Grammy-nominated UK singer/songwriter Yola treated 2021 "Can't Cancel Pride" viewers to a moving performance of her song "Hold On."
Backed by a piano player, Yola belted out the emotional song as she sang the lyrics, "So baby hold on to the things you love/ Show me who it is you are/ Never let that feeling go/ Let it show." And prior to singing the track, she had a message for everyone watching: "Here's to love, to resilience, and to an era of safety, equality and peace."
Before taking the stage at "Can't Cancel Pride," Yola said in a message on Instagram, "It’s such an honour to be part of this show and to put allyship to action once more, and to be performing on this awesome show!"
"Hold On" was released in the fall of 2020 and also featured some of Nashville's most talented musicians with Sheryl Crow on piano, Jason Isbell on guitar, and backing vocals from Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby, with production from Dave Cobb. Proceeds from the single went to MusiCares and the National Bail Out Collective.
In a statement, Yola said of the song, "'Hold On' is a conversation between me and the next generation of young black girls. My mother’s advice would always stress caution, that all that glitters isn’t gold, and that my Black female role models on TV are probably having a hard time. She warned me that I should rethink my calling to be a writer and a singer…but to me that was all the more reason I should take up this space. 'Hold On' is asking the next gen to take up space, to be visible and to show what it looks to be young, gifted and Black."
The "Can't Cancel Pride" virtual relief benefit for the LGBTQ+ community helps to raise funds, partnering with the Greater Cincinnati Foundation to administer and distribute financial support raised by the event to LGBTQ+ organizations with a track record of positive impact and support of the LGBTQ+ community including GLAAD, SAGE, The Trevor Project, the National Black Justice Coalition, CenterLink, and OutRight Action International.
This year's "Can't Cancel Pride" will also be available on demand via iHeartRadio's TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram TV pages, iHeartRadio's Pride Radio and Revry throughout Pride Month until Thursday, June 30.
Photos: iHeartRadio