Raye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raye
Raye performing in 2023
Born	Rachel Agatha Keen (1997-10-24) 24 October 1997 (age 27) Tooting, London, England
Occupation	Singer-songwriter record producer
Years active	2014–present
Works	Discography
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Pop R&B jazz soul dance
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Polydor Human Re Sources

Rachel Agatha Keen (born on October 24, 1997), known as Raye, is a talented British singer and songwriter. She became well-known after signing with Polydor Records. She released many dance songs and EPs (Extended Plays).

Raye later decided to release her music on her own. Her first album, My 21st Century Blues (2023), was a big hit with critics. A song from the album, "Escapism", became super popular online. It was her first song to reach number one in the UK singles chart. It also made it onto the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

At the Brit Awards 2024, Raye made history. She won six awards, including British Artist of the Year. This was the most awards ever won by an artist in one ceremony! The BBC also put Raye on their 100 Woman list in 2024. She is even nominated for three Grammy Awards.

Raye's music often blends different styles like jazz, pop, R&B, and soul. Her songs often talk about her own experiences and important topics. Besides singing her own songs, Raye has also written music for other famous artists. These include Beyoncé, Charli XCX, John Legend, and Little Mix.

Raye's Early Life and Music Journey

Rachel Agatha Keen was born in Tooting, London. Her mother is Ghanaian-Swiss, and her father is English. When she was a child, Raye sang gospel songs in church. Her father was the music director, and her mother sang in the choir.

Later, her family moved to Croydon. Raye studied at Woodcote High School and the BRIT School. She left the BRIT School after two years. She felt a bit "confined" there, even though she learned a lot. Raye spent most of her teenage years learning to write songs in professional studios.

Raye's Music Career

Starting Out: 2014–2018

In November 2014, when Raye was 17, she put her first EP, Welcome to the Winter, online. She wrote, recorded, and helped produce all seven songs on it. Olly Alexander from the band Years & Years found her song "Hotbox" and shared it. This led to Raye signing a contract with Polydor Records.

In 2015, she released the song "Alien" with Avelino. She also sang a cover of Years & Years' song "Shine". Raye even opened for Years & Years at their show.

Her next EP, Second, came out in August 2016. She wrote the song "I, U, Us" with Noonie Bao and Charli XCX. Charli XCX also directed the music video for the song. That same year, Raye was featured on two big songs: Jonas Blue's "By Your Side" and Jax Jones's "You Don't Know Me". These songs reached numbers 15 and 3 on the UK singles chart. "By Your Side" was her first song to enter the charts. She also opened for singer Jess Glynne on her concert tour.

In February 2017, Raye performed in London and got great reviews. She worked on Charli XCX's song "After the Afterparty" and appeared in a remix of it. Raye was also in the music video for Stormzy's song "Big For Your Boots". She featured on the song "Dreamer" from Charli XCX's project Number 1 Angel (2017).

Raye released the songs "The Line" and "Decline" in 2017. Her third EP, Side Tape, came out in 2018. It included the song "Cigarette" with Mabel and Stefflon Don. Raye also helped write songs for Little Mix and John Legend. In June, she performed at the Summertime Ball in London. Later in 2018, she released a song for her friends. She also opened for Rita Ora and Halsey on their tours. Raye went on her first headline tour at the end of the year.

Euphoric Sad Songs and Going Independent: 2019–2021

In 2019, Raye sang on Odunsi the Engine's "Tipsy" and David Guetta's "Stay (Don't Go Away)". "Stay (Don't Go Away)" became her first number-one song on Billboard's US Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. She also supported Khalid on his tour. Raye helped write Beyoncé's song "Bigger" for The Lion King: The Gift album. This was a very important songwriting credit for her. Raye released her solo song "Love Me Again" and "Make It to Heaven" with David Guetta.

In early 2020, Raye released "Tequila" with Jax Jones and Martin Solveig. She also released "Secrets" with Regard. "Secrets" reached number six in the UK and sold very well. In July 2020, Raye released "Natalie Don't". This song was part of her project Euphoric Sad Songs, which came out in November. The project included songs about the different feelings of grief.

In February 2021, Raye, Joel Corry, and David Guetta released "Bed". This song reached number three in the UK. It was Raye's highest-charting song as a main artist at that time. She also helped write and produce Mabel's song "Let Them Know". In June 2021, Raye released "Call On Me", a song for her sister.

Later that month, Raye shared that Polydor Records had not released her first album for years. Many artists supported her. After this, Raye took a break. She then announced that she had left the label. She decided to work as an independent artist, meaning she would release music on her own. Raye ended the year with her "Euphoric Sad Show" tour in the UK and Ireland.

