RAYE gave a strong speech on sexual assault and her label troubles throughout her Pyramid Stage set at Glastonbury 2023 yesterday (June 24).
The singer, who went impartial after a high-profile label dispute final yr and not too long ago launched debut album ‘My twenty first Century Blues’, hit the competition’s primary stage on Saturday afternoon.
Through the nine-song set, she took time to handle her public points round her former label, saying: “I can’t fairly categorical how a lot it’s taken me to get to this second proper now. I’ve been a musician since I can bear in mind. After I was eight years previous, I had a dream: ‘I wish to be a musician, I wish to be a singer, I wish to be a author.’
“I haven’t had the only of journeys,” she added. I used to be signed to a file label for seven years,” happening to allege that she “wasn’t allowed to place an album out.”
RAYE added: “I went by way of inventive messes and nasty issues behind the scenes, heavy issues…I used to be informed that I might by no means have a fan base sufficiently big for anybody to care about an album. And now Glastonbury, in entrance of the Pyramid Stage, I’m performing my debut album.
“There’s a variety of tales that I held in silence and I handled a variety of issues alone, a variety of robust issues…I’m gonna convey the temper down a bit”, she mentioned, including: “This subsequent track is about sexual abuse and rape and sexual violence.
“I do know that’s heavy, however I additionally know that one in 4 men and women will expertise that of their lifetime so I do know that I’m not alone after I sing this immediately…,” she added.
“I don’t sing this track as a result of it’s enjoyable to sing, as a result of it’s not enjoyable to sing however I sing it’s trustworthy and it makes me really feel highly effective in a time the place I used to be silent. It is a story I’ve waited a very long time to inform.” She then carried out the monitor ‘Ice Cream Man’.
Regardless of signing a four-album take care of Polydor in 2014, RAYE claimed in 2021 that the label prevented her from releasing an album, and three weeks later, was launched from her contract.
RAYE performed:
‘Oscar Profitable Tears’
‘The Thrill Is Gone’
‘Ice Cream Man’
‘Mary Jane’
‘5 Star Resorts’
‘Price It’
‘Black Mascara’
‘You Don’t Know Me’ (Jax Jones cowl)
‘Escapism’
Take a look at all the most recent from Glastonbury 2023 on the NME liveblog right here, and see extra information, opinions, photographs, interviews and extra right here.
For assist, recommendation or extra info relating to sexual harassment, assault and rape within the UK, go to the Rape Disaster charity web site. Within the US, go to RAINN.
