Raye has broken a record with her seven nominations for this year’s Brit Awards. She has become one of pop’s most prominent comeback stories. This British pop singer, whose real name is Rachel Keen, started working in the music industry as a teenager. Raye’s music career has been quite successful thus far. She wrote songs for pop icons such as Beyoncé, Little Mix, Charli XCX, and Rihanna, which helped her purchase a house. She also collaborated with Stormzy and David Guetta. However, her music as a solo artist was constantly questioned and rejected. She signed a four-album deal with Polydor Records five years ago, but the label was still denying her debut album.
Raye posted a video message on social media tearfully explaining her frustration, saying that dozens of potential hits were “sat in folders collecting dust,” while others were being given away to bigger stars. She also said that she was still awaiting confirmation that she was “good enough” for Polydor. The message was a “desperate cry to be free.” Later, Raye revealed that the decision to post the video wasn’t at all planned. Polydor’s response was sympathetic, and eventually, an agreement was reached, and Raye was freed from her contract.
Raye’s first independent release, Escapism, was a dark, oppressive song, composed in the depths of her sorrow, as she self-medicated with drugs and meaningless sex. Polydor had never liked the song, and when she played it to other labels, they agreed. Raye disagreed, and it was released independently. The song went viral on TikTok, and it went to the top of the charts after tens of millions of streams. Raye followed it up with her much-anticipated album, My 21st Century Blues. It showcased her capacity to genre-hop between jazz, soul, hip-hop, dance, and gospel without losing her sense of identity. The album went on to sell over 60,000 copies and was nominated for a Mercury Prize.
Looking back at January 2017, when Raye was a newcomer that had placed third on the BBC’s Sound Of 2017, she led us around the South London bedroom where she began making music. Her father was a Yorkshire-born worship leader at their Pentecostal church, and her mother, a Swiss-Ghanaian mental health worker, sang in the choir. Music and religion were entwined in her home life. Raye’s dad would show her how to play worship songs on his piano after Sunday services.
Raye had quite the upbringing, and she passed a melody from a kids’ TV show as her own when she was seven years old. When she was 14, she penned a “legitimate” song for her Year 6 leaving concert. The whole school sang it at Southwark Cathedral. Raye’s journey in music continues to flourish, and she encourages everyone to “back yourself, no matter what people tell you.
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