RAYE Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

RAYE, Sampha and Yussef Dayes leading nominees.The nominees were announced today (April 23) in eight categories including the Best Album, Best Contemporary Song and the Rising Star Award with Amazon Music. The awards ceremony with Amazon Music will take place on May 23 at Grosvenor House.Sampha and Yussef Dayes have the most nominations with two each; each artist is contending for a Best Album award for their respective records ‘Lahai‘ and ‘Black Classical Music’.

RAYE has spoken out against “evil” practises within the music industry, claiming that “songwriters are being manipulated”.The musician made the comments backstage at Coachella, where she spoke with Rolling Stone. “We’re all here at Coachella essentially to watch songs we love, hear the lyrics and the melodies that we love,” she began. “And there are some incredibly, stupidly, ridiculously talented people who can’t pay their rent who are writing the songs.

Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson has spoken to NME about the reissue of their 2005 album ‘Bleed Like Me’, the worsening conditions of the music industry, and the band’s plans for new material.This week sees the alt-rock veterans drop their fourth album on vinyl for the first time, along with a raft of b-sides, remixes and rarities hitting streaming for the first time. While containing the singles and fan favourites ‘Sex Is Not The Enemy’, ‘Why Do You Love Me’ and ‘Run Baby Run’, the album arrived to mixed reviews and didn’t perform as well as its hugely commercially successful predecessors.“To be a frank, I never had a particularly good relationship with that record until relatively recently,” Manson told NME.

RAYE appeared on Saturday Night Live last night (April 6), appearing twice across the show to perform a selection of her recent hits.The singer had performed ‘Escapism’ earlier in the night, but later in the show she returned with a jazz orchestra to sing ‘Worth It’ and ‘Let There Be Light’.RAYE has performed with an orchestra on numerous occasions, including at her recent headline ‘My 21st Century Symphony’ show at London’s O2 Arena and a similar performance at the Royal Albert Hall. In a five-star review of the performance, NME wrote: “Throughout, her effortless vocals – reminiscent of Amy Winehouse or nostalgic jazz club singers – fly across the orchestra, melismatic runs soaring through the huge arena and scat singing incorporated.“A triumphant performance from a live sensation, this was a career-defining show for RAYE.”Check out her live renditions of ‘Worth It’ and ‘Let There Be Light’ below:Raye performing a medley of “Worth It.” and a new song on #SNL pic.twitter.com/2cXrndbIYX— RAYE Updates (@RayeUpdate) April 7, 2024Meanwhile, RAYE recently revealed that she co-wrote one of Beyoncé‘s songs on ‘Cowboy Carter’.The six times BRIT Awards winner has previously penned songs for Queen Bey most notably 2019’s ‘Bigger’ along with tracks for Mabel and Charli XCX.Now, she has taken to Instagram to celebrate the release of the new record, which dropped today, and share her “honour” in contributing to the LP.Sharing a clip of herself singing along to the track, which you can listen to below, RAYE wrote: “happy COWBOY CARTER day.

RAYE has revealed that she co-wrote one of Beyoncé‘s songs on ‘Cowboy Carter’.The six times BRIT Awards winner has previously penned songs for Queen Bey most notably 2019’s ‘Bigger’ along with tracks for Mabel and Charli XCX,Now, she has taken to Instagram to celebrate the release of the new record, which dropped today, and share her “honour” in contributing to the LP.Sharing a clip of herself singing along to the track, which you can listen to below, RAYE wrote: “happy COWBOY CARTER day. What an honour it is to being able to contribute my small piece to this beautiful album, and to THE @beyonce who continues to inspire all of us.

Trevor Nelson has spoken to NME about his career, the state of UK R&B, and shared some advice for young people on getting into the media industry.The DJ and radio pioneer was speaking to NME after hosting a panel talk at the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies’ London campus.As part of Confetti’s 2024 Industry Week inviting leaders from the worlds of music and media, Nelson spoke to Crowd DNA content and media agency professional Andy Crysell, actor and movie producer Hester Ruoff, former head of content at Spotify Vino Vethavanam, and Dale Davis – the former musical director for Amy Winehouse.Having started out working in a record store before becoming a DJ and presenter on the then-pirate radio station KISS FM, the MBE recipient told the crowd that the biggest low point of his career came after the channel was legalised in 1990.“I had a daytime show and, two years into that show, I got fired,” Nelson told the panel and audience. “When my boss told me in he was in tears because he couldn’t believe I had just been fired, and I didn’t care.

