As I have mentioned many times on this blog, TikTok has become my new favorite place to discover music. Because of the way the music industry operates now, so many up-and-coming indie artists use the app to promote themselves, and my For You page is littered with them. One artist who’s been showing up on my feed constantly over the last couple of weeks, and who I am starting to dig a lot, is Yel. She seems inspired by the 1990s, and some of her music also relates to K-Pop artists like NewJeans or Twice. Even though Yel seems to be popping off more than ever, she has been on her grind releasing music for a few years. Her earliest releases on Spotify go back to 2022. That year, she dropped an EP called About Last Night…, and she followed it up with an EP in 2023 called Tokyo Express. After a year or so of releasing singles, Yel released an album in 2025 called Perfect Blue. After some of her singles went viral on TikTok, Yel has now come back with a new EP called PRAISE. Below, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite songs from this EP, as well as give some thoughts on it as a whole. Please let me know in the comments below what you think of Yel and her project PRAISE.
H4RD FEELINGS
Yel opens this album with a strong ‘H4RD FEELINGS.’ I am not going to lie; judging by the couple of tracks I have heard from her so far, I did not know she would go in this direction. The 1990s influence that I have noticed in her music is definitely here, albeit in a different way than on the other tracks I have heard from her. The melody for this track has a very sparkly and bubbling sound to it that is very inviting. I really like the higher-pitched synths that come in and out, as they give the track so much life. The beat for ‘H4RD FEELINGS’ is very laid-back and has a classic R&B sound that is very nice. Yel’s vocals on ‘H4RD FEELINGS’ are just as ethereal and nice as the melody is. Her tone on this track is so inviting and fits the melody perfectly. On ‘H4RD FEELINGS,’ Yel sings about wanting to make a relationship work with someone but realizing they just are not reciprocating the feelings.
ALMOND JOY
‘ALMOND JOY’ is the song from this EP that I have seen go viral from Yel over the last couple of months, and it is easy to see why this song has become popular. The song has such an infectious energy and beat, and it just draws me in and makes me want to dance when I hear it. The melody for this one is super warm and cozy. It’s a sound that will just make you feel good. I have seen people compare this one to the music of NewJeans, which I can definitely see. When I hear it, though, I think of Miami Bass music. I mean, how can this song not remind one of songs like ‘My Boo’ by Ghost Town DJs? The vocals on ‘ALMOND JOY ’ are very soothing. The pitch and tone that Yel sings with really go well with the cute, dancey feeling of the song. On ‘ALMOND JOY,’ Yel confesses her admiration for someone and how much she adores being around them.
PRAISE
The title track for this album, ‘PRAISE,’ is another track that has a slightly different sound and energy than the others. I would say this one is closer to the opening track than ‘ALMOND JOY,’ but it does stand out in its own way as well. ‘PRAISE’ is another one with a slower R&B sound, but it does feel a bit more modern than some of the other music on the album. The mix also kind of gives this one a bit of a Hip Hop element as well. Once again, the melody for this one is so warm. There is something about it that kind of feels quirky or off-kilter, which I dig a lot. I really like the drums on this one. Even though they are slow, they feel a bit more pushy and give the track a quirkiness as well. Yel sings this song with a ton of emotion and candor, adding to the fuzziness of the track. On ‘PRAISE,’ Yel sings about her admiration for one person and wanting to sell out for them.
I am not going to lie, when listening to this project, I thought I knew what to expect based on the couple of viral tracks I had heard(especially ‘ALMOND JOY’). Even though the rest of the EP was pretty different from what I thought it would be like, I have to say that I enjoyed PRAISE a ton. As I mentioned in the introduction, I definitely knew that classic R&B influence was going to be there. It just manifested in a slower and calmer way than I thought it was going to throughout most of the project. Instead of being upbeat, for the most part, this EP is very steady and laid-back. There is a sweet and sensual energy that permeates throughout PRAISE that is so nice to listen to. When I was picking songs to write about for this one, I actually had a pretty tough time because I did enjoy all of the tracks. Two that I did not mention that I probably should have are ‘FATIGUES’ and ‘JUST A DREAM.’ Even though I will admit that ‘ALMOND JOY’ is still the standout for me, I do like everything about this EP. The vocals on PRAISE are as good as the instrumentals. Yel’s voice is so lovely, and the way in which she sings makes her songs seem so personable. Speaking of personable, I also appreciate the lyricism on this EP too. Yel has a way with words that makes it easy to see what she is feeling. Overall, I am glad I checked out PRAISE, as it is a fun EP from an artist that deserves all of the hype she is getting. This project has made me a fan, and I will be continuing to follow her in the future!