Ray expresses the pressure to produce new hits: “The standard is certainly elevated.”

New Material Update

Ray revealed she is currently working on fresh material, yet feels the weight of expectations following the significant response to her last release.

• Read more: Ray: “I became ‘rented’. People knew my songs, but they did not know me”

The London singer connected with her fans through a recent video on social media. In the TikTok clip, she explained why she has maintained a relatively low online profile and confirmed her return to the studio.

Pressure of Success

These new music plans follow the success of her 2023 breakthrough album “My 21st Century Blues,” which has set records for her number of wins at the Brit Awards 2024. She also performed at the 97th Academy Awards earlier this year and graced major stages like Glastonbury and Reading.

Despite these accomplishments, Ray expressed that they have contributed to a feeling of pressure while writing new songs, admitting that her high expectations brought her to tears in the studio when she felt she “could not write anything.”

“I messed everything up, and I definitely cried. It was tough because the bar is set so high,” she stated.

“I just want to trust my instincts, hope I make the right choices, and above all, believe in this when no one else might because I have to,” she added. “I need to think this way, which is why I’m offline.”

@Raye

I just cry at my sessions WBU #GRWM #RYEE

♬ Original sound – Ray

Ray’s journey to success has not been easy. In a conversation with NME in 2022, she discussed her struggles with record labels, stating: “When you sign with a record label, they are supposed to work for you. You sign a contract so they can advance your career and take it to the next level.

“However, as a woman, it often feels the opposite. It feels like you’re working for them. Some of the things I had to endure to even get to this point are really quite sad,” she reflected.

Looking Ahead

After her former label, Polydor, failed to support her debut album’s release in 2021, Ray chose to part ways with the label, later releasing her debut album independently in 2023, which was praised by NME as “bold, brilliant, and relaxed.”

In October, she informed fans that there wouldn’t be a “second album” shortly after her books were stolen from her car.

Looking ahead, Ray has several live performances scheduled for this summer, including a spot at Victoria Park in East London for All Points East on Saturday, August 23. Artists Maccabi and Barry Can’t Swim have also been confirmed for the next year’s festival. Visit here for tickets.

Earlier this year, King Charles III expressed his admiration for Ray, calling her “the great ambassador of British music.” These comments arose after the royal shared a personal playlist of his favorite songs during a one-off radio show last month and reminisced about his meeting with the artist.