RAYE My 21st Century Blues LP Vinyl ALBUM FACTORY SEALED
£
130
$
172
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Description
Raye (3) – My 21st Century Blues
Singer-songwriter Raye has been all over the pop landscape whether you’ve paid attention or not – penning hits, collaborating, being an all-round successful artist in every sense of the word. However, there seemed to be a caveat: the fact that Raye hadn’t released her debut album after many years of being signed. She later publicly revealed that this was, rather bluntly, the result of major label politics. Following this, a brief period of time passed before Raye announced her newfound artistic independence. This might come across as padding, but it is necessary to mention as Raye’s narrative matches those of many other artists who find their voices silenced by a cutthroat industry.
However, while going independent presents its own set of challenges, rising from the ashes of this major label struggle is the victorious and anguished debut album My 21st Century Blues – a 15-track compendium of Raye fearlessly tackling an array of traumatic experiences she’s faced professionally and personally. This is far from a “safe” debut – her authenticity, vulnerability and innate ability to scribe the gory innards of her consciousness on to paper are entirely unique and intimately personal. It is not always the easiest listen and that is precisely the point.
A lot of these tracks roil and seethe in their anger and sadness, but without ever letting the sun get fully eclipsed by the dark. The main element of this album is catharsis: acknowledging the wounds to begin the healing. For example, Raye’s raw heartbreak is explored immediately through the militaristic drums and piano chords of “Oscar Winning Tears”; a theatrical opener where Raye calls out a toxic ex-lover for playing victim once she decides she’s had enough; “I can’t deny, I was stuck in a daze / A terrible phase / You was convincing though, very believable / The role that you played.”
Raye is not too proud to pretend heartbreak glances off her; she goes quite deep into the spiralling despair that accompanies such feelings. “The Thrill Is Gone” is a brutal treatise on the fading of feelings as she sings over the funky, lowkey production: “He’s a Leo sun, a Leo moon, and a Leo rising / Something dies in his eyes when I find them.”
My 21st Century Blues is an incredible album – striking, brutal, raw and ultimately, hopeful. It is a testament to personal and professional perseverance. Rarely do pop artists dive this deep on their debut album and wear their bleeding hearts on their sleeves the way Raye has. To know this is only the beginning is exciting for both the artist and the listeners who will no doubt emerge from this listening experience feeling like they too can overcome the obstacles thrown in their path.
Tracklist
A1 Introduction.
A2 Oscar Winning Tears.
A3 Hard Out Here.
A4 Black Mascara.
A5 Escapism.
A6 Mary Jane.
A7 The Thrill Is Gone.
B1 Ice Cream Man.
B2 Flip A Switch.
B3 Body Dysmorphia.
B4 Environmental Anxiety.
B5 Five Star Hotels.
B6 Worth It.
B7 Buss It Down.
B8 Fin.
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