Tony Cummings muses on the gospel roots and faith of singer, songwriter and producer RAYE

Raye

Every three or four decades the British mainstream music scene throws up an artist who's huge talent coupled with a bold Christian faith made them heroes not only with the mass audience but also with the Christian Church. This happened in the past with Cliff Richard and U2. This is now happening again with jazz soul and pop singer, songwriter and producer Raye.

In case you've been living on a desert island the last few years, here's a few details of this extraordinary young lady's achievements so far. Raye has won seven Brit Awards, four Global Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards and two MTV Europe Music Awards-one as part of Artists for Grenfell. In 2019, she was given a BMI London Award for her "groundbreaking artistry, creative vision and impact on the future of music". She was one of the first recipients of the Brits Billion Award.

Raye was born Rachel Agatha Keen on 28th October 1997 to a Ghanaian Swiss mother, who is a mental health worker, and an English father from Yorkshire. The Keen family were brought up in the strong embrace of the Christian Church. Her mother sang in the church choir and Raye and her two younger sisters grew up enjoying church life. All three of the girls showed considerable music talent so that today sister Lauren (whose professional name is now Amma) and Abby-Lynn (professional name Absolutely) were, in the years ahead, to become a regular part of Raye's backing group.

As a child Raye was already demonstrating an awesome vocal ability, taking in elements of jazz, soul and pop. A career in music was transparently opening for Raye. Signing with Polydor Records in 2016, cheap provided guest vocals for Jonas Blue's song "By Your Side". It was her first entry in the UK pop singles chart. The rising star then released several EPs as well as the project 'Euphoric Sad Songs' which contained the UK Top Ten single "Secrets". But then, demonstrating the incomprehensible ways of major record labels, Polydor reportedly refused to release her debut studio album. This disappointment proved to be a mere hiccup in Raye's upward momentum. 'My 21st Century Blues' was released independently to critical acclaim and the third single from it, "Escapism", became Raye's Trey single to top the UK singles chart. It also made America's Hot 100.

Raye's live performances as well as her records were winning awards and accolades from the critics and her ability to switch from genre to genre and show mesmerising confidence on the world's biggest stages were bringing her literally millions of adoring fans. Then in March 2026 she released what this writer is believing to be one of the greatest popular music albums of all time. 'This Music May Contain Hope' shows her brutal honesty with her lyrics. In 2014 Raye released the song "Hotbox" which described her first encounter with marijuana while her debut album 'My 21st Century Blues' contained themes such as drug addiction, self-insecurities and sexual assault. The latter is painfully depicted on "Ice Cream Man" where Raye sings about being abused by a record producer as a teenager. Also, on "Body Dysmorphia" she recounts her experience of an eating disorder. But on 'This Music May Contain Hope' such painful confessionals are light years away. What's there is, is hope and joy poured out in a series of dazzlingly produced soundscapes. The album topped the UK album chart, the single "Where Is My Husband" became a number one British head and made the top five song in several other countries. The song which most magnificently spells out the SOURCE of the hope and positivity now flooding from Raye is "Joy (featuring Amma and Absolutely)". It spells out what every Christian has found, that though we may struggle and weep in the night, joy comes in the morning.

"I declare and I decree
Any chain that has been holding me
Any evil tongue that whispers in these ears
I said I rebuke you
You must leave my life, you are not welcome here.

So, loose your grip and set me free
Heaven hear me now, I want to be
Free of every pain and every fear
This sadness has a grip on me, and it must disappear.

I'm letting it wash over me (wash all over me)
I'm letting it all wash away (all of it wash away)
All of it, all of it
It must let go of me today.

Cover me with your feathers, father
Shelter me with your wings
I may cry through the night,
I may cry through the night, I may cry through the night,
but my joy comes in the morning."