RAYE is set to make an appearance on Saturday Night Live as a music guest, it’s been confirmed this week (March 13).She will perform on the US show on April 6, which will be hosted by actor and comedian Kristen Wiig.

RAYE has hit out at industry executives for underpaying songwriters while taking huge profits for themselves.The British artist – who took home a record-breaking six BRIT awards this month – said that songwriters are left “fighting over scraps of publishing”.Speaking in an interview with the Daily Star‘s ‘Wired’ column (per MusicNews), the ‘Escapism’ singer said: “For an industry that profits off songs, you got these CEOs and big label execs living in their fat huge Chelsea mansions, living a beautiful life, meanwhile songwriters you are profiting off are broke, can’t afford rent and fighting over scraps of publishing that is sat in bank accounts for two years before they receive a penny, because publishers have kept it in there so they can collect interest and make a whole separate business.”The artist also broke down the payment model for artists and songwriters, explaining: “Every single song that’s released in the world, there are 100 royalty points.“The label will take, say, 80 points. The artist, in a good deal, will take maybe 20, 15, or maybe 12 and then producers get four points, but it has to come out of the artist’s points.“And the songwriter doesn’t even get one point.

RAYE has spoken to NME about her record-breaking number of wins at this year’s BRIT Awards, and what it’s like to receive praise from artists including Kylie Minogue. Watch our video interview with her below.The singer-songwriter went into this year’s ceremony as the artist with the most nominations, with a record-breaking seven. She then went on to win in six categories, including Songwriter Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Act and Best New Artist.

RAYE used a BRITs acceptance speech to call on music executives to allow songwriters to receive royalty payments. The singer spoke from the stage at the O2 in London while accepting the Songwriter Of The Year award, and took the opportunity to bring the issue to a wider platform. “I think we need to have a conversation,” she said.

BBC Radio 1 drivetime host Vick Hope held a panel talk on the importance of “broadening access to music and shaping the future of the industry for the next generation.”The event took place at One Hundred Shoreditch in east London last week (February 20) ahead of tonight’s BRIT Awards. It was in support of Mastercard’s latest campaign centred around seven “music trailblazers” who are making “change in the music industry across technology, diversity and inclusion. ”This year, they highlighted the work of electronic artist Geo Aghinea, award-winning musician Elizabeth J.

BRIT Awards 2024 has announced Raye as the winner of the Songwriter Of The Year prize.The singer is nominated for a record-breaking seven awards at Saturday night’s ceremony (March 2), including Artist Of The Year, Mastercard Album Of The Year (‘My 21st Century Blues’) and Best New Artist.Raye will also perform live at the BRITs 2024, appearing on the line-up alongside Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue (this year’s BRITs Global Icon), Tate McRae, Jungle and Rema. There’ll be collaborative performances from Becky Hill and Chase & Status, and Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding too.Today (February 28), it’s been confirmed that Raye is the recipient of this year’s Songwriter Of The Year award.Introduced in 2022, the prestigious prize celebrates exceptional songwriting talent and was decided upon by a select panel of expert judges.

RAYE has performed an emotive cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’. Check it out below.The rendition of the classic 1965 track was shared by the Mercury Prize nominated singer yesterday (February 9) as part of the latest episode of Triple J’s Like A Version series.In the performance, RAYE delivers a seemingly more stripped-back approach to that of the original.

RAYE has announced a huge London O2 Arena show in celebration of her historic BRIT nominations – find details down below.For one night only, RAYE will perform at the O2 on March 15 to 18,000 concertgoers, where she will be joined by The Heritage Orchestra and the Flames Collective.“I think we’ve completely lost our minds but we are bringing ‘My 21st Century Symphony’ to the O2 Arena,” RAYE shared.She further stated in a press release: “This is my first headline performance at The O2 Arena. We will have 90 guests on stage, including the Heritage Orchestra and Flames Collective, our guests from The Royal Albert Hall, to perform ‘My 21st Century Symphony’.

RAYE has responded to breaking a new BRIT Awards record in 2024, saying it is beyond her “wildest dreams”.The singer is nominated for seven awards at this year’s ceremony, the most by a single artist in the show’s history.The previous record – six nominations – was jointly held by Robbie Williams, Gorillaz and Craig David.Speaking to BBC News about the honour, RAYE said: “I’m a BRIT kid, innit? I went to the BRIT School and it was the goal, the ultimate goal, to find my way somehow to the BRIT Awards.”She added: “As far as the industry was concerned, I was down and out. Never in my wildest dreams would I think trying again would mean seven BRIT nominations.

