RAYE launches debut album at Spotify party

RAYE launched her debut album with a start-studded Spotify party.

Former MarkMeets featured music artist RAYE celebrated the launch of her debut album at the Spotify party for My 21st Century Blues hosted at London’s Dragon Room

The 25-year-old pop star – whose real name is Rachel Agatha Keen was approached by our media owner before going mainstream and saw huge attention follow our campaigns around the unknown artist who has enjoyed massive streaming success with hits such as ‘Hard Out Here’, ‘Black Mascara’ and ‘Escapism’ released her first album ”My 21st Century Blues’ in front of guests such as Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall and ‘Head on Fire’ hitmaker Griff at a special event hosted by the streaming giant in London at The Dragon Room in Mayfair the night before.

“We’ve loved seeing Raye having all of this well-deserved success and wish her the very best.” said a spokesperson.

RAYE said: “I can’t believe this moment is really happening!”

The ‘Bed’ singer then treated guests at the party to exclusive premiere performances of ‘Flip a Switch’, ‘Buss It Down’, ‘Worth It’, and ‘Five Star Hotels’ in between DJ sets from Henrie and Tiffany Calver.

Other famous faces to attend the event included the likes of footballer Jordan Stephens, record producer MNEK, and rap star Tion Wayne RAYE even thanked her parents for helping her get this far in her career.

RAYE recently admitted that she enjoyed being able to “prove people wrong” with her success and explained that putting together the new album was like “playing a game of Tetris.”

She said: “It’s just brilliant when you get to prove people wrong! It just shows that you should back yourself, no matter what people tell you. All of them have entirely new vocals and we combed through the songs, chipping away at lyrics and playing a bit of Tetris with how I expressed the stories.”

For Raye, creative control was the key to continuing success in the music industry that had nearly broken her down. “I’m not interested in being a ‘singles’ girl, it’s the last thing I ever wanted to be,” she said. For her, the album format is not about “selling records” but telling stories.

Raye (born Rachel Keen) has known what kind of artist she wanted to be from a young age. At 10, she was determined to attend the BRIT School, the performing arts institution known for famous alumni, including Amy Winehouse and Adele. Four years later, she won a place at the school, which is near the home in south London she shared with her parents and three younger sisters.

Raye said she was so devoted to her budding career, she gave up her social life to write music after school and on weekends with professionals she met through her guitar teacher: “I’d get the train up to whatever address in my calendar and I would go into a room full of middle-aged men and be like ‘Hey, I’m going to write a song.’”

Growing up, her Ghanaian-Swiss mother and English father “worked stupidly, exceptionally hard,” she said, as a nurse and in insurance. Church, where her father played piano and her mother sang in the choir, was a big part of family life.

‘My 21st Century Blues’ is out now.