Raye
When: 30th November 2023
Location: O2 Academy
Raye is officially the Queen of the charts, having worked with everyone from Ellie Goulding and Stormzy to Beyonce. Coming to Glasgow’s O2 Academy on 30th November 2023.
If you’ve listened to the pop charts at all over the last five years, chances are you’ve come across the distinctively rich sound of London singer, Raye. Born Rachel Agatha Keen and raised in Tooting, Raye landed herself a spot in the BRIT School for two years where she joined the ranks of notable alumni like Adele, Amy Winehouse and Jessie J. However, after two years, the artist dropped out, noting she felt “confined”.
In 2014, Raye released her first EP, Welcome to the Winter, before following up with a number of singles including Flowers in 2015. No downtime needed for the Londoner as in 2016 she released her second EP, appropriately titled Second, featuring collaborations with Stormzy.
From there, Raye began making a name for herself with a number of feature vocals on tracks from dance artists like Jonas Blue and Jax Jones. The single You Don’t Know Me with Jax Jones was co-written by Raye and climbed to the No.3 spot on the UK Singles Chart and was certified double Platinum by the BPI.
The success of these singles resulted in Raye’s first headline concert at XOYO in Shoreditch, London in 2017 before the artist was back with new music in the form of singles, The Line, Sober and Decline.
While working on her own music, Raye also continued to team up with other artists in both a vocal and writing capacity. David Guetta, Ellie Goulding, Charli XCX and Beyonce are among the names the artist has worked alongside.
2020
Raye released the mini-album Euphoric Sad Songs in 2020 which included the hit Secrets and Regardless (another collaboration, this time with Rudimental).
Returning to the studio with David Guetta and joined by Joel Corry, Raye returned to the UK Singles Chart yet again with the single Bed which peaked at No.3 and became her highest charting single as a lead artist.
In 2021, Raye claimed that her label Polydor Records had been withholding her debut album and parted ways with them just weeks later. Then working as an independent artist, Raye received public support from musicians like Charli XCX, MNEK and Rina Sawayama.
Raye announced plans to head back on tour with The Euphoric Sad Show 2021, including performances at venues across Ireland and the UK.
The following year, Raye was nominated for the Ivors Songwriter of the Year, landed on Radio 1’s Brits List, and became the face of Spotify’s November Equal campaign. It was also announced that her debut album My 21st Century Blues was scheduled for release in February 2023.
