Yebba

Abigail Elizabeth Smith (January 16, 1995), better known by her childhood nickname Yebba (Abbey backwards), is an award-winning American singer-songwriter who made a name for herself as a backup vocalist before embarking on a successful solo career. Born and raised in West Memphis, Arkansas, Yebba grew up in a religious household and started singing inspired by gospel act The Clark Sisters. She took her first steps as a background singer for Clark Beckham (of American Idol fame), Luke Levenson, and Chance the Rapper before catching the attention of Ed Sheeran, who became a fan after watching her perform the original song “My Mind” at a Sofar Sounds event in 2016. The song, written a week before Yebba’s mom committed suicide, helped the singer land a recording contract with Sheeran’s Gingerbread Man Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music. In 2017, she made her official debut with the single “Evergreen” and scored songwriting credits on Sam Smith’s “No Peace” from his album The Thrill of It All. A Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B performance followed in 2019 thanks to a feature on PJ Morton’s “How Deep Is Your Love.” That same year, Yebba not only appeared on Sheeran’s “Best Part of Me” and Mark Ronson’s “Don’t Leave Me Lonely,” but also delivered her second single, “Where Do You Go.” Her partnership with Ronson continued with the 2020 single “Distance,” which was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Traditional R&B Performance.