RAYE

Rachel Agatha Keen (born October 24, 1997), known by her stage name RAYE, is an English singer and songwriter from Croydon, South London. Her music has changed over the years, going from Dance-Pop to Soul-influenced songs with R&B-like vocals.

She started making her own music from a young age, influenced by her family. As she tells The Enquirer:

I started writing songs with my dad and we had a little mic and an interface to record stuff down. I have songs from when I was 10 singing about bullies in the playground and silly stuff. I used to write songs every day after school.

Starting at the age of 14, RAYE attended the prestigious BRIT School. During this period, she released her first project, Welcome to the Winter. After two years, however, she decided to drop out, saying the pop music she wanted to make didn’t fit into the scene there. The change was immediately clear on her following release, where she felt more free in her choices, while also reaching a wider audience.

Since the start of her career, RAYE has worked with several high-profile artists, such as when, at age 16, she co-wrote Blonde’s hit “All Cried Out” and the following year, she featured on Nas‘ song, “War (Birth Of A Nation)”.

Her Second EP features a collaboration with Stormzy and a song with Charli XCX. Her third EP, Side Tape entirely consisted of collaborations. RAYE’s debut mini-album Euphoric Sad Songs was released in November 2020 and included the UK top 10 single “Secrets” with Regard.

Her debut album and one of her first independent releases, My 21st Century Blues, was released in February 2023, which includes her breakthrough single “Escapism.” featuring 070 Shake. It marked her first project after departing from Polydor Records in 2021. RAYE signed a four-album deal with Polydor Records as a teenager but faced years of frustration as the label allegedly withheld her debut album, pressuring her to release “chart-friendly dance tracks” and work as a featured vocalist instead of developing her solo artistry. In 2021, she publicly spoke out about her struggles in a tearful social media video, which led to her parting ways with the label and becoming an independent artist.
This pursuit of independence is a central part of her story. She has since used her platform to advocate for better treatment and compensation for songwriters in the industry.

Her second album THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE., was lead by the viral single “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” which would eventually become her second #1 atop the UK’s Official Singles Chart. Prior to the album’s release, some of the new songs were performed live, with the majority being performed on the album’s supporting tour, THIS TOUR MAY CONTAIN NEW MUSIC.