WHAT IT IS: 17-year-old Rachel Keen, professionally known as Raye, from South London, has been writing her own music since she was 10 years old. A singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, her subtle take on warm, electronic-infused R&B is instantly captivating. Initial track “Hotbox” sparked a fierce bidding war between all the major U.K. labels. Now signed to Polydor, she is a huge artist priority for 2016.
ALBUM: Pep Talk (EP)
RELEASE DATE: 11/15
SINGLE: “Tell Me”
LIVE: First headline gig in Nov. in London sold out; already supported BBC Sound of 2015 winners Years & Years and Raleigh Ritchie
INTERNET: 1.8m SoundCloud plays on single “Bet You Wish,” hundreds of thousands of plays on all the others; 4m+ streams on debut EP Welcome to the Winter
RADIO: BBC Radio1 support from Clara Amfo
PRESS: i-D (“the U.K.’s incredible answer to Rihanna”), Wonderland, Clash, The Line of Best Fit
BOOKING: Summer Marshall, Mark Ngui, Jeffrey Azoff/CAA
PUBLISHING: Warner/Chappell
MANAGEMENT: Will Harper/Sequoia Music Mgmt.