My 21st Century Blues (album)

“*My 21st Century Blues. My debut album. My ugly complex beautiful mosaic formed from broken pieces of glass from the last 7 years of my life. My medicine, my anxieties and traumas, my unfiltered thoughts. This music accompanied me through my bluest blues, crafted unapologetically and fearlessly with love and tears, and now I can only hope it might provide the same medicine it did for me, for those who choose to listen.*”
―RAYE via Press

## My 21st Century Blues

### Producer(s)

Rachel Keen • Mike Sabath • Punctual • BloodPop® • Gianluca Buccellati • Di Genius

## Singles

1. Hard Out Here. 30 June, 2022
2. Black Mascara. 24 August, 2022
3. Escapism. 12 October, 2022
4. The Thrill Is Gone. 12 October, 2022
5. Ice Cream Man. 2 February, 2023
5. Flip A Switch. 21 April, 2023
6. Worth It. 10 November, 2023

**"My 21st Century Blues"** (originally titled **"The 21st Century Blues"**) is the long-awaited debut studio album by British singer-songwriter and producer, RAYE, released independently through the distribution label Human Re Sources on February 3, 2023. It marked her first ever project since her departure with Polydor Records.

## Background

On the BRIT Awards 2021, while being on a 2-minute interview with NME, she talked a bit about what people could expect from here during that year. She answered:

“*Yeah, hun. An album. My first one (...). I've been signed for a very long time (...). Well, seventeen, twenty-three now. It's been six years. I'm ready to just drop one.*”
―RAYE on an interview with NME

On May 24, 2021, the title of the record was first teased though the Euphoric Sad Songs documentary posted through RAYE's official YouTube channel.

On June 29, 2021, after having her album delayed multiple times by her back then record label, Polydor Records, the London-based artist decided to tell the truth to all her fans and the public in general by revealing what was happening to the songs she was making via Twitter.  She said:

“*I’ve done everything they asked me, I switched genres, I worked 7 days a week, ask anyone in the music game, they know. I’m done being a polite pop star. I want to make my album now, please that is all I want.*”
―RAYE via Twitter
Minutes later after posting her tweet, she added that the company "told (her) if Call On Me does well then I can do my album but there can’t be a green light until....". She also expressed her frustration by saying:

“*imagine the PRESSURE of me waking up every day frantically looking at numbers and stats hoping that I can just make MY BLOODY FIRST ALBUM*”
―RAYE via Twitter
On June 30, 2021, with all the label controversy going on, the singer chose to make an Instagram Live and share snippets of songs that were intended to appear on her debut. She started with a piano-ballad titled "Famous.", which was then followed by the eleventh-track of the full-lenght project, "Buss It Down.", which, at the moment, had been written for three years.

Three weeks later of expressing her anger about her situation on her social media accounts, the entertainer, who received support from UK well-known singer such as Charli XCX, MNEK and Rina Sawayama, parted ways with the record label ending her four-album deal, starting a new phase of her artistry being an independent artist. She took twitter to comment about it by saying:

“*Polydor are an incredible infrastructure power house team. Unfortunately we have had different goals artistically and I am very grateful to them for giving me a graceful smooth exit to start my next chapter as an artist.*”
―RAYE via Twitter
Around a year later after leaving the American label, Raye signed as an independent artist to the LA distribution and artist services company Human Re Sources.

## Concept and composition

When asked about the LP on an encounter with Billboard, Keen described it as "a personal exorcism of sorts, tackling everything from body dysmorphia, sexual abuse, climate change and her experiences with unsavory characters in the music industry (who) are hired and in high places that just shouldn’t be". She added:

“*My stories that I’ve collected over this seven years that I haven’t even been able to share I think are important and powerful and are going to be even tough for me to sing and perform. But this is medicine in its purest form. This is how I’ve been able to survive. This is my whole life out there exposed. I’m hiding nothing. I just want it to be something that people can hear.*”
―RAYE on an interview with Billboard
Later, on an interview with *Glamour*, Keen expanded her opinion about the issues and themes that have presence on the body of work she was going to release .