Elton John has unveiled his favourite festive songs of 2023.The legendary singer-songwriter shared his selection as part of a Christmas edition of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music.The list included his own 1973 festive hit ‘Step Into Christmas’ along with seasonal songs and covers by Elvis, RAYE and Phoebe Bridgers.Taking to his official Instagram account, ahead of the show he wrote: “It’s the Rocket Hour Christmas Special! This year I have selected an eclectic mix of old and new, ranging festive classics from The Ronettes, Elvis Presley and Greg Lake, to some of my favourite new Christmas songs and covers from contemporary artists including RAYE, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens, as well as some lesser-known deep cuts.

Jools Holland‘s traditional New Year’s Eve show on BBC2 has been announced.Jools’ Annual Hootenanny will see the likes of Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, Olivia Dean, Paul Jones, P.P. Arnold, RAYE, Sugababes and The Mary Wallopers seeing in 2024.Other guests include Boogie Woogie Queen, Ruby Turner and as always, the Pipes & Drums of the 1st Battalion Scot Guards will feature, as the hour strikes midnight.Details of which songs the artists will perform on the night are yet to be announced.This year’s show will air from 11.30pm GMT on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer this Sunday (December 31).

Little Simz and Stormzy leading the way.Both acts are up for four awards each with the former up for Best Female Act (in association with Shea Moisture), Album of The Year, Video of The Year and Best Hip Hop Act while the latter has been nominated for Best Male Act, Album of The Year, Song of The Year, Video of The Year.The annual celebration of Black music and culture, which is now on its 26th edition, will return on on February 7 at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.Central Cee, PinkPantheress, J Hus and Raye have also received three nominations each.Raye and PinkPantheress will go up against Little Simz for Best Female, and they are also in the running for Song Of The Year with ‘Escapism’ and ‘Boy’s A Liar Pt 2’.‘Sprinter’ by Central Cee and ‘Who Told You’ by ‘J Hus’ are the final Song Of The year contenders, and the rappers are also up for Best Male Act.J Hus’ ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’ and Raye’s ‘My 21st Century Blues’ are also nominated for Album Of The Year.MOBO Founder Kanya King CBE said: “We are proud to champion this year’s incredible lineup of nominees for the 26th MOBO Awards, who have all brought stellar music and content to our attention through their remarkable work in music, film, TV, online and more.“This year’s nominees not only represent the best of their genre and artform and an incredible year of music, but also continue our dedication to sustaining an inclusive ecosystem where diverse talent is both recognised and empowered to thrive.”Little Simz, Knucks, Central Cee, PinkPantheress and the late Jamal Edwards were among the winners at last year’s event which was staged at London’s OVO Arena Wembley.The full list of hosts and performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

RAYE has opened up about her experience of abuse of power in the music industry, calling the effects “crippling”.In a snippet of an upcoming interview with Louis Theroux, the singer delved into what it has taken to release her debut album, ‘My 21st Century Blues‘. The interview will be released on November 28.“When you’re up and coming, when you have a dream and you cross paths with powerful people – some people abuse their power and the effects of that can be crippling,” she said.As RAYE initially entered her music career, she said she was “so young and so hungry to make my dreams a reality.”But in 2021, RAYE publically expressed her frustrations at her then-label, Polydor.

RAYE has responded to being snubbed in the 2024 Grammy nominations that were announced last week.The London singer-songwriter failed to receive any nominations for her acclaimed 2023 album ‘My 21st Century Blues‘ – her long-awaited debut after leaving her label following a high profile dispute.The eight nominees (instead of the usual 10) for Album Of The Year include boygenius, SZA, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Jon Batiste, Lana Del Rey and Janelle Monae.RAYE has since responded on X/Twitter, insisting that she is “not upset at all” about not receiving any nods.“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,” she shared on Saturday (November 11).“The Grammys are awarded for the best music has to offer andI have barely scratched the surface of what I know musically I can give.”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

Louis Theroux has revealed the Hollywood star he would love to interview next.The journalist and documentary maker has become well-known interviewing various interesting members of society, something he has been doing for almost thirty decades.Last year, his career went to the next level he turned to celebrities and faces of entertainment and culture as the BBC announced a new series called, Louis Theroux Interviews, for which he spoke to a variety of stars from Judi Dench to Bear Grylls.However, even the person who has met a lot of A-listers still has some interviewees he’s keen to check off.According to Metro, Theroux shared who would be on his interview bucket list, at a recent screening and Q&A for his BBC series.“The door is always open for Tom Cruise,” said the 53-year-old broadcaster. “If Lisa Marie Presley was still alive, she would be ideal as well,” he added.

