I sat down with up-and-coming RnB artist Raye after her set at the First Direct Arena this weekend, to talk about how her music has evolved since her debut EP, Welcome To The Winter, was released in 2014, as well as learning more about recent collaborations with Charli XCX and Stormzy.
On the Charli XCX collaboration, she stated that “we kind of ended up in a studio together, which was so random; I didn’t even know it was happening. We ended up vibing and writing some really sick tunes, and just really getting along, so we stayed in contact and we chose one of the songs that we’d written together for the single.” In her opinion, it was a “really random, one-thing-lead-to-another thing, and it ended up being really sick.”
This wasn’t the last time they would meet, however. The two would meet shortly afterwards to produce the music video for Raye’s single ‘I, U, Us.’ Stating it quite simply, the South-London based singer told me how she “messaged her [Charli] asking if she would direct the video, and she said yes, which I did not expect; it was just crazy.” In fact, their most recent musical endeavour together has actually resulted in a new single for Charli: “She had a writing session where she wanted me to come in. That’s when we wrote ‘After The Afterparty,’ which is her current single. [It’s] just mental.”
As to the possibility of future collaborations between the two starlets, she told me it would “definitely” happen, and that the two are now “just really good friends.”
Her collaboration with Stormzy also brought out an excited response, with Raye gleefully assuring me that she had actually been out with Stormzy’s girlfriend the previous evening. Regarding the man himself, she expressed that the grime legend is “taking a little break for the minute,” as he has been “mentally on tour.” However, she still stressed to me that the two “always stay in contact; it’s pretty sick.”
Moving on from this line of questioning, she explained to me that the current tour with Jess Glynne is easily her favourite thus far, describing the Arena shows as “next-level gigs.” Elaborating on her comment, she happily explained that “I’ve never seen that many people singing back to me, jumping up and down and vibing. It’s just wicked.”
Describing her new EP Second as “therapeutic,” she told me the concept behind the release was mainly one of “feeling really empowered, really strong. It was a place for me to kind of vent; to get out how I was feeling. It was like a diary for me.” She spoke very highly of the EP compared to its predecessor, which was apparently “very easy, not that challenging.” In contrast to this, the Second is “a breakthrough” for her, teaching her “how beautiful music is, by pushing those boundaries.” She continued by letting me know “I never want to stay safe, man. I want to push the boundaries,” before somewhat cryptically adding the phrase “if I’m allowed to.”
We concluded by asking Raye to name her favourite album of all time. Surprisingly, she answered immediately, without even a hint of hesitation. “Jill Scott’s Who is Jill Scott? She’s basically the queen of Neo-Soul.” Asking her what she enjoyed about the album, she responded by saying that “she pushed boundaries. She wrote music in a way I’ve never heard. My uncle played me one of her albums and it blew my mind, because obviously, at that age, you’re used to the radio,” concluded that Scott was “a massive idol” of hers. I took this opportunity to hear her thoughts on another idol of hers: Nina Simone. “She had such an angst and a fire and a message. Anytime I hear her, it just sends shivers down me. I love her fire.”
Raye in currently touring as a support act for Jess Glynne’s Home tour, and will be releasing a full length album in the latter half of 2017.
Interview by Zack Moore
[image: HumanHuman]