Raye (singer)

Rachel Agatha Keen, known professionally as Raye, is a British singer-songwriter and record producer born on 24 October 1997. Her music blends elements of jazz, pop, dance, R&B, and soul. She is best known for her UK chart-topping singles "Escapism" and "Where Is My Husband!", her debut album My 21st Century Blues, and her UK number-one second studio album This Music May Contain Hope.

Born in Tooting, London, Raye grew up in Croydon. Her mother, a mental health worker, is of Swiss-German and Ghanaian parentage, and her English father was a musical director. Raye developed an interest in music at age eight, writing her first song after her father taught her piano. She attended the BRIT School for two years before leaving to spend her weekends learning professional songwriting in studio sessions.

In 2014, Raye uploaded her debut extended play, Welcome to the Winter, to SoundCloud, which led to a record deal with Polydor Records. She gained initial chart recognition through featured roles on Jonas Blue's "By Your Side" and Jax Jones's "You Don't Know Me". Following several EPs, her 2020 project Euphoric Sad Songs produced the UK top-ten single "Secrets". After releasing the UK top-three collaboration "Bed" in 2021, Raye left Polydor due to the label withholding her debut studio album.

Raye signed with distribution company Human Re Sources in 2022 and released her debut studio album, My 21st Century Blues, in February 2023. The album reached number two in the UK, and its third single, "Escapism", became her first UK chart-topper. Following the album's success, she launched her own headlining tours, opened for artists including SZA and Taylor Swift, released a live album at the Royal Albert Hall, and co-wrote songs for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter.

In 2025, Raye performed at the Grammy Awards and Academy Awards while releasing new collaborations. In September 2025, she released "Where Is My Husband!", which became her second UK chart-topping single. Her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, was released in March 2026 and became her first UK number-one album, leading to a headline tour across Europe and North America.

Raye has won seven Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, and the Mercury Prize for This Music May Contain Hope. Her six wins at the 2024 Brit Awards set the record for the most awards received by an artist in a single year, and she became the first female recipient of the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year. In addition to her solo recordings, she has contributed extensively as a songwriter for other musicians.