Louis Theroux Interviews, including Pete Doherty and RAYE.The six-episode series sees the journalist and broadcaster interview various celebrities about their lives and careers. In the first series, which aired last year, Theroux met the likes of Rita Ora, Yungblud and Stormzy.In the second series, Theroux will meet The Libertines and Babyshambles frontman in Normandy, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Reverend Al Green has made his return by sharing a cover of Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’. Check it out below.The track is the first new music that the American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer has recorded in five years.

RAYE has spoken to NME about her music industry battle to be shortlisted for the Mercury 2023, as well as her recent collab with Stormzy and hopes for longevity. Watch our interview above.The London singer-songwriter was speaking at the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, where her 2023 debut ‘My 21st Century Blues‘ was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Olivia Dean, Fred Again.., Young Fathers and Shygirl.“To be recognised for a body of work is something that I’ve really wanted for a really long time,” she told NME.

Olivia Dean has spoken to NME about her Mercury-shortlisted album ‘Messy’, as well as going to school with fellow nominee RAYE and penning the England Women’s World Cup anthem, ‘Call Me A Lioness’. Watch our interview above.The London singer-songwriter was speaking at the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, where her 2023 debut was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Young Fathers and Shygirl.Dean told NME about how she was “overwhelmed” and “shocked” to be shortlisted, but “trying to be present and take it all in”.“Can you believe it? It only came out three weeks ago! I’m like, ‘Guys! Give me a sec!’,” she said.Asked about the character of the album, Dean told NME: “Hopefully, it captures a message of allowing yourself to be imperfect. I really enjoyed that I made an album that feels human and doesn’t feel processed or that it was made by 100 people over email.

K-pop girl group aespa have teased their upcoming single ‘Better Things’, which is allegedly an unreleased demo track by English singer-songwriter RAYE.Last week, aespa began sharing teasers for a mysterious new release, which the group later revealed would be a single titled ‘Better Things’, due out on August 18 at midnight local time.Today (July 31), the quartet unveiled a teaser for the song which included an 8-bit-inspired snippet of the track playing over a visual of a retro handheld water ring toss game.aespa 에스파 ‘Better Things’➫ 2023.08.18 0AM (KST) / 0AM (PDT) / 0AM (EST)*Releasing at your local time midnight

Stormzy and RAYE teamed up for the sultry and 2000s-reminiscent collaborative single, ‘The Weekend’. Check out the track and the video below.‘The Weekend’ is the second collaboration from the two south Londoners have together – following the Norbury grime star hopping on the R&B singer’s single  ‘Ambition’ back in 2016.Yesterday (July 19), Stormzy and RAYE dropped their new London-produced single.

RAYE gave a powerful speech on sexual assault and her label troubles during her Pyramid Stage set at Glastonbury 2023 yesterday (June 24).The singer, who went independent after a high-profile label dispute last year and recently released debut album ‘My 21st Century Blues’, hit the festival’s main stage on Saturday afternoon.During the nine-song set, she took time to address her public issues around her former label, saying: “I can’t quite express how much it’s taken me to get to this moment right now. I’ve been a musician since I can remember.

Harry Styles, Wet Leg, RAYE and more all won at this week’s Ivor Novello Awards – see the full list of winners below.At Thursday’s (May 18) ceremony in London, Wet Leg’s Hester Chambers and Rhian Teasdale were honoured as Songwriters Of The Year, with the judging panel describing their style as  “fresh, unapologetic and direct, with surprising melodies that demand attention.”RAYE, meanwhile, won Best Contemporary Song for ‘Escapism’, which she also performed on the night, while Styles won the Music Most Performed Work award for ‘As It Was’.72 individual songwriters and composers from Britain and Ireland were nominated for the 2023 Ivors, and songwriting partnerships with Harry Styles and Kid Harpoon, and Cleopatra Nikolic (known artistically as Cleo Sol) and Dean ‘Inflo’ Josiah Cover lead the way, with three nominations each.Best Album nominees included Arctic Monkeys’ latest effort, ‘The Car’, as well as Little Simz’s ‘No Thank You’, Fontaines D.C.’s ‘Skinty Fia’, but the award went to Sault’s ‘11’.Elsewhere, Charli XCX won the Visionary Award and Sting was awarded Academy Fellowship.See the full list of award winners below.Academy FellowshipSting Best Album’11’ Written by Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover, Jamar McNaughton, Cleopatra Nikolic and Jack Peñate Performed by SAULT Published in the UK by Copyright Control and Sentric Music Best Contemporary Song‘Escapism’ Written by 070 Shake, RAYE and Mike Sabath Performed by RAYE and 070 Shake Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music Best Original Film ScoreDon’t Worry DarlingComposed by John Powell Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing Best Original Video Game ScoreMario + Rabbids Sparks of HopeComposed by Gareth Coker, Grant Kirkhope and

