Raye’s This Tour May Contain New Music Review: Escapism Singer Continues To Level-Up As An Artist

It’s well-documented that Raye’s ascent from struggling singer-songwriter to chart-topping household name was not a straightforward one.

Back in 2021, dejected and broken-hearted at the way she was being treated and the musical direction she was being pushed in by her then-record label – who she claimed refused to release an album despite signing her seven years earlier – the British performer took matters into her own hands.

Apparently “done” being “a polite pop star”, she fired off a series of tweets laying out her situation, and calling for her label to allow her to release the music she wanted, or drop her.

Her posts received an industry-wide outpouring of support, with Raye eventually being released from her record deal, to go it alone.

What came next was an extraordinary and inspiring example of the underdog triumphing over adversity that no one could have predicted.

First, her 2023 Glastonbury set proved to be one of festival-goers’ surprising highlights of the festival, and after winning praise for her first few independent releases, Raye had a breakthrough when her 070 Shake collaboration Escapism began making its way up the charts.

Eventually, in what felt like sweet poetic justice, it became her first number one, with her ensuing album My 21st Century Blues reaching the same lofty peak.

After that, Raye only continued to evolve, transitioning from underdog status to one of the brightest stars on the UK music scene.

Suddenly, along came those record-breaking seven Brit Award nominations (followed by an incredible six wins in one night), Mercury Prize recognition, an epic solo show at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, international acclaim, a performing slot on Saturday Night Live and, eventually, Grammy nods, including in the coveted Best New Artist category.

The fact that this all happened to an artist who had begun to fear that her voice would never be heard just makes Raye impossible not to want to root for.

A decade on from her very first breakthrough moment as a featured artist on Jax Jones’ You Don’t Know Me, Raye’s latest impressive accolade is her This Tour May Contain New Music world jaunt, which includes a whopping six sold-out shows at the O2 Arena in her home town of London, in support of the second solo album that’s sure to become one of the year’s most talked-about releases.

These London concerts got underway last week, with a show that represents how far she’s come in the last few years, and how much she only continues to level-up as an artist.

Of course, the first thing worth mentioning is the music itself. As anyone who watched her Brit Awards performance over the weekend will attest, Raye’s voice is something to behold, but there’s something about being in the room with her – backed by a live orchestra, no less – that really drives home even more what an amazing (and underrated) vocalist she is.

The stage itself is somewhat stripped back compared to your average pop show, but makes use of some truly enormous screens ensuring you don’t miss anything happening on stage, regardless of where you are in the venue.

As a result, the show flips effortlessly between feeling more intimate and jazz club-esque, and an enormous festival-sized show depending on the songs being performed, which is ideal for an arena-scale tour.

Raye’s setlist mixes the songs you already know – her recent chart-topper Where Is My Husband! gets things going fairly early on, while Escapism brings the night to an end with an arena-wide sing-a-long – with a hefty dose of new material.

Artists debuting new music in their live shows is always going to be a risk, but for Raye, she and her team have used their imagination to make the new tracks as captivating as possible.

For the inevitable future hit The Winter Woman, the relatable lyrics flash up on screen throughout, to hold the audience’s attention, while on the triumphant Joy, she performs alongside her sisters, fellow singers Amma and Absolutely, who are also the night’s support acts.

Meanwhile, the brilliantly-titled Beware The South London Lover Boy makes use of those oversized screens, as well as a cameo from the titular lothario himself, who is positioned as a hapless Batman villain for the Hinge generation.

On that note, Raye’s sense of humour is another of the well-honed tools in her arsenal that might come as a bit of a surprise to those less familiar with the artist behind the hits.

Clearly completely at ease on stage, she has no issues bantering with her band, her backing singers and even her audience, and her quick responses and witty back-and-forths feel particularly refreshing given how many of her contemporaries are somewhat lacking on the charisma-front.

That the show itself is so full of joy is particularly impressive considering Raye is not afraid to touch on dark subject matter in her material. Over the course of the show, she also speaks passionately on subjects like suicide prevention and sexual assault. With the latter, she manages to bring the entire O2 to a standstill with a rendition of her powerful Grammy-winning ballad Ice Cream Man – no mean feat considering how vocal her fans can become at other moments in the show, and a testament to the command she holds as a performer.

As the night progresses, she even dedicates an entire section to those EDM and dance hits released during those years in limbo at her old label.

Her ability to turn these songs, which must have their own painful connotations for Raye on some level, into joy speaks exactly to what she’s all about as an artist – not to mention her versatility as a performer. Who else from Raye’s peer group would be able to flawlessly cover Fly Me To The Moon in a jazz club setting, and be raving it up under lasers and confetti less than an hour later?

Jarring? Hmmm… only if you allow it to be.

Watching her performing the music that at one point she was effectively forbidden from pursuing, alongside brand new material that allows her to only grow her artistry, Raye is living proof of the good that can come from backing yourself, staying true to who you are and calling out when you’re not being treated fairly.

Her new tour encompasses this perfectly, cementing her spot as one of the UK’s most exciting talents today – and there’s no one in the pop space right now who deserves it more.

Raye’s This Tour May Contain New Music continues at London’s O2 Arena on Monday night, ahead of two more shows at the same venue on 19 and 20 May.

HuffPost UK attended the show as a guest of Nordic Spirit. Nordic Spirit nicotine pouches are a smoke-free alternative for existing nicotine users aged 18 and over. These nicotine pouches are one hundred percent tobacco-free, with no smoke or vapour. Existing adult nicotine users aged 18 can find out more info here.