Gaidaa drops new EP ‘YARN’

Based in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, 25-year-old Sudanese Dutch artist Gaidaa has been making a significant impression in the global soul and R&B scene with a voice that’s as emotionally compelling as it is politically attuned. With musical output that flows across continents and cultures, Gaidaa’s music feels uniquely borderless, personal yet widely relatable, grounded in truth yet open to interpretation.

Gaidaa first made her mark back in 2018 with her feature on Full Crate’s “A Storm On A Summers Day,” a breakout collaboration that firmly planted her on the map of must watch artists. Her 2020 debut EP, Overture, built on her reputation with a thoughtful introduction that quickly earned critical praise from Pitchfork, The FADER, COLORS Studios and others.

Since then, she’s delivered an impressive catalogue of releases while clocking tens of millions of streams of her music online. Now, Gaidaa brings us her highly anticipated sophomore EP titled YARN. While Overture invited listeners into her world with warmth and hope, YARN takes a different path; it’s heavier, wiser and more tangled.

Across eight tracks, YARN threads an engaging musical fabric that refuses to rush toward resolution and instead, Gaidaa honours the slow, sometimes uncomfortable process of becoming. Produced in collaboration with longtime creatives like Agajon, the EP draws from soul, acoustic and alternative R&B stylings, capped by Gaidaa expressive vocal performance throughout.

Following the a cappella intro piece “Overdrive (Interlude),” the smooth guitar plucks on “Jealous” is met with the patter of percussive shots and Gaidaa’s soulful vocal leads. Leaning into internal tension, her emotive voice spins alluring melodic leads carrying poignant lyricism while delicate piano notes and pulsing bass lines cast an immersive arrangement, resulting in an instantly catchy jam that’s memorable and meaningful in equal measure.

“Distance” offers a downtempo rhythmic groove where Gaidaa’s quietly dazzling vocals are framed in a stripped-back setting of mellow acoustic guitar, warm bass notes and echoes of slick lead guitar flickers. “Rolling” delivers a grooving energy of softly snapping beats and infectious vocal layers to lay down a charming rhythmic sway and blissfully melodic songwriting.

Other highlights on the record include songs like “Runaway” with its stunning vocals gliding above the shuffle of drums and intricate instrumentation. Closing the release with “Fly Away,” the lively flutter of guitar licks and gentle rustle of percussion allows room for Gaidaa’s incredible voice to shine, casting a spellbinding finale to her sensational sophomore EP.

Commenting on the release, Gaidaa shares, “YARN is a journey through self-exploration, doubt, insecurity, struggle, self- suppression, healing, transformation and ultimate surrender. It explores the illusions I once held tightly – about control, identity, self-worth – shining light on where those ideas are flawed and breaking down the harmful past narratives. YARN moves through the chaos of self-destruction, longing, and emotional numbness. It takes us through the cycles of avoidance and painful realizations and breakthroughs – before finally arriving at a place of openness and release.”

Listen to YARN below