SZA has added two more London shows to her recently announced 2023 European tour – see the dates below and buy tickets here.Earlier this week, the singer announced new tour dates in the UK, Europe and US behind new album ‘SOS’. They follow a US arena tour that kicked off in February.In addition to the two initial London dates at The O2 on June 17 and 18, SZA has now announced that she will return to the venue on June 25 and 26 for two more gigs.The second leg of the tour will see the Grammy-winning R&B artist perform at arenas in Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich, Berlin and Cologne, before moving through the UK for gigs in Manchester and Glasgow ahead of the London residency.All European dates will take place throughout June and will end with one performance in Dublin’s 3Arena.

RAYE has said she would love to form a rock supergroup with Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama and Ivorian Doll.The artist was speaking to POPSUGAR when she was asked who would be in her dream band. “Rina Sawayama, Charli XCX, and Ivorian Doll.

My 21st Century Blues (★★★★☆).Her first full-length album is an impressive debut that not only shows off the strengths we already knew she possessed, but shows what she’s capable of when she has free rein.The first indication that Raye was really onto something came with “Escapism,” Raye’s first single to chart internationally. The song’s trip-hoppy beat clips along at a brisk, tense pace, underscoring the feeling of running away toward better things.The rest of the album is just as meticulously crafted and has a sense of timelessness about it, helped along by the way she bookends the album with a cabaret-like intro and outro.Raye’s songwriting is as edgy and fresh as any R&B-inflected pop, but its instrumentation and production is deeply indebted to the best of British jazz and soul.

RAYE has covered Kate Bush‘s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ as part of this year’s Live Lounge Month – check out the video below.The singer visited BBC Radio 1 yesterday (September 7) to record two live tracks, beginning with her recent single ‘Black Mascara’.RAYE then took on Bush’s classic 1985 single, which has seen a huge spike in popularity of late owing to its appearance in Stranger Things 4.For her version, the London artist removed the galloping beat and synths that feature in the original song in favour of piano and stings.“I didn’t feel it was the right thing to change much. We’re bringing it down – no drums, kind of like [a] ballad,” RAYE explained of her moody, stripped-back take on ‘Running Up That Hill’.“[Bush] 100 per cent wrote this record, 100 per cent produced it… she’s like one of my idols.

RAYE has returned with a new single called ‘Black Mascara’ – watch the official video for the dancefloor smash here.The singer has been teasing her debut album across 2022, and describes the new track as “the only upbeat dance track on the album.”RAYE said: “This song is about another story that has contributed to my ‘blues’. I used the juxtaposition of an upbeat dance track to tell this awful story of being misled by someone I really loved and trusted.

RAYE has spoken out about the challenges facing young songwriters, and what needs to change with major labels in the shifting musical landscape.The singer made headlines when she parted ways with Polydor Records last year after claiming that the label had refused to release her debut album, despite signing a four-album deal in 2014.Speaking on the red carpet at last week’s Ivor Novellos – where she was nominated for Songwriter Of The Year among the likes of Adele, Dave and Coldplay – the singer told NME that she had “found peace” with her former label, but that many more changes were still needed in the music industry to make songwriters feel valued and financially stable.“Songwriting is a craft that people don’t see, because it’s done in the darkness in studios and behind closed doors,” said RAYE. “I don’t think people realise how essential songwriters are in an industry based on songs.“Things need to be put in place to protect our future songwriters – to nurture them and make them feel special and important.”The singer told NME that the shortlist for her category at the Ivors proved that there was “an openness that there hasn’t been before in styles, flavours, genres and different types of expression” in modern music, and how the major label model needed to respond to this.“For the first time, we’re seeing that the ‘we need a hit’ model is fading,” she said.

Disclosure have teamed up with RAYE for their new garage driven single ‘Waterfall’ – you can listen to the track below.The song follows the dance duo’s previous single ‘You’ve Got To Let Go If You Want To Be Free’ and is RAYE’s first music of 2022.“RAYE is such a dream to work with in the studio. Best way to describe her is as a hook machine! You get the beat rolling and vibes going and she gives you like five chorus melody options straight away… she makes writing the way we do so easy & enjoyable,” Disclosure said.“We all knew within five minutes we were gonna make a UKG summer sunshine banger and that’s exactly what we ended up with.