My 21st Century Blues
RAYE
2023
Although she is nervous of the comparisons to another British legend, RAYE delivers one of the most vulnerable and dynamic pop&B projects from the other side of the pond that will find listeners moving along to her disturbing personal truths.
Brit Pop/Blues/Hip Hop Soul
BY HARPSICHORD
DECEMBER 10, 2023
RAYE’s snubbing from the Grammys is probably one of the most hurtful music moments to witness in 2023. Released a year ago in February– on the eve of what would be this year’s 66th telecast– the album not only seemed like an obvious choice for some categories, but also for the main prize of ‘Album of the Year.’
The Grammys has a history of celebrating the accomplishments of British artists who create stellar pieces of work. RAYE’s main source of comparisons, Amy Winehouse, collected five Grammys thanks mainly to her breakout global smash, “Rehab.” She not only collected Record and Song of the Year at the 2008 award show, but also Best New Artist. It almost felt as though RAYE had been destined for a similar fate thanks to “Escapism.”
A song that combines boom bap with haunting British pop flare, RAYE’s “Escapism” is candid about a night out on the town where she’s engaging in debauchery because of a broken heart. It’s an expletive-ridden, drug and alcohol fueled escapade that results in her regretting her decisions by song’s end. But as the Grammys proved, “Escapism” lacked the traditional-abiding rules that Winehouse’s jazzy “Rehab” upheld. It was in fact a little bit too progressive for the tastes of the voting committee– even after making a Top 10 dent on US Pop Radio charts.
As an emerging industry heavyweight, RAYE has produced and song-written for the likes of Charli XCX on 2017’s “Dreamer,” Jessie Reyez and Normani on 2018’s “Bodycount,” and Beyoncé on 2019’s “Bigger.” All of her hard work is finally paying off. She’s the most nominated artist in the history of the Brit Awards of her native UK– the first in the award show’s 44-year history to receive seven nominations. Amongst her nominations, My 21st Century Blues receives Album of the Year recognition and “Escapism” is in a loaded 15-nominee (!!!) Song of the Year category.
As an album as a whole, My 21st Century Blues is personal and candid. The album starts out with a piano and the clinking of glasses and silverware as RAYE is being announced in a lounge to come to the stage. It eerily mirrors what Amy Winehouse evokes on her 2003 album, Frank , particularly the soundscape of “Pumps.” Oddly enough, when asked about her comparisons to Amy Winehouse, RAYE confessed, “I get insecure with that.”
And it’s clear to see why. RAYE has her own voice and own style that makes her uniquely one of the front runners for today’s pop and R&B scene. From the introduction, the story picks up with the piano underscoring “Oscar Winning Tears.” “Hello, it's RAYE here/Please get nice and comfortable and lock your phones/Because the story is about to begin,” she reveals the concept to be.
Just because the album is centered around “blues” does not mean that the music has to be depressed. RAYE does a beautiful job of telling her story with conviction. It’s the “21st century” aspect of what the album’s title promises. Just as “Escapism” knocks with a banging hip hop-esque beat, so does “Hard Out Here.” In fact, both singles have the pitter patter of the 808 drums that pound in the thought process of her head. “What you know about hustling?/As a young girl (Young girl) in the dungeons (Dungeons),” she notifies her listener.
Listening to RAYE, it’s clear to see why the Grammys would have some difficulty embracing her as an artist. She’s on a warpath because of past trauma: “All the white men CEOs, f*ck your privilege/Get your pink chubby hands of my mouth, fuck you think this is?” On “Hard Out Here.” she compares her pen to a gun, and delves into her wrath. And through that one song’s lyrics– and most of the album– she reveals her candid British intonations: “Top of the day, top of the day, top of the day to you” as if she’s music’s rebellious Mary Poppins. Confident in her swagger, tidying up the lack of charisma and raw passion.
Later in My 21st Century Blues , there is a hip hop meets dancehall riddim as heard in “Flip A Switch,” which should have become a summer 2k23 anthem. Even Coi Leray tried to hop on a remix of the song, but unfortunately there was no real push behind the bop that should have been blazing through the speakers of bashments. Maybe what had been so alerting about My 21st Century Blues is the fact that RAYE has no qualms about calling out the inappropriate male figures who have traumatized her.
The album is not an attack on all men– but rather calls out the abuse she’s endured. “Ice Cream Man” finds her reliving the hurt of being sexually abused. “Hard Out Here.” calls out the record execs who took advantage of her. “Mary Jane” and “The Thrill Is Gone” are the portions of “blues” as promised by the album title. But on the flip side, on “Five Star Hotels” there sounds to be a record scratch crying out over a trap beat as she sings lustfully for a man who is positive enough for her future.
What made her muse– in everyone else’s eyes– Amy Winehouse so brilliant was the fact that she placed the most uncomfortable songs in the midst of her music runs. At one moment a listener can be grooving and then they’re suddenly smacked with a hard, cold truth. My 21st Century Blues does a great job of walking a tightrope between the uptempo numbers and the more unsettling ones. However, it’s at “Body Dysmorphia” that combines those two worlds so well. The song specifically discusses how RAYE suffers through the disease, but does so in a cold, chilly quiet storm sense that bounces in trip hop.
Much of what’s haunting about the reality of this album is that you're going to end up partying to disturbing content. Music has the ability to make you move, but when you really sit back and listen to the lyrics, you can go “wait a minute.” RAYE’s work is something profound to digest, it can be a lot to unpack in a world where pop glosses over hardships with innuendo. RAYE said that Amy Winehouse is “top tier.” Well, Rachel Agatha Keen, based on your debut album, you are that too… Just like AMY, RAYE does not sugar coat anything, and that’s the essence of brilliant work.
“Hard Out Here” for the hook aligning with the “baby, I bounce back” rhythm that adds distinct character to the song.
“Escapism” for being the best single to be released in 2023. All around perfection that deserved to top the UK charts at No. 1.
“Flip A Switch” for doing exactly what its title suggests on this album’s tracklist.
“Body Dysmorphia” for being the album’s best song, which gives a realistic account of RAYE’s struggles, but does so in a way that still makes the song an enjoyable, upbeat listen. In fact, the production and vocal delivery is what helps garner that empathy/sympathy in the most unlikely way possible.
Key Tracks
One of the boldest albums released in 2023, My 21st Century Blues does a great job of staying true to the artist. It’s a bright shining moment that captures personality and personal story. While most projects like this tend to be heavy on lyrical content, there is a fine balance of production pushing through to make the story more spirited.