At the time of our meeting, Abbey Smith had a viral YouTube video with Clark Beckham, the runner up of American Idol’s 14th season. The pair sang a duet of the song “Gravity” by John Mayer, and for lack of a better phrase, it was killer. The raw tones of their voices blended together so effortlessly, and the passion the two have for their craft could be felt through a phone screen.
I was able to speak with Smith after a concert she was a part of in downtown Jackson, Tenn. Off the stage, I noticed that she was quite calm and very polite with a few hints of her wittiness peeking through. I don’t remember too much more about our conversation, only that she was very humble and appreciative of the opportunity she was given.
I was kind of star struck by Smith. What I loved the most about her was that she wasn’t singing in front of thousands of people who were there for her, but instead, she was on a praise team with a local worship pastor. The small concert made her feel more human to me rather than the force of a woman that she is.
The team performed downtown for an outdoor concert in the summer of 2016. Smith stood out from the rest of the team with her unique voice and style. She had a short haircut and was dressed down in jeans and a casual shirt. She was stunning and when her mouth would open to sing, her face held a heavenly glow. I could tell that she was truly happy to be there. Her voice alone was absolutely incredible. She had Mariah Carey-type runs mixed in with standard Southern Baptist worship music. Yebba’s raspy tone was powerful but not overpowering.
Walking away from our conversation, I knew Smith was going to go places. Her voice, talent and passion were going to take her far, and it showed early on in her career.
I followed Smith on Instagram for years, and I remember her live streaming about her experience at Belmont University. I was intrigued by her insight because I had planned to go to Belmont myself, but changed my mind the day before move-in. Smith experienced a lot of push back by her professors because she wasn’t singing the way they wanted her to. Instead of making her singing style classical, Smith wanted to practice her craft the way she wanted. I really admire her persistence to actively stay true to herself and to her voice. It was around her time at Belmont that she adopted the stage name of Yebba.
I can remember the day Yebba’s first single came out, “Evergreen.” The song was eclectic with jazzy type notes mixed in. If you haven’t listened to her song, you are completely missing out. It’s the type of song that makes you instinctively rock and sway to the beat.
Yebba fell off my radar after her single but has recently returned to my frame of mind with her recent work. Yebba’s most popular collab is with Ed Sheeran. The song is entitled “Best Part of Me.” Call me a hopeless romantic, but this song speaks to my soul. The song has classic Ed Sheeran vibes with beautiful guitar strumming and broken apart piano chords with rock solid harmonies. The song is beautiful and frames both Yebba’s and Ed Sheeran’s voices without any overpowering moments. The song flows straight from their hearts and right into the listeners ears.
The journey of Yebba’s music career has been so inspiring to me. She built her career on her own, using her talent and grit. Yebba has experienced so much growth in her time as a rising musician but continues to press on in the rather ruthless music industry. I hope that one day I am able to speak with her again and hear what she has to say about her journey.