On March 2, 2024, RAYE made British music history. Remained for many years in the shadow of the fashionable electro producers with whom she signed a series of hits (“By Your Side” by Jonas Blue, “You Don’t Know Me” by Jax Jones, “BED” with David Guetta…), the London singer, “ not allowed » to release his album, took the risk of starting from scratch independently to finally realize his dream. This is how “My 21st Century Blues” was born, a first record co-written and mainly produced by the 26-year-old artist who had the effect of a bomb on the English musical landscape last year . So much so that RAYE broke a historic record by winning six awards in one go at the last BRIT Awards, notably in the Best Artist of the Year and Album of the Year categories. Never seen before in a single evening! “ You don’t understand what this means to me. I am in love with music. All I ever wanted was to be an artist and now I’m an artist with an album of the year » she reacted, in tears, in front of the cameras.
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“It’s a prayer, a call”
After this coup, RAYE was expected to turn the corner. And it is with the single “Genesis”, with its particular concept, that the artist with the golden voice makes his comeback, just before summer. On her official website, the singer explains that this song takes its inspiration from a quote from Nina Simone: “It is the duty of an artist to reflect his times”. “ This quote means everything to me and I believe the best way to achieve this is through my art and music. There is so much darkness and pain in this world we live in… I wanted to create something as deeply personal and as raw as possible, about the world I see around me. I have experimented with different genres and sound expressions, under all layers, and in the lyrics the underlying message is “Let there be light”. It’s a prayer, a plea, and a cry for help, and I really hope that this song can bring some hope, like this music does for me, to those who need it most » she attests.
A real exposure therefore, which materializes in a seven-minute song divided into three distinct R&B, hip-hop and jazz parts. And RAYE has thought of everything since everything is available, separately or together, on streaming platforms! A true musical odyssey, “Genesis” is also accompanied by a clip in which the popstar takes us into his torments, playing with mise en abyss to talk about the place of the screen and celebrity in our society. She even parodies the cooking shows of yesteryear and our obsession with witnessing the decline of others in superbly choreographed sequences, before ending up singing on a train platform. Great art!
