WHAT IT IS: South Londoner RAYE, neé Rachel Keen, has become a dynamic force since dropping her first EP in 2014, notching 3b+ career streams, eight Top 20 U.K. singles and four BRIT noms—plus 3.5b+ streams for hits she’s penned for the likes of Beyoncé and John Legend. “Escapism.” f/070 Shake, RAYE’s highest-charting single to date and first-ever #1 in the U.K., sets the tone for her long-awaited debut album, My 21st Century Blues. She has writing credits on all 13 songs and co-produced six tracks on the LP, which is executive-produced by Mike Sabath.
ALBUM: My 21st Century Blues
RELEASE DATE: 2/3
SINGLE: “Escapism.” f/070 Shake
TV: Graham Norton (U.K.)
LIVE: Sold out My 21st Century Blues 2023 headline world tour; joining Lewis Capaldi on his sold-out Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent IE/U.K. tour dates
INTERNET: 33m+ monthly Spotify listeners; nearly 200m+ global streams on “Escapism.” at presstime; 1m+ TikTok creations, 2b+ total views; #5 Spotify U.S. Viral chart, #10 Global Top 50, #20 U.S.; was #1 on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits (cover), more
RADIO: Impacted Pop and Rhythm on 1/9; #23 at Pop (Top 10 Most Added week of 1/24), #22 at Rhythm at presstime
PRESS: Cosmo U.K. (cover); V, Rolling Stone, N.Y. Times, PAPER, UPROXX, more
BOOKING: Marty Diamond, Tom Schroeder & Eli Gelernter/Wasserman
PUBLISHING: Warner Chappell U.K.
MANAGEMENT: Tia Ferguson, Paul Keen & Sarah Keen