The Unprecedented Story of Raye: Record Breaking Seven Brit Award Nominations

Pop singer Raye received a record seven nominations at the Brit Awards on Wednesday night. It was announced by the organizers. In this context, the English media recall the unprecedented story of a young performer whose talent was ignored by major publishing houses for years until she broke through on her own using social networks.

The track Escapism from last year’s debut album by singer Raye. Photo: ČTK / imago stock&people | Video: Kode Production

The twenty-six-year-old native of the London district of Tooting first drew attention to herself as a guest vocalist in several dance tracks. Although she sang in church since she was a child and composed songs as a teenager, she remained rather unknown to the wider public, writes Guardian newspaper.

In 2021, Raye complained on the social network X, then known as Twitter, that she had a four-record deal with Polydor Records since 2014. However, according to her, the company did not allow her to publish even one. “I only care about music. I’m fed up with how someone has to change my mind again. And I’m fed up with how much pain it causes me. This isn’t business, this is personal” she wrote. She earned support from singers Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama for her statement.

Subsequently, Raye got out of the contract, founded her own label and last year released her debut album called My 21st Century Blues, mixing genres of pop, R&B and house with elements of blues or dancehall.

Songs from it began to spread first on the Tiktok social network, in particular slightly accelerated excerpt from the single Escapism. Users of the social network started adding it to their own videos not only about breakups or love affairs. “If you want to hear it, I’ll give you context / I’m in a really bad situation / The guy I love sat down with me yesterday / And told me it’s over, such a stupid decision,” Raye sings in English on the part of the track that popularized on Tiktok. Surprisingly, it is not a chorus.

Other songs from her album also gradually entered the charts. The record has now received seven nominations at the Brit Awards. According to British BBC it is a historical record for a single performer in a single year. Robbie Williams, Craig David and Gorillaz collected the most nominations so far, six years ago.

Raye has already been nominated for another British Mercury Prize. | Photo: Reuters

Raye could win a statuette for Best Album, Female Vocalist of the Year or take home the award for Song of the Year with Escapism. “It completely grounded me. I was overcome with emotion and confusion, how could this even happen,” responded the singer. “I thought I was written off in music. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think that at the end of it all I would be nominated for seven Brit Awards,” the artist shakes her head.

Over the past year, she has performed on Stephen Colbert’s American TV talk show, at the British Glastonbury music festival or at London’s famous Royal Albert Hall alongside a thirty-member choir. Thanks to the album, she was also nominated for another well-known Mercury Prize.

After four nominations for the more famous Brit Awards, rappers Central Cee and J Hus collected further this Wednesday. Singer Dua Lipa or rapper Little Simz have three. The Scottish trio Young Fathers can also succeed.

Surprisingly, popular singers Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi or Sam Smith will not be able to win the statuette for artist of the year or album of the year. The Rolling Stones and Blur, who released new albums last year called Hackney Diamonds and The Ballad of Darren, have a chance to win in the category for rock and alternative after years.

The winners will be announced on March 2, at the gala evening Dua Lipa will sing, among others. The laureates will be chosen by more than 1,300 members of the voting academy, concludes the BBC.

Selected nominations for the Brit Awards 2024

Rock album
Blur – The Ballad of Darren
J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard
Little Simz – No Thank You
Raye – My 21st Century Blues
Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy

Artist of the year
Arlo Parks
Central Cee
Dave
Dua Lipa
Fred Again
J House
Jessie Ware
Little Simz
Olivia Dean
Raye

Group of the year
Blur
Chase and Status
Headie One & K-Trap
Jungle
Young Fathers

Discovery of the Year
Where are you?
Olivia Dean
PinkPantheress
Raye
Yussef Dayes

The best song
Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding – Miracle
Cassö, Raye and D-Block Europe – Prada
Central Cee – Let Go
Central Cee and Dave – Sprinter
Dua Lipa – Dance the Night
Ed Sheeran – Eyes Closed
J Hus – Who Told You
Kenya Grace – Strangers
Lewis Capaldi – Wish You the Best
PinkPantheress – Boy’s a Liar
Raye – Escapism
Rudimental, Charlotte Plank and Vibe Chemistry – Dancing Is Healing
Stormzy and Debbie – Firebabe
Switch Disco and Ella Henderson – React
Venbee and Goddard – Messy in Heaven

Rock/alternative
Blur
Bring Me the Horizon
The Rolling Stones
Young Fathers
Yussef Dayes

Hip-hop/grime/rap
Casisdead
Central Cee
Dave
J House
Little Simz

Pop
Calvin Harris
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Olivia Dean
Raye

2024-01-25 05:55:55


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