Raye Age, Height & Biography

Raye is an English singer-songwriter whose journey from behind-the-scenes hitmaker to one of Britain’s biggest stars is one of the great music stories of the decade. Born Rachel Keen in Tooting, London, in 1997, she spent years writing hits for other artists, including Beyonce, before going independent and releasing her debut album My 21st Century Blues in 2023. At the 2024 Brit Awards she won a record-breaking six awards in a single night, more than any artist had ever won.

Quick Facts

Who Is Raye?

Raye is a singer-songwriter known for her powerful voice, her honest songwriting and her genre-blending music, which mixes R&B, pop, soul and jazz. After years as a songwriter and featured vocalist, she became a star in her own right with the single Escapism, featuring 070 Shake, which reached number one in the UK in January 2023 and became a global hit. Her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, followed in February 2023.

At the Brit Awards in March 2024, Raye made history by winning six awards in one night, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year, the most ever won by a single artist in one ceremony. She was also the first woman to win the Songwriter of the Year award at the Brits. She has since performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and become one of the most acclaimed British artists of her generation.

Early Life & Background

Rachel Agatha Keen was born on 24 October 1997 in Tooting, South London, and grew up in Croydon. She attended Woodcote High School and the BRIT School in Croydon, where she studied music. She grew up singing in church and began writing songs as a teenager, and she signed her first publishing deal while still at school.

Raye released her debut EP, Welcome to the Winter, in December 2014, and she signed to Polydor Records soon afterwards. She became a sought-after songwriter, co-writing songs for artists including Beyonce, Little Mix, Ellie Goulding, John Legend and Zara Larsson. She also featured on hit singles, including You Don’t Know Me with Jax Jones in 2016 and By Your Side with Jonas Blue in the same year.

Career

As a featured artist, Raye scored further hits with David Guetta on Bed in 2021, which reached number three in the UK, and she continued to write songs for other artists. But she became frustrated when her label refused to release her debut album, and in June 2021 she posted on social media that she felt her albums were being held hostage. She parted ways with Polydor later that year and began releasing music independently.

Her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, was released in February 2023 and reached number two in the UK Albums Chart. Its lead single, Escapism, featuring American rapper 070 Shake, became her first UK number-one single in January 2023 and a hit around the world. The album also featured the singles Black Mascara, The Thrill Is Gone and Flip a Switch, and she won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Album in 2023.

In March 2024, Raye made history at the Brit Awards, winning six awards in one night, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. She performed her song Genesis live at the ceremony, and later that year she performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, one of the biggest stages in British music. She has also performed sold-out arena shows in London and around the world.

Facts About Raye

• She won a record-breaking six Brit Awards in a single night in 2024.
• She was the first woman to win the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year.
• She wrote the song Bigger for Beyonce’s album The Lion King: The Gift.
• Her single Escapism, featuring 070 Shake, reached number one in the UK in January 2023.
• She performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions