RAYE

RAYE- SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR WITH AMAZON MUSIC

What a year Rachel Keen is having.

The singer-songwriter – now better known to the entire planet as RAYE – has already won a record-breaking six BRIT Awards in 2024 and now she’s picking up Songwriter of the Year at The Ivors.

But then, few have deserved an annus mirabilis as much as RAYE. Not just because her My 21st Century Blues album is a game-changing, planet-conquering blend of R&B, pop, blues and dance music. But also because, prior to her triumphant last 12 months, RAYE had endured a much difficult period.

Frustrated at not being able to release an album, she split with her major label in 2021 and made the bold decision to seize control of her career and release her songs independently.

And what songs they are. My 21st Century Blues was trailed by the brutally honest Escapism., one of those rare singles that was not only a monster hit – a number one single, no less – but also rewrote the DNA of pop music itself.

It was a stunning vindication of a songwriting talent that had previously been kept under wraps, and it was just one element of an album that’s still streaming like there’s no tomorrow, more than a year after its release.

Whether it’s the hard-hitting Ice Cream Man., the bluesinflected Mary Jane., or the furious Hard Out Here., RAYE has mastered the art of combining deeply personal lyrics with tunes that will have you scouring your thesaurus for yet another way of saying “absolute banger”.

It’s this songwriting expertise that reminds you that, however appealing the narrative around her against-the-odds success may be, it’s her actual talent that has under-pinned her deserved rise.

And that, while RAYE may be having an incredible year, you know that there are many, many more incredible years to come for this unique talent.