Up and coming British singer / songwriter Raye talks about performing James Brown's classic "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" during the AMAs 50th anniversary special on CBS, opening up for the Taylor Swift Eras tour, the connection she has with her LGBTQ+, how she feels about the Amy Winehouse comparisons and more
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00Hanging out at the American Music Awards with Ray. How are you feeling girl? I'm feeling good
00:04Yeah, am I allowed to be here cuz I'm not American. That's what I've been thinking
00:08Like I'm really grateful to be as a British person. Well, we've let you be our guest. Thank you for the yeah
00:13Thanks for the invitation
00:14So talk to me about like you've had such an amazing career so far and like you were playing like clubs and bars and now
00:19You're at the American Music Awards. So how's this journey been for you? It's been nice. It's been a rollercoaster for sure
00:24It's been like lots of ups and downs, but you know, I feel
00:28Really blessed that I've been able to have the chance to kind of find myself as an artist, you know
00:32and I feel really good about that and
00:34yeah, so I'm just really honored and grateful, you know, there's not a lot of people get the chance to kind of go again and
00:40Even to keep going, you know, I mean that's amazing and you're checking these boxes off eras tour American Music Awards
00:46Tell me about when you started take me to younger Ray and do you feel like the music that you wanted to make and you're
00:51Living out your dreams. Oh
00:53Definitely, I even think today like I'm singing. It's a man's man's man's world. It's man's three times
00:58I think I think which haha, you know, don't we feel it girls?
01:03Even that you know, that's one of my favorite songs growing up. I used to just listen to that song on a loop
01:07I think the musicality and the chords and the just drama of it and just
01:11Just everything about it is just so beautiful
01:13so even getting to be on an AMA stage and performing that with four string players and four brass players and my band and
01:20Just ripping it and getting to do that is just like wow
01:24Like we've really come far because yeah back in the day. It was definitely not those vibes. It was giving you know
01:33Dance pop which is you know, we love it a good day
01:35And so do I do not I mean but not only that, you know
01:39And I think more so than ever I young race seeing right now would be like very like wall
01:45This is really cool. Do you know I mean now I do want to say you of course you've had an amazing career
01:49I have to talk to you. I'm a Swiftie. How was it to open for the heiress to her cuz girl?
01:54I was rooting for you. Oh my gosh, it was so
01:57intimidating and so what an honor as well, you know, I mean and
02:02Yeah, she's also just the nicest sweetest human being
02:07Sorry, I I don't understand how that beautiful woman gets up on stage for three hours
02:12I'm like a half and slays the thing down and still took the time
02:17do you know I mean to like say hello and we had a lovely chat and she's just like a
02:22Really normal lovely person and I was just yeah
02:26I just yeah, I fell in love with even more during that whole experience
02:30So yeah, I was very grateful and she's very inspiring as well. You know, like what a whole
02:35Legacy she's built. So it was just really an honor to just be a tiny tiny tiny part of it
02:40Yeah, how do you feel about the connection you've made with your fans through your music? I feel so grateful
02:45I also feel like releasing an album gave me the chance to actually really connect on the deepest level with with I
02:54Saying fans. I'm still getting my head around which is so weird in it because it's been a while
02:59But the people who listen to my music and support my music, I think
03:04They were always writing for me and it was the LGBTQ plus community to be honest in a majority before I put this album out
03:11I feel like was my only fan base. I'm very very great
03:14They took care of you
03:16My first gigs I did in America were all pride shows, you know
03:20I mean, it was the first crowd that really truly accepted me and
03:23And then I feel like when I put this album out
03:25I got some of the mums involved and you know, and then the girls so I feel like it's the girls the gays and the mothers
03:33Which is an amazing combination of people the crowds at the shows are so beautiful now, you know
03:39And it's just a blessing to feel like seen and heard as an artist
03:45I feel like my voice is heard as an artist and it's the most beautiful feeling and I mean you're a great vocalist
03:50But you also get some comparisons to of course the Amy Winehouse stuff. So, how does that feel to be compared to such a great?
03:55It's it's absolutely an honor
03:59And also was quite intimidating as well, isn't it? Because Amy can't be replicated or imitated
04:04I really believe that you know, and and that's never something I ever want to
04:09You know intentionally do and I think you know when I do are my research into it, you know, I love jazz music
04:16I love the 60s. I love Nina Simone. I love Ella Fitzgerald. I love Diana, Washington
04:22I just grew up loving those things and you know, I guess
04:27And also have big teeth. So I think
04:33Like a comparison she loved jazz and we went to the same school
04:37Years after she went there
04:39So I guess it's just similarities in in in that but like she's just irreplaceable
04:45She made some of the most incredible timeless music and I could only dream about leaving a legacy as half as incredible as she has
04:52So it's overwhelming, but you know, I'm not offended by that at all
04:57Of course and lastly with this like quick fame and everything. I mean you were killing at the Brits all the awards you got there
05:02How have you taken that in and how have you handled the fast rise to fame with your mental health and everything?
05:08I
05:11Definitely how am I handling wait?
05:14How are you handling fame right now with mental health because that's a you know
05:18It's it's it's a new thing and it's a lot that going on. I'm sure it's definitely. Yeah, it's definitely
05:23Something I'm getting my head around
05:25I think I've honestly just been you know
05:27When you've just waited your whole life for all these doors to open and they all all open at once
05:32So the last two and a half years, I've just absolutely put the pedal to the metal and really gone for it
05:38But I think it's got to the point where like I'm like, okay, I need a break now
05:41Do you know I mean and so yeah
05:43I think I need to learn how to do stuff again like kind of normal stuff
05:48Do you know I mean like you just want to go to the coffee shop?
05:50yeah, just you know stuff at that and going outside, you know and
05:55Walking around, you know, I mean, I've become a little bit more of an introvert than I used to be
06:01Yeah, I'll get that. I just need a little reset. Do you know I mean, okay, everybody needs to come back down to earth
06:06Yeah, cuz it's been quite a wild. Yeah, but I'm really grateful. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you Tetris. Thank you