RAYE has spoken to NME about her music business battle to be shortlisted for the Mercury 2023, in addition to her latest collab with Stormzy and hopes for longevity. Watch our interview above.
The London singer-songwriter was talking on the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, the place her 2023 debut ‘My twenty first Century Blues‘ was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Olivia Dean, Fred Once more.., Younger Fathers and Shygirl.
“To be recognised for a body of work is something that I’ve really wanted for a really long time,” she informed NME. “It actually feels prefer it’s taking place. It actually seems like individuals have taken the time to dig into this album and I do know that this shortlist will carry much more ears to individuals who have by no means heard it or heard of me.
“It’s growth, it’s stepping stones, but it’s also just ridiculously unexpected. You know, all of the positive words in the dictionary listed here.”
Requested the thread or concept that holds her album collectively, RAYE replied: “It’s a little bit all over the place, but maybe that’s what I’m like. In life, there are a lot of different colours and textures to what we experience and go through. It’s not happy all the time, it’s not sad all the time – it’s waves and stages. I just try to be as honest as possible, really.”
This comes after final month noticed RAYE hyperlink up together with her previous buddy Stormzy as soon as once more for an additional collab within the kind ‘The Weekend‘.
“I was back in London for literally a day,” she recalled, “I had just got back from America and the next day I was headed somewhere else. I was so jet-lagged and Stormzy called me out of the blue like, ‘RAYE, what you doing? I’m in the studio, do you want to come?’ I went to the studio and we did it!”
She went on to checklist Quincy Jones and Hans Zimmer as her two bucketlist collaborators.
A key aspect of RAYE’s rise to success was the Quantity One single ‘Escapism‘ – which has gone on to grow to be the second-biggest tune of 2023 to this point.
“I’ll take that!” stated RAYE. “My aim is that earlier than I die, I wish to create issues that stand the check of time and reside on as soon as I’m not right here anymore. Possibly that’s a bit of style of that, possibly that’s a bit big-headed to say, however on the finish of the day having music that individuals are listening to is the aim.
In the summertime of 2021, RAYE made headlines when she parted methods with Polydor Data after claiming that the label had refused to launch her debut album, regardless of signing a four-album deal in 2014. Since then, she has gone unbiased to search out success with the eventual launch of her debut album. She even have a robust speech on her previous label troubles and sexual assault throughout her Pyramid Stage look at Glastonbury 2023.
What recommendation would she give to these feeling terrified of getting into the music business?
“It is a scary thing, I get it,” she replied. “It’s really important to find people you can trust and people who allow you to be the artist you want to be. That sounds obvious, but it’s actually not. When you’re an artist, you’re so vulnerable and susceptible to every opinion. Maybe it will effect how you feel about something you once loved, but you’ve just got to get that noise out and trust your instincts. Keep good people around you.”
And again to the Mercurys – and who would RAYE’s cash be on to take dwelling the Prize this 12 months?
“Fred Again..’s album is so brilliant, so maybe him,” she replied. “I think Ezra Collective should take it – they’er so top-tier brilliant. Also, Olivia Dean – I love her – and Shygirl is so fire. Maybe everyone should win? And me!”
The winner of the Mercury Prize shall be introduced at a reside ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo on September 7.