My 21st Century Blues and Global Success: 2022–Present

Raye performing at First Avenue in 2023

In mid-2022, Raye signed with Human Re Sources. This meant she would own her own music recordings. On June 30, she released her first independent song, "Hard Out Here". It came with a music video showing an artist's early struggles. The second song, "Black Mascara", came out in August 2022. In October, she released two songs together: "Escapism" with 070 Shake, and "The Thrill is Gone".

All these songs were part of Raye's first album, My 21st Century Blues, released in February 2023. The album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. Music critics loved it. To support the album, Raye went on a mini-tour called "The Story So Far". This was her first time headlining shows in Europe and North America. Then came the "My 21st Century Blues Tour".

"Escapism" became very popular online. It was Raye's first number one song in the UK. It also helped her appear on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. By the end of 2023, My 21st Century Blues had sold over 60,000 copies in the UK.

In 2023, Raye opened for Lewis Capaldi's tour in the UK. She also opened for Kali Uchis and SZA on their tours. Raye performed songs from My 21st Century Blues on TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She also performed at the Glastonbury Festival 2023.

The song "Prada" (2023), with Cassö and D-Block Europe, reached number two in the UK. It was number one on the UK Dance Singles Chart for 31 weeks! In October 2023, Raye released My 21st Century Symphony (Live at the Royal Albert Hall). This was a live version of her album songs, recorded with an orchestra.

Raye performed a mix of her songs at the Brit Awards 2024. She also helped write "Riiverdance" for Beyoncé's album Cowboy Carter (2024). On April 6, 2024, Raye was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. She sang "Escapism" and "Worth It". She also showed a new song, later called "Genesis". On May 25, 2024, Raye performed as a main artist at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. She also opened for Taylor Swift's the Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium in August 2024.

Raye worked with rapper Central Cee on the song "Moi". They both sing and rap in English and French. On September 13, she released her second live album, Live at Montreux Jazz Festival. It included a cover of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". Later, Raye shared that her car was stolen, and with it, lyrics for her next album.

Raye's Music Style

Raye is known as a singer-songwriter and also a record producer. Her music mixes many different styles. Critics often describe it as R&B, pop, jazz, soul, and dance. Raye loves jazz music. She discovered it through artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

Growing up, Raye listened to artists like Jill Scott, James Brown, Nina Simone, and Alicia Keys. She also enjoyed music from Stevie Wonder and Wet Wet Wet, which her father liked. Raye has said she admires Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera.

On her early EP Welcome to the Winter, Raye explored R&B and electronic music. She said that Polydor Records wanted her to make "chart-friendly dance tracks." This made her feel unsure about her own musical style.

On My 21st Century Blues, Raye tried out new sounds. She added parts of soul, blues, rap, R&B, hip-hop, pop, gospel, and doo-wop. In one part of her song "Genesis", she mixed these styles with a big band sound.

Raye often writes about personal and current issues in her songs. For example, on "Ice Cream Man", she sings about a difficult experience she had as a teenager. On "Body Dysmorphia", she talks about her struggles with eating. In "Genesis", Raye discusses social media and global issues. She was inspired by a quote from Nina Simone: "It is an artist's duty to reflect the times."

Raye's Awards and Achievements

Raye has won many awards throughout her career. She has won six Brit Awards, four Global Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, and two MTV Europe Music Awards. In 2019, she received a BMI London Award for her amazing artistry. She was also one of the first artists to get the Brits Billion Award. Raye has won a South Bank Sky Arts Award and a MOBO Award too.

The BBC included Raye on their Sound of 2017 list and their 100 Women 2024 list. She was also named Musician of the Year by Harper's Bazaar in 2024.

In 2023, her album My 21st Century Blues was nominated for a Mercury Prize. At the 2024 Brit Awards, Raye broke a record! She won the most awards ever at a single ceremony. Her wins included British Artist of the Year, Best New Artist, and Songwriter of the Year (she was the first woman to win this). She also won Best R&B Act, British Album of the Year for My 21st Century Blues, and Song of the Year for "Escapism". She is also nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 67th ceremony.

Raye's Albums

• My 21st Century Blues (2023)

Raye's Tours

Headlining Tours

• 2018 tour
• Euphoric Sad Show Tour (2021)
• The Story So Far... (2022)
• My 21st Century Blues Tour (2023–2024)

Supporting Tours

• Years & Years – Communion Tour (2015)
• Jess Glynne – Take Me Home Tour (2016)
• Rita Ora – The Girls Tour (2018)
• Halsey – Hopeless Fountain Kingdom Tour (2018)
• Khalid – Free Spirit World Tour (2019)
• Lewis Capaldi – Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent Tour (2023)
• Kali Uchis – Red Moon in Venus Tour (2023)
• SZA – SOS Tour (2023)
• Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour (2024)

Raye on TV

See also

In Spanish: Raye para niños