Three years after her debut album “My 21st Century Blues,” RAYE has returned with “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.” — and few artists have captured my attention in as little time. I had been heavily anticipating this album after listening to the two singles she dropped.
Opener “Intro: Girl Under the Grey Cloud.” sets the tone for the album’s arc from pessimism to optimism. RAYE uses narration and dramatic theatrical strings to introduce the album’s main character as a woman struggling with internal and external storms.
Citing the rainy early morning of Paris and the belittlement she faced from a man earlier in the day, the woman depicts her hopelessness. The narrative ends with a voicemail from her grandmother urging her to pray, seamlessly blending into the first of many hopeful tracks, “I Will Overcome.”
In this song, RAYE shows off the vocal chops I’ve grown to be in awe of, tapping into her falsetto and operatic vocals. She sings about online vitriol, constant comparison and the blissful yet brief comfort eating chocolate cake provides.
The following track “Beware… The South London Lover Boy.” is a far cry from its pared-down predecessor, using heavy horns and bass. The transition exemplifies the album’s enthralling genre fluidity.
While some songs lean into the traditional R&B and jazz sounds RAYE is most heavily influenced by, some songs explore other genres. “Joy. (feat Amma & Absolutely)” has more of a dance beat, “Fields. (feat Grandad Michael)” features a gospel choir and the list goes on.
The dramatic shifts in genre are not jarring as one might expect, but exciting instead. I looked forward to each song because I had no idea what to expect. The most surprising song for me was “Click Clack Symphony. (feat Hans Zimmer).”
When the tracklist first released, this song immediately caught my eye. Zimmer is my favorite composer, and I love RAYE as an artist but I couldn’t envision how the two would collaborate. I can safely say that the pairing worked together extremely well. “Click Clack Symphony.” is a cinematic masterpiece to listen to, featuring heavy strings and lyrics encouraging female empowerment and perseverance amidst depression.
Zimmer was not the only skillful collaborator. While RAYE is known for shouting out her home area of South London, I did not expect her to name drop my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. In “Goodbye Henry. (feat Al Green),” RAYE’s narrator persona introduces Green, a legend in the Memphis music scene. I might be biased in saying this, but “Goodbye Henry.” is my favorite song on the album. It is a fun, upbeat song that despite its sad lyrics about a past love, you can’t help but enjoy.
The album was also a family affair, with features from two of her sisters, her grandmother and her grandfather. Given how vulnerable the album is, I thought it was beautiful how RAYE included her family in it. It added an extra layer of care and emphasized how important and meaningful the album was to her.
With unique elements, like RAYE’s narrative voice and voicemails, genre fluidity and collaborators that helped curate the drama and optimistic tone of the album, it is safe to say that “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.” is the best album of the year so far. It’s pure optimism bottled into an hour-long album, and I will be listening on repeat for the foreseeable future.
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