“*A lot of these songs on this album are songs that were really hard to write. Songwriting is genuinely like therapy in its fullest form. There are some interesting themes as well on this album. I’m discussing things like body dysmorphia. Things like you keep in the darkness and behind the closed doors of your mind. Things can thrive in the darkness, but the second that you bring them out to light, they hold less power. Even with this songwriter issue, the second these things reach the light, they can’t hold the power that they used to. And I think that’s what it’s about in this music for me. I’ve been holding a lot of blues and a lot of sad things and a lot of troubles, and curious thoughts have been eating away at me. I just brought them into the light. Some of my family was even like, ‘Are you sure you really want to put it out there?’ I’m like, ‘I know, but I’ve got to do it, I’ve got to be honest no matter what.*”
―RAYE via Glamour

On a *Ones to Watch* article where the British composer was asked ten different question related to various topics she asked about the genres that might appear on here future projects and her upcoming album itself. So, she answered:

“*(...) I've got to just trust my gut, and my gut wanted me to express a lot of different sonics and sounds. I'm aware that I've become popular from a lot of dance records, but it's not necessarily the lane that I would have taken if things had been different. And I love dance music which is why I needed to have a dance song (Black Mascara.) on that record, but I want to... you know, I'm aware I'll probably lose fans in this process as well, but I'm just trying to be true to myself really. Honest and integral and, in my opinion, a lot more than just the dance genre. I'm a songwriter, and I love all different genres, sounds, and forms of expression, and I have no rules that I have to stick to anymore.*”
―RAYE via Ones to Watch

## Foreword

“*Hello, it's RAYE here. By the time you're reading this, my first baby will be yours. Literally in your hands. The blues found me when I was fourteen years old on a trip to the US. I had just started my songwriting career when I discovered and became completely enamoured by this genre. Typically a twelve bar chord progression (one, four, five) that each held a different, raw, painfully honest, yet desperately pure song inside of them. True story telling in its most necessary form. Over the years of my life I have collected many stories... but it never seems to be the beautiful kind of stories that remain clearest in the mind, it always seems to be the other kind. My 21st Century Blues are the shards of glass I have collected over my little life. Some sharp and painful to hold. Some I've managed to hold up to a new light but after many years I have finally pieced them together to show you... Bloody hands and all. My fears, pains, traumas, ex's, vices, abusers, addictions, my tears, my rage, my anxieties, my hope, my bounce, it is all packed in this album!!!! My stories through SONIC EMPOWERMENT. Although this is my blues, you will (I hope) will feel more than just my blues. I have never been one to hold back the truth... SO share it is. From the bottom of my healing heart, with all my heart, RAYE (Rachel). P.S. I love you thanks for buying this 'cause it means you care*”
―Message taken from physical copies

## Artwork

The album cover depicts a younger and more vulnerable version of RAYE, who is actually her younger sister, wearing a white blouse, a black skirt and oversize heels that show how people put pressure on her in order to make her mature faster. Also, she has hands that try to grab her representing the CEO's that want her to work while she's standing at the top of white musical instruments that are melting and have the track names of the album on them.

## Release and promotion

### Singles

* "Hard Out Here." was released as the lead single of the album on June 30, 2022.
* "Black Mascara." was released as the album's second single on August 24, 2022.
* "Escapism.", featuring 070 Shake, and "The Thrill Is Gone." were released as a double-single of the album on October 12, 2022, showing a new side of the record.
* "Ice Cream Man." was released as the album's fourth single one day prior the record release.
* A remix of "Flip A Switch." featuring Coi Leray was released as the album's fifth single on April 21, 2023.
* "Worth It." served as the album's sixth single as double-sided release with its original recording from the album as the Side A, and its live recording at the Royal Albert Hall as the Side B. It was released on November 10, 2023.

### Physical formats

In order to promote her debut album, Keen released several CD, vinyl and cassette variants, which are compiled on the following galleries.

#### CD Releases

* 2 Panel Digipak
* Jewel Box
* Signed
1/3

#### Vinyl Releases

* Standard Black
* Standard Black Signed
* White
1/3

#### Cassette Releases

* Cassette
1/1
### Tours

#### The Story So Far... Tour

***"The Story So Far... Tour"*** is a mini-tour done by British singer-songwriter, RAYE, with a total of six shows that started mid-October, 2022, and ended nearly a month later. The show consisted of the singer with a piano in a place that felt "intimate" in order to play her hits and covers as well as brand new songs from her album.

*See The Story So Far... Tour*

#### My 21st Century Blues Tour

***"My 21st Century Blues Tour"*** is the fourth headline tour in support of her debut studio album of the same name. It started on late February in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 25 February, 2023.

*See My 21st Century Blues World Tour*

### M21CB Spotify Launch Party

As part of the promotion for the record, a Spotify launch party was organized in order to celebrate the release of Raye's debut studio album. Artists such as her long-time collaborator, MNEK, formal Little Mix group member, Jade Thirlwall, the album producer Mike Sabath, singer-songwriter Griff and more were invited to the event.

