Raye told crowds at Coachella Festival that her next album would be an exciting departure from her previous work.
Despite her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, scooping her a record-breaking six BRIT Awards last month, she teased that the follow-up would ‘not [be] what you expected’.
Since her hit first album, the singer, 26, has already gone multi-platinum with Prada and co-wrote Riiverdance – one of the tracks on Beyoncé’s new country album Cowboy Carter.
The star who has made her name in R&B told the California crowd on Saturday: ‘This next piece of music I’m going to put out, I’m so proud of it and I just need you to know. I can’t wait for you to hear it, it’s not what you expected.’
It came a day after her collaboration with Little Mix star Perrie Edwards was announced for the latter’s debut solo album.
Raye told the California crowd at Coachella on Saturday to expect the unexpected from her second album
The 26-year-old won a record-breaking six BRIT Awards for her debut – My 21st Century Blues – last month
The songstress’ nine-track set featured seven of the best from her first album, the multi-platinum hit Prada and her unreleased single Let There Be Light
Raye’s nine-track set at the Empire Polo Club in Indio consisted of seven of her best from My 21st Century Blues, as well as Prada and her unreleased single Let There Be Light.
She performed in a women-dominated opening weekend for the festival, including a shock appearance from Billie Eilish during Lana Del Rey’s Friday night performance.
Also on Friday, as Raye prepared to take to the Mojave stage the next day, Perrie – dropping her surname – released her debut single, Forget About Us, co-written by Ed Sheeran.
Perrie also announced a second collaboration with Ed, 33, will feature on the album, as will a track featuring Raye.
‘Getting in the studio with her was ridiculous,’ the 30-year-old gushed.
‘She just oozes stardom, I can’t explain it – I think she’s one of the greatest artists of our generation.
‘I’ve been very lucky that the people I have idolised have been really nice to work with – there’s been no big egos or intimidating moments, I think that’s what made the experience so special for me.’
Perrie is yet to reveal when her debut album will be released, as is also the case with Raye and the BRIT star’s second album.
In a 2023 interview about being snubbed by the Grammys, she insisted she has ‘barely scratched the surface of what I know musically I can give’.
She added on X: ‘Just a message to say thank you for all the lovely messages but just to let you know I am not upset at all, I am hungry and grateful.
‘The Grammys are awarded for the best music has to offer and I have barely scratched the surface of what I know musically I can give [sic].’
Raye became the first artist in history to win six awards in a single night at the BRIT Awards in March.
However, the Prada hitmaker felt like her career was crumbling just 18 months before her triumph at the ceremony.
The day before Raye took to the Coachella stage, Perrie Edwards released her debut single, with Raye set to feature on a later song
In an album with a star-studded set of features, the Little Mix star collaborated with Ed Sheeran for her new hit, Forget About Us
Neither Perrie nor Raye have announced release dates for the albums they have teased
Raye worried her musical dream was slipping away less than two years ago when she had to beg her agent not to drop her.
She told The Times: ‘I’m just happy to be here: 18 months ago my career had gone to [hell]. I remember seeing my live agent at a gig.
‘I went up to him, with tears in my eyes, and begged him not to give up on me. I told him I had more fight in me. A week later he set up this tiny tour.
‘It was a hundred tickets per venue; me sat at the piano for two hours, talking the audience through my story so far. Had someone said then that I’d be at the O2 in less than two years, even I would have thought they were mad.’
Three years ago, Raye parted ways with her label Polydor Records after accusing them of refusing to release her albums and she went on to relaunch her career as an independent artist.
Raye (seen performing at the BRITs in March, had worried her musical dream was slipping away as recently as two years ago
