Raye: Talented artist held back by capitalism, shines thanks to collaboration with Lisa

Raye is a talented international music artist, singer and songwriter, who is extremely loved by both critics and music lovers. However, few people know that to get to where she is today, she had to endure oppression from the early days of her career.

Raye, whose real name is Rachel Agatha Keen, is a British singer-songwriter born in 1997. Despite her exceptional talent and deep artistic vision, her musical journey has not been easy. She was a typical example of being oppressed by the music industry, being held back for many years before finally gaining creative freedom and achieving remarkable achievements. Raye's story is not only a personal journey but also a reflection of the dark side of the music industry and the struggle of young artists to gain control of their careers.

In 2014, at the age of 17, Raye signed with Polydor Records, a milestone that should have marked a promising start. However, instead of receiving the proper support to develop her career, she was repeatedly delayed in releasing her debut studio album. For over 7 years, Raye worked mainly as a songwriter and singer collaborating with other artists, while her solo projects were constantly controlled and limited.

Despite Raye's successful songwriting, contributing to hits by David Guetta, Jax Jones and Beyoncé, she was denied permission to release her own album by her label. This created deep resentment, and in 2021, she publicly expressed her frustration on social media. "All I care about is music. I'm sick of sleeping and sick of worrying about it," Raye shared. The plea sent shockwaves through the music community, sparking a debate about artistic freedom and the excessive control of major record labels.

After leaving Polydor in 2021, Raye officially became an independent artist. This was a major turning point, allowing her to freely pursue music without being controlled by a system. In 2023, she released her debut album "My 21st Century Blues", marking an important milestone in her career.

The album is more than just a collection of songs, it is a powerful statement of artistic liberation. The songs on the album are deeply personal, reflecting her own traumatic experiences and growth. The single "Escapism" quickly became a phenomenon, reaching number one on the Billboard charts and reaching the top two in the UK. The success of "Escapism" showed that when artists are free to express themselves, they can create authentic work that touches the hearts of audiences.

In 2025, Raye continued to affirm her international position when collaborating with Lisa (member of Blackpink) and Doja Cat on the song " Born Again". This is a large-scale project, combining disco-pop and electro-pop, honoring the theme of rebirth and feminist power. The song's music video made a strong impression with the image of the three artists transforming into modern Greek goddesses, symbolizing freedom, strength and power.

The collaboration not only raised Raye's profile, but also demonstrated her ability to connect with the world's top artists. Lisa and Doja Cat are both musical icons with huge fan bases, and Raye sharing the stage with them was a testament to her growing influence in the international music scene. "Born Again" was not only a hit, but also a milestone that marked Raye's dramatic transformation from a repressed artist to a global star.

Raye's performance in Born Again was so excellent that many people commented that it completely overshadowed Lisa's. Because Raye inherently possesses a very powerful voice, full of soul and a very good musical mindset. Not to mention, Raye is also the one who wrote the song Born Again, so it is easy to understand her thoughts when putting into this song as a "chess game" to reincarnate herself in the music industry.

In addition, Raye has participated in many roles as an artist, songwriter, and singer. At the age of 14, Raye was able to participate in music composition sessions for singers. At the age of 17, she signed a recording contract with Polydor. By mid-2021, nearly 7 years after signing a contract binding the number of 4 albums, the record company had no intention of letting her release her debut music even though Raye had enough songs for the album before signing. It was not until she terminated her recording contract with the company to freely release music as she wished that Raye had the opportunity to release My 21st Century Blues (2023). A long-cherished musical product has taken shape and become one of the best albums of 2023.

It wasn't until My 21st Century Blues achieved some commercial success, was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize's best album of the year, and won six Brit Awards, including the much-deserved British Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year in March 2024, that I think Raye truly breathed a sigh of relief at the recognition of the music market for the artistic direction she pursued. 13 years since she entered the music industry. 10 years since she got a recording contract that went nowhere. That period of time certainly wasn't easy for Raye, whether as a songwriter or a singer.

Raye has written for Charli XCX ("After the Afterparty", "Dreamer"), Rita Ora ("Proud"), John Legend ("A Good Night"), Jessie Reyez ("Bodycount"), Ellie Goulding ("Sixteen"), David Guetta ("Stay (Don't Go Away)"), Mahalia ("Terms & Conditions"), Jennifer Lopez ("Dear Ben Pt. 2"), Beyoncé ("Bigger", "Riiverdance") and many more. It's worth noting that most singers today, regardless of their songwriting ability, are inevitably dependent on professional songwriters. Whether it's pressure from their record labels, a lack of creative control, or a drive to create a hit song, it's hard to ignore the fact that most artists today are not just artists with a record label, but also artists with a lack of creative control.

That's the problem with the list of authors who participate in composing a song today is no longer 1, 2 or 3 people, but 4, 5, 6 and even up to a dozen people. Take Beyoncé's latest album Cowboy Carter as an example. In the song "Riiverdance" that Raye participated in composing (under her real name Rachel Keen), in addition to her, Beyoncé and two other people. This total of 4 names is even less when looking at the tracks "Ya Ya" and "American Requiem" on this album Cowboy with 10 and 13 authors in each song, respectively.

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