## Tracklist

### Cut-songs

* 21st Century Man
* Born Again
* California Dreamin'
* C'est La Vie
* Dreezy
* End Up In Love
* Fantastic
* Famous
* Heaven
* In And Out of Love
* Locked Down
* Love Is Just A Word
* Mercy
* No Man
* Notice Me
* Numbers Don't Lie
* Prove Me Wrong
* Young and Naive
* Your Loss (Silly Man)
* Call On Me (released)

## Gallery

My 21st Century Blues Live Campaign Video

### Photoshoot

* Look 1
* Look 2
* Look 3
* Look 4
* Look 5
* Look 6
* Look 7
* Look 8
* Look 9
* BTS

Cropped

Cropped

## Trivia

* All tracks are stylized with a full stop in the end as RAYE considers every single song acts as their own respective chapter.
* A total of four album sketches were proposed when the singer was still signed to her old label.

## References

1. ↑ Regina Cho. "RAYE announces debut album titled 'My 21st Century Blues'". *REVOLT*. October 17, 2022.
2. ↑ "RAYE ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM ‘MY 21ST CENTURY BLUES’". *DIY*. October 14, 2022.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "RAYE - Euphoric Sad Songs (The Documentary)". *Youtube*. May 24, 2021.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "RAYE Signs With Human Re Sources After Polydor Spat: ‘I Will Finally Be Making Some Money’". *Billboard*. June 15, 2022.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cerys Kenneally. "RAYE signs to Human Re Sources nearly a year after parting ways with Polydor". *THE LINE of BEST FIT*. June 16, 2022.
6. ↑ Regina Cho. "RAYE announces debut album titled 'My 21st Century Blues'". *REVOLT*. October 17, 2022.
7. ↑ "RAYE ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM ‘MY 21ST CENTURY BLUES’". *DIY*. October 14, 2022.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Raye and Polydor split after claims record label wouldn't release debut album". *BBC*. July 20, 2021.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Charlotte Krol. "RAYE and Polydor “part ways” after she claimed label wouldn’t release her debut album". *NME*. July 19, 2021.
10. ↑ "Raye: "I'm ready to drop my album" | Brit Awards 2021". *NME*. May 11, 2021.
11. ↑ "I’ve done everything they asked me, I switched genres, I worked 7 days a week...". RAYE via *Twitter* on June 29, 2021.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "So now I’m being told if Call On Me does well then I can do my album but there can’t be a green light until.... (...)". RAYE via *Twitter* on June 29, 2021.
13. ↑ Cerys Kenneally. "RAYE plays songs from debut album on Instagram after revealing label won't allow her to release it". 30 June, 2021.
14. ↑ Charlotte Krol. "RAYE previews songs from debut album after claiming her label refused to release it". *NME*. July 1, 2021.
15. ↑ "Just a little Croydon girl with a dream". RAYE via Twitter on July 19, 2021.
16. ↑ Jabeen Waheed. "Raye opens up about the ‘disgusting’ way women are treated in the music industry: ‘The system hates people who speak out against them’". *Glamour*. 31 October 2022.
17. ↑ DJ Connor. "10 Questions With RAYE on "Black Mascara" and Her Forthcoming Debut Album 'My 21st Century Blues'". *Ones to Watch*. October 21, 2022.
18. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/es/release/25979578-Raye-My-21st-Century-Blues-/image/SW1hZ2U6OTc5MDA2NjU=
19. ↑ RAYE on TikTok. "My 21st Century Blues is yours in 3 days 😭". February 1, 2023.
20. ↑ "Hard Out Here. - Single" by RAYE on Apple Music.
21. ↑ "Black Mascara. - Single" by RAYE on Apple Music.
22. ↑ "Escapism. / The Thrill Is Gone. - Single" by RAYE on Apple Music.
23. ↑ "Ice Cream Man. - Single" by RAYE on Apple Music.
24. ↑ "Flip A Switch. (feat. Coi Leray) [Remix] - Single" by RAYE on Apple Music.
25. ↑ "Worth It. (Live at Royal Albert Hall) - Single" by RAYE on Apple Music.
26. ↑ "The Story So Far. A special intimate night where I’ll be on the piano and you will be seated. (...)". RAYE via *Instagram.*
27. ↑ Philip Logan. "RAYE Announces Plans For Intimate Tour of Europe and USA: ‘The Story So Far…’". *Celeb Mix*. September 13, 2022.
28. ↑ "I am thrilled to announce the most special tour of my career so far (...)". RAYE via *Instagram*.
29. ↑ Finlay Holden. "RAYE has announced a huge world tour for 2023, and shared a new music video for recent single, ‘Escapism.’". *DORK*. November 10, 2022