew is closing 2025 with his most intentional work yet.
Rooted in R&B, soul and contemporary jazz, YawnyBlew’s sound situates him alongside peers such as Cleo Sol, Amber Mark, and Yebba, blending emotional nuance with cinematic production. Over the past several years, he has carved out a space defined by vulnerability, experimentation and narrative-driven songwriting. Lili K, known for her velvety tone and Chicago jazz lineage, returns to music this year after a personal hiatus, reuniting with YawnyBlew for their first collaboration since 2020’s ‘fallinlove’. Together, their vocal chemistry expands across a palette that moves from confessional to expansive — a hallmark of their shared musical DNA.
‘the fear, THE FEAR’ arrives as a jazz-soul meditation on surrender, trust and creative risk-taking informed by two guiding mantras: Julia Cameron’s “Leap and the net will appear” and Hunter S. Thompson’s “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” The track, originally drafted as a demo for a grant themed around fear and quietly released in early 2025, has been brought to full life in this new version. Produced by Mike Brown (The Art of Letting Go Podcast, Dee-1), the song weaves lush, smoky textures around a sample popularized by Amber Mark’s ‘Sink In.’ As YawnyBlew and Lili K trade reflections on doubt, rebirth and creative courage, the track becomes a cinematic exhale – a moment of clarity after a season of upheaval. For both collaborators, ‘the fear, THE FEAR’ transforms the concept of fear into something closer to faith: an anthem for anyone learning to leap again.
Listen to the premiere of ‘the fear, THE FEAR’ now, exclusively available on PLAYY. Magazine:
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