Raye - My 21st Century Blues

by Nick Dent-Robinson

published: 20 / 2 / 2023

Label: Human Re-sources
Format: CD

intro

Much delayed and versatile debut album from South London singer Raye

South London singer Raye (born Rachel Keen) is not a new name. She landed a four-album deal with Polydor back in 2014 but grew frustrated at the label's reluctance to actually allow her to release an album. She therefore parted ways with Polydor in 2021, determined in future to release her music independently. The road to her first album, ‘My 21st Century Blues’ has therefore been a rocky one! Not surprisingly, the new record is emotionally charged. 25 year-old Raye says it is the album she has always longed to make - and it does certainly capture her not inconsiderable talent! Its 15 tracks skip happily between genres with jazzy piano pieces, bluesy guitar numbers, trip-hop, hip-hop and R & B. It highlights Raye as a highly versatile performer who can rap and sing softly or powerfully or let fly with true venom! What Raye has described as “the broken glass” of her late teens and early 20s provide plenty of inspiration. On ‘Hard Out Here’ she vents her exasperation at the music business....... “There's no wrath like a woman scorned....you were sitting on diamonds,” she sings. In ‘Escapism’ which was a Number One single in January, Raye paints a bleak picture of a descent into substance abuse – now thankfully behind her. The heart-wrenching ‘Oscar Winning Tears’ is a big orchestral ballad and “Mary Jane” tells how one bad past relationship drove her to drink. However, despite these challenging experiences, Raye's story is essentially one of survival. As she sings on closing track ‘Fin’..... “I've waited seven years for this moment”. Anyone listening to ‘My 21st Century Blues’ will surely feel it's been worth it!

Track Listing:-

1 Introduction
2 Oscar Winning Tears
3 Hard Out Here
4 Black Mascara
5 Escapism
6 Mary Jane
7 The Thrill Is Gone
8 Ice Cream Man
9 Flip a Switch
10 Body Dysmorphia
11 Environmental Anxiety
12 Five Star Hotels. (Feat. Mahalia)
13 Worth It
14 Buss It Down
15 Fin