Released: February 3
Forging her own path forward, RAYE rises from the ashes and triumphs with her long-awaited debut album.
‘My 21st Century Blues’ arrives following a much-publicised battle with her former label who, according to the musician, had been withholding her first record for several years, leading to her departure from the roster in 2021.
A year later she launched the campaign for the long-player, with the singles Hard Out Here and Black Mascara making waves, before the 070 Shake collaboration Escapism rocketed to the top of the UK charts earlier this year.
Of the project, she says: “My ugly complex beautiful mosaic formed from broken pieces of glass from the last seven years of my life. My medicine, my anxieties and traumas, my unfiltered thoughts.
“This music accompanied me through my bluest blues, crafted unapologetically and fearlessly with love and tears, and now I can only hope it might provide the same medicine it did for me, for those who choose to listen. I can’t believe it is really happening.”
Clocking in at 15 tracks, the album reads as a narrative with a spoken introduction leading into Oscar Winning Tears, which opens with the lines: ‘Hello, it’s RAYE here / Please get nice and comfortable and lock your phones / Because the story is about to begin.’
Showcasing her lush vocals over R&B grooves, it’s an introduction to an LP that incorporates elements of trip, soul and blues, fusing classic sounds with a contemporary edge that’s instantly timeless.
Layered harmonies on the mid-tempo Mary Jane, which has a dream-like quality, tackle her past struggles with substance abuse, while the trip-hop edge and rap vocal on Flip A Switch proves she can turn her hand to anything.
There’s plenty more to take in here: Ice Cream Man is mid tempo R&B at its finest, while Worth It leans into commercial pop territory and demonstrates RAYE can craft chart hits without bother.
With its gospel edge, closing number Buss It Down brings her first outing to an end and is a liberating sigh of relief for the singer who, a decade after emerging on the scene, is finally able to fulfil her vision and bring to life her debut record.
It may have been a journey, but with ‘My 21st Century Blues’ RAYE arrives and – trust us when we say – she’s here to stay.
‘My 21st Century Blues’ is available now.
