RAYE is a London-born singer-songwriter.
Here’s what we know about the Escapism singer — and who she may be dating.
Who is Raye?
Raye was born in Tooting, South London, on October 24, 1997, making her 26 at the time of writing.
Raye — real name Rachel Keen — attended the prestigious Brit School in Croydon, following in the footsteps of Adele and Amy Winehouse, before dropping out.
Raye released her first single, Flowers, in 2015.
She went on to write for other musicians and feature on a number of singles by high-profile artists like Jonas Blue and Jax Jones.
In 2023, Raye went viral on TikTok and Instagram with her hit song Escapism. which went to number one in the UK, and made it into the top ten in over twenty other countries.
The song featured on her 2023 debut studio album My 21st Century Blues, to universal critical acclaim; earning a nomination for “Best Independent Album” at the AIM Independent Music Awards, and “Album of the Year” for the 2023 Mercury Prize.
In 2023, Raye had a slot on the legendary Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival.
Louis Theroux interviewed pop star Raye for his BBC series Louis Theroux Interviews, broadcast on BBC2 in November 2023.
Most read in TV & Showbiz
Who is Raye dating?
The Sun’s Bizarre column revealed in 2018 that Raye had started dating hip-hop superstar, Drake after the pair worked together in the studio.
One source said: “Raye is a massive fan of Drake’s work and reached out on Twitter to send him one of her songs.
“He was clearly impressed by her songwriting talents and when they met to record, it quickly became obvious it wasn’t just her music he was interested in.”
Then in 2022, Raye was linked to musician Sam Fender.
A source said: “Sam and Raye met each other on the music scene and get on really well.
“It’s very early days but they’ve spent a lot of time together over the past few weeks and have been on a string of low-key, secret dates.”
Sources suggest Raye is single.
What songs has Raye sung?
Raye’s biggest his to date is the TikTok viral song Escapism.
She released her first EP Welcome to the Winter in 2014 at just 17, before singles Flowers and Alien came the following year.
Raye’s next EP, Second, came out in 2016, along with the single Distraction and Ambition, featuring Grime artist Stormzy.
Then in November 2017, Raye released her single Decline, which has been certified Platinum, and peaked at 15 on the UK charts.
Raye released the single Cigarette, with Mabel and Stefflon Don, in February 2018.
After a stint touring with Khalid on tour, Raye released mini-album Euphoric Sad Songs
In November 2020, Raye released her first mini-album Euphoric Sad Songs, featuring new single Love of Your Life.
In 2021, Raye announced her record company, Polydor Records, had been withholding her album, after which she went on hiatus.
The next year, Raye came out with her first songs as an independent artist, releasing Hard Out Here, Black Mascara, Escapism, and The Thrill is Gone.
Album My 21st Century Blues followed in 2023 – when the Escapism track took TikTok by storm.
Who has Raye written songs for?
Raye has had a prolific career as a songwriter, with credits on some of the biggest hits, including:
- Blonde’s 2015 single All Cried Out
- Beyoncé’s Bigger
- Charlie XCX‘s 2016 single After The Afterparty
- 5 After Midnight’s 2017 single Up in Here
- Little Mix‘s 2017 song If I Get My Way, and Told You So
