RAYE has shared “Genesis”, an ambitious mini musical odyssey which the singer describes as “deeply personal.”
The 7-minute cut was first previewed by the singer in New York earlier this week, and sees her flitting between experimental pop sounds and more classic jazz cuts to tell the story of the new track.
“There is a Nina Simone quote, ‘It is an artist’s duty to reflect the times,’” she said.
“This quote is everything to me and I believe the best way I can try to do this is through my art and my music. There is so much darkness and pain in this world we live in, and I wanted to create something both as deeply personal and as raw as I could find myself to be about my own mind and the world I see around me.”
The track, her first effort since 2023’s Mercury Prize nominated My 21st Century Blues, is described by the singer as “experimenting with different genres and sonic expressions, beneath all the layers and the lyrics, the underlying message is ‘Let There Be Light’.”
She added: “It is a prayer and a plea and a cry for help, and I really hope this song will be able to bring some hope, the way this music does for me, to those who need it most.”
In March, the singer played a sold-out show at The O2 Arena just a week after winning six of the seven prizes she was nominated for at the BRIT Awards – the most won by a single artist.
“On the strength of her show-stopping one-night-only O2 debut, standing strong as an independent artist and releasing the record herself was the best decision she could have made,” our review stated.
“With a regal-looking silk white curtain and RAYE’s name lit up in large capitals (Vegas-style), it feels like a statement of intent from an artist who is surely destined for the bright lights of Sin City.”
From Rolling Stone UK
