Raye: My 21st Century Blues [HUMAN RE SOURCES]

Why you'll love it

This pressing comes in a matte gatefold sleeve. The album won British Album of the Year at the 2024 Brit Awards, the night Raye set the record for most wins at a single ceremony, and "Escapism" topped the UK chart.

This edition

• Gatefold jacket
• Matte finish sleeve
• Stereo mix

About the album

Some debut albums sound like a first attempt. This one sounds like someone who had been waiting years to be heard. Rachel Keen went to the BRIT School at 10, co-wrote songs for Beyoncé and Charli XCX and scored platinum hits as a featured singer before going independent and making an album entirely her way. It's a personal record from the first note, a run of songs about her own life told with the confidence of someone who'd spent a decade writing hits for other people.

She wrote and co-produced most of it, with Mike Sabath as executive producer and help from BloodPop, Punctual and Di Genius. It moves from jazz and soul to dance-pop and R&B, often within a song. "Oscar Winning Tears." sets the scene, "Black Mascara." goes dark and electronic, "Escapism." with 070 Shake went viral, Mahalia joins on "Five Star Hotels." and "Flip a Switch." and "Worth It." became top 40 hits. She tackles hard subjects with real candour throughout.

It debuted at No. 2 in the UK and picked up a Mercury Prize nomination. The title promises the blues, and to be fair it delivers, just with a dance floor attached.

Also at Kops: more Raye on vinyl · browse Pop

Tracklist

Listen

On Human Re Sources (cat# M21CB22), the 2023 album.