Born in Tooting to a Ghanaian-Swiss mother and English father, Raye began singing in 2014 and at 19 years old rose to fame by featuring on Jax Jones You Don’t Know Me which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.
Born as Rachel Keen, the budding artist moved to Croydon and started studying at Woodcote High School.
Shen grew up attending a church in Croydon, where her father was the musical director, and her mother sang in the choir.
Aged 14 Raye was accepted to attend the BRIT school where she stayed until she was 16.
Shortly after she dropped out as she felt she was ‘confined despite learning an extensive amount.’
Born in Tooting to a Ghanaian-Swiss mother and English father, Raye began singing in 2014 and at 19 years old rose to fame by featuring on Jax Jones You Don’t Know Me
Born as Rachel Keen, the budding artist moved to Croydon and started studying at Woodcote High School before attending the BRIT School for two years
‘I did two years and learned an extensive amount… but nobody there liked pop music,’ she told the BBC. ‘It’s all cool, underground, indie artists. I felt confined.’
In 2017, she was shortlisted for the BBC Music Sound of… award and came in third place.
Then in 2018 she won at the ASCAP London Music Awards and was nominated for a BRIT award for her You Don’t Know Me single.
In June 2021, Raye revealed that her record label, Polydor Records, had been withholding her debut album for several years and she went on a hiatus.
She took to Twitter to tell her 50,000 followers at the time: ‘I have been on a 4 ALBUM RECORD DEAL since 2014. And haven’t been allowed to put out one album.’
A month later, the singer announced she had left Polydor Records and begun working as an independent artist.
After releasing her single Ice Cream Man in 2023, Raye shared her experience with being assaulted by a music producer who forced his hand between her legs when she was 17 years old.
Whilst performing on the Pyramid Stage last year at Glastonbury she paused between singing the song saying: ‘This next song is about sexual abuse, and rape, and sexual violence. And I know that’s heavy, okay.
In 2017, she was shortlisted for the BBC Music Sound of… award and came in third place
In June 2021, Raye revealed that her record label, Polydor Records, had been withholding her debut album for several years and she went on a hiatus
‘But I also know one in four men and women will experience that in their lifetime. So I know that I’m not alone when I sing this today.’
In an interview with Cosmopolitan last year, she said she still suffers from panic attacks and PTSD regularly.
‘When I think about the panic attacks, the PTSD…you realise that someone’s actions become your burden to carry, and there is nowhere you can put it other than a therapy session,’ she said.
‘Every girl I know in this industry has some sort of story to tell me. The studio is such a vulnerable space.
‘And if you say something, you create an enemy who will spread rumours or blacklist you – and you need those connections to open doors for yourself.
‘Even though the people decide very much what’s consumed on the outside, inside, the music industry is still very much a gatekept society.’
In January last year her single ‘Escapism’ went to UK number one and became a huge hit on social media platform TikTok.
In January last year her single ‘Escapism’ went to UK number one and became a huge hit on social media platform TikTok
And in February she later released her studio Album My 21st Century Blues which was written and produced by herself. The album was number one in the charts for over a week.
This year she has been nominated for seven BRIT awards, the most any artist has ever been nominated for.
Last year the singer wasn’t nominated for any BRITS and was a nominee for Best Dance Act in 2022.
Raye now shines as one of the brightest stars in today’s music scene, boasting seven top 20 singles, 33 million monthly listeners on Spotify, an Ivor Novello Award, multiple Brit Award nominations and a track record of writing for the industry’s biggest names.
Speaking about her BRIT nominations this year, she said the industry considered her ‘down and out’.
‘It’s a miracle, it’s deep. Year and a half ago, as far as the industry was concerned, I was down and out and never in my wildest dreams would I feel like trying again and it would lead to seven BRIT nominations.
‘I’m a Brit kid, I went to the BRIT’s School and this was the goal. The ultimate goal was to find my way somehow to the Brit awards.
‘This is a whole different thing. It’s a joke. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.’
Raye is the most nominated British female in BRIT Awards history after receiving seven nominations on Wednesday.
The London-born singer broke records on Wednesday with seven nominations, the most received by any female artist, following the release of her long-awaited debut album, My 21st Century Blues.
This year’s BRIT Awards will be live on ITV on March 2 at 8pm.
BRIT AWARDS 2024 – THE NOMINATIONS IN FULL
SONG OF THE YEAR
Calvin Harris – Miracle
Casso x RAYE – Prada
Central Cee – Let Go
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
Pink Pantheress – Boy’s a Liar
RAYE – Escapism
Rudimental – Dancing is Healing
Stormzy – Firebae
Switch Disco – React
Venebee – Messy in Heaven
BEST NEW ARTIST
Mahalia
Olivia Dean
Pinkpantheress
RAYE
Yuseff Dayes
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Arlo Parks
Central Cee
Dave
Dua Lipa
Fred Again…
J Hus
Jessie Ware
Little Simz
Olivia Dean
RAYE
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Blur
Chase & Status
Headie One and K-Trap
Jungle
Young Fathers
INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Blink 182
Boygenius
Foo fighters
Gabriels
Paramore
DANCE ACT
Barry Can’t Swim
Becky Hill
Calvin Harris
Fred Again…
Romy
R&B ACT
Cleo Sol
Jorja smith
Mahalia
RAYE
Sault
ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Blur
Bring Me The Horizon
The Rolling Stones
Young Fathers
Yusseff Dayes
HIP HOP/GRIME/RAP ACT
CASSIEDEAD
Central Cee
Dave
J Hus
Little Simz
POP ACT
Calvin Harris
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Olivia Dean
RAYE
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
Asake
Burna Boy
Caroline Polachek
CMAT
Kylie Minogue
Lana del Rey
Miley Cyrus
Olivia Rodrigo
SZA
Taylor Swift
INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For
David Kushner – Daylight
Doja Cat – Paint The Town Red
Jazzy – Giving Me
Libianca – People
Meghan Trainer – Made You Look
Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Noah Kahan – Stick Season
Oliver Tree – Miss you
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
Peggy Gou – It Goes Like
Rema – Calm Down
SZA – Kill Bill
Tate McRae – Greedy –
Tyla – Water
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Blur – the Ballad of Darren
J Hus – Beautiful
Little Simz – No Thank You
RAYE – My 21st Century Blues
Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy
BRIT RISING STAR
Caity Baser
Sekou Island
The Last Dinner Party (Winner)
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