If you're looking for some wavy and boisterous R&B stylings this week, RAYE's here to feed with two new tracks, "The Thrill is Gone" and "Escapism," The latter features 070 Shake, who dropped her album You Can't Kill Me earlier this year. These singles, along with the previously released "Black Mascara" and "Hard Out Here," are leading up to the release of her album My 21st Century Blues in early 2023.
RAYE's journey has been unfortunately marred by industry blackballs and limitations. Despite having more than ten million monthly listeners on Spotify, seven Top 20 UK singles, and songwriting credits for the likes of Beyoncé to Normani and ROSALÍA, her then-label did not let her release a debut album. Since then, she's changed course to being the second phase of her career.
"Escapism" with 070 Shake (who's rumored to have split with Kehlani) is a verse-carried R&B banger, with dramatic pianos and strings giving both singers' vocals a lush bed of instrumentation to rest on. The drums are also sharper than the usual R&B jam, and 070 Shake displays the beautiful tone that makes her tracks like "Body" so compelling. There's a tasteful and engaging transition at the end, where the synths' atmosphere and ambiance takes center stage. It makes way for a cathartic outro as a funky drum loop closes us out with reverbed calls into the ether.
"'Escapism' is about running away from reality as fast as you possibly can," RAYE stated in a press release. "Sonically large and dramatic, something to accompany this feeling, to get lost to, and maybe you might find some healing inside of it, like I did.”
On the other hand, she describes "The Thrill Is Gone" as "the story of the dying spark. I became boring and predictable, and he became cold and dismissive. I captured this as a live recording, real raw vocals, no autotune, live instrumentation..."
The song's emotions certainly come off raw as it transitions from a peppy alternative jam to a sultry and soulful ballad waltz, and back into the jam session again. This song really emphasizes RAYE's vocals and lyrical content, as it's the one element of the song that stays constant and is directing us forward.
With these new impassioned tracks, we're sure to get some versatile and colorful tracks when RAYE drops My 21st Century Blues in early 2023. You can check out "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Escapism" featuring 070 Shake below.
Quotable Lyrics
I left everyone I love on read (Uh-huh)
Spilling secrets to the stranger in my bed (Uh-huh)
I remember nothing so there's nothing to regret (Uh-huh)
Other than this 4/4 kick drum poundin' in my head