Baby Rose talks the making of Yearnalism, working with Leon Thomas, Elmiene and why the lost art of yearning is still a necessity in our cynical dating culture
We sat down with Baby Rose in London for a special experience with fans for our SPEAKERBOXX listening series following events with Jill Scott, Ari Lennox and Anais.
The Blues Project Presents SPEAKERBOXX: Yearners Anonymous
Yearners Anonymous Session 1 in London was a special SPEAKERBOXX edition. An evening of music and emotion curated with Baby Rose ahead of the release of her forthcoming album, Yearnalism, featuring:
- Exclusive first listen of tracks from Yearnalism – surely one of 2026’s best albums
- In conversation with Baby Rose, unpacking the meaning behind the music
- Fan questions answered
- Discussion, mingling and good vibes with other yearners
About Baby Rose
In a world that’s reducing romance to fleeting whims and toxic nonchalance, Baby Rose is holding the line for real love and real yearners. The Washington D.C.-raised, Grammy Award-winning contralto has spent nearly a decade building one of the most distinctive voices in alternative R&B, drawing from Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway and Janis Joplin.
To yearn and to say with your whole chest, ‘I love you and I care about you and I’m professing this’ – not in a toxic way, but just in a purely vulnerable way. — Baby Rose
Fresh off winning her first GRAMMY for her contribution on Leon Thomas’ MUTT, Yearnalism, her third studio album, documents desire in all its forms: love, longing, loss and liberation. Recorded through analog tape for warmth and integrity, the 12-song LP is Rose at her most self-assured. Since her 2019 debut To Myself, Rose has collaborated with Ari Lennox, J. Cole, BADBADNOTGOOD and Leon Thomas. She also soundtracked Creed III, A24’s Materialists and graced stages from The Museum of Modern Art to Lincoln Center.
CREDITS
Co-hosts: Bre McDermott-King & Simi Agbaje
Videography & Editing: Henry Wainwright
Producers: Simi Agbaje, Chloe Hubbard
Event Producers: Simi Agbaje, Elizabeth Berchie, Renée Jackson
Venue: Lanzarote Works
