THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. by Raye

Released on 27/03/2026 by Human Re Sources
Main artists: RAYE
Genre: Pop

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Neither cowed nor resistant, Raye gets the obvious out of the way quickly: "It's funny, some people say I remind them of Amy/ Some spit through their keyboards, I'll 'never amount,'" she sings on the gravity-defying R&B opera "I Will Overcome," one of many thrillers on her second album. Like Winehouse and Back to Black, the South London singer has created a sophomore effort that should take her to another stratosphere of fame and respect. The stories play out like a screenplay. Spoken-word intro "Girl Under the Grey Cloud." sets an autumnal scene of a tragic heroine wandering Paris in the rain, "seven Negronis deep" in her loneliness. Supported by the London Orchestra, Raye rolls out a soundtrack of brassy boogie-woogie with a dash of horror-movie camp ("Beware…the South London Lover Boy."), Ella-esque jazz-pop with scatting sax ("I Hate the Way I Look Today."), and the kind of plush, embroidered power ballad ("I Know You're Hurting.") that should only be performed in front of a wind machine. Raye, née Rachel Keen, can seemingly do it all. She sings and raps and recites poetry like a trained theater actress. She turns into a disco diva for flirty "Skin & Bones." and summons tragic Jessica Rabbit va-va-voom on "The WhatsApp Shakespeare.": "I found out I was one of seven other leading ladies starring in the new romantic thriller!" she purrs, accompanied by old-Hollywood horns. That song brings both hip-hop swagger and Cab Calloway verve as Raye brutally, succinctly sums up exactly who this wannabe Romeo is and why he can't be trusted: "Run, Juliet, run, Juliet, run! … He's a cursive kisser."

Our narrator gets her heart broken on knockout "Nightingale Lane.," an Aretha-style ballad that shows off all of Raye's range and all of her power; when she unleashes one particular note at the end—singing the word "again"—you can't imagine how she kept standing. She demands to know "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!" as the horns behind her blare like they're inhabited by the spirit of the J.B.'s. Raye's grandmother shows up again on that one, assuring the impatient singer that the man she longs for but hasn't yet met is coming. Her grandfather guests on the gospel-soul ballad "Fields." and her sisters drop by, Philly horns in tow, for "Joy." And it's not just a family affair. "Click Clack Symphony." is a collaboration with legendary movie composer Hans Zimmer; laden with kettle drums, cheerleader stomps and a warning siren, it builds to a Category 5 orchestral storm (exactly why you hire Hans Zimmer). And, praise be the legendary Al Green, still melting hearts at nearly 80 years old, who joins Raye on "Goodbye Henry.," which is full of solid-gold soul and girl-group charm. "Fin." closes out the record with Raye thanking everyone she worked with on it—a preview of all the awards speeches she will eventually have to give. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.

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Intro: Girl Under The Grey Cloud.

00:01:13

Raye, MainArtist, Producer - Rachel Keen, Composer, Lyricist - Tom Richards, Composer, Producer, Arranger - Chris Hill, Composer, Producer, Arranger - Alex Robinson, Engineer - Andrew Dudman, Engineer, MixingEngineer - Charlie Howe, AssistantEngineer - Neil Dawes, SecondEngineer - Chris Parker, SoundRecordist - Mike Hillier, MasteringEngineer