RAYE on being shortlisted for Mercury Awards: "It's not something I'm aspiring to anymore. I'm in it with my own award"

Earlier this year, RAYE scored her first ever UK number one with the single, "Escapism", which features 070 Shake. She previously reached number three in the UK Singles Chart twice, but only from collaborations when she was signed to Polydor Records. Those songs were Jax Jones' "You Don’t Know Me" in 2016, and last year's Joel Corry and David Guetta collaboration "Bed".

During the same week, she announced her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, which has subsequently been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize Award 2023. RAYE also leads the nominations for the 2023 AIM Awards, as she has been included in three categories including, Best Independent Album, Best Independent Track (Meta), and Best Independent Video (Vevo).

With all of these accolades to come to terms with, RAYE admittedly still hasn't processed the majority of this year. "To be honest, I'm not really sure how a human being takes in everything that's happening. It's so unexpected and out of nowhere, so I'm just taking it a day at a time. I'm just super humbled and feeling really, really blessed."

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"I've watched the Mercury Prize and read about the winners across the last six or seven years, and now that I'm in there, it's just crazy," she says. "I was saying to my mum on the way here, 'This is so weird, isn't it?'. It's not just something I'm watching or aspiring to anymore. I'm in it with my own award... It's really beautiful to feel heard as an artist, to [to know] that people care about a body of work. I'm very grateful to the Mercury's for the recognition."

She publicly spoke out about the struggle it has taken to release her debut album, whilst being locked into a contract with a major label. RAYE was signed to Polydor Records for close to 8 years but wasn’t allowed to record an album. Since she's been independent, she's been given her flowers.

I have been on a 4 ALBUM RECORD DEAL since 2014 !!! And haven’t been allowed to put out one album. ALL I CARE ABOUT is the music. Im sick of being slept on and I’m sick of being in pain about it this is not business to me this so personal

— RAYE (@raye) June 29, 2021

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 (@raye) June 29, 2021

RAYE recently collaborated with Stormzy on the track, "The Weekend". In a statement posted to her Twitter, said said: "a full circle moment tbh stormz jumped on a song of mine called ambition 7 years ago, and in the lyrics I’m talking bout how huge my dreams are, and it’s wild to see how God has blessed us since."