“I want us all to say to ourselves that it’s going to be all right, and I’m going to have faith in the seeds that I’ve planted beneath the snow. I wanted to create something that is a hug, bed or soft place for that person who needs it,” said singer-songwriter and record producer RAYE in an interview with Dork Magazine when discussing her upcoming album.
Following the release of her Grammy-nominated debut album “My 21st Century Blues” on Feb. 3, 2023, RAYE described her intention for her second album as a project created to instill hope in herself and others. This theme aligns with the album, “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE,” which was released on March 27. RAYE initially teased the album on Sept. 19, 2025, when she released the album’s lead single “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”: a track that reached #1 on UK Official Charts on Jan. 26.
From title track “Intro: Girl Under The Grey Cloud.” to the very last song “Fin.,” “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE” tells the intricate story of ups and downs in RAYE life and the ultimate hope she found in the wake of hardships. This message stays cohesive through RAYE’s clever, yet blunt lyricism that retells her stories both vividly and concisely. RAYE’s usage of detailed imagery functions to construct an intricate snapshot of the memories she is reliving through music, as highlighted in the track “Skin & Bones.” “This one just text to cancel plans / It’s the audacity, for me / Supposed to pick me up in 45 minutes,” she complains, constructing the comedic, yet disappointing, setting of a date from hell to engross listeners into her story.
RAYE enhances her engaging storytelling with other artistic choices, such as third person narration to provide context for several of her songs. For instance, “Nightingale Lane.” begins with a preface that the song is about RAYE’s “greatest heartbreak” to allow listeners to connect deeper to the poignant instrumentals and nostalgic lyrics as they now know where the intensity behind each line is rooted. The narration is highly theatrical and told as if it is pulled straight from a fairytale, featuring heavily in the album and as a result, tying the album together as a complete story.
RAYE’s cohesive storytelling also comes through her impassioned instrumentals and powerful vocal range to emphasize each track’s emotions. Dramatic bursts of violin swell in “I Will Overcome.,” moments before RAYE passionately belts “I will overcome” to conclude the track, building up a determined tone as RAYE definitively vows to conquer her struggles.
RAYE uses instrumentals throughout the album to capture each song’s theme, as in the track “Fields.” which is a soft, nostalgic song about RAYE’s relationship with her grandfather and her youth. RAYE effectively illustrates these tender emotions through mellow instrumentals and a clever feature from her grandfather, Grandad Michael. This makes the track more touching and sincere, as listeners can hear her and her grandfather exchange loving messages back and forth, establishing a strong, emotional theme to the song.
Alongside Grandad Michael, RAYE includes several collaborations with other artists such as Al Green, Hans Zimmer and her sisters Amma and Absolutely. Although RAYE has a flair for the theatrical and grandiose, she successfully blends together both her and the other artists’ individual styles, resulting in collaborations that are unique and stunning. In “Click Clack Symphony. (feat. Hans Zimmer),” RAYE maintains her dramatic and descriptive storytelling, utilizing Zimmer’s impressive background in film scoring to create a track that isn’t just powerful, but transcends into a sound that is ultimately more cinematic than any of RAYE’s other music. Yet, through the line “And I never could have guessed I started my morning in tears / Got a great waterproof mascara I can recommend” it is clear that RAYE is still able to preserve her authentic voice.
Furthermore, RAYE demonstrates how much she truly values every person who contributes to her music, seen in track “Fin.,” where she thanks every single person who worked on “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE” by name. This hammers in the idea that the album belongs to everyone and not just her.
Overall, “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE” is incredibly and authentically RAYE. She doesn’t back down or shy away from her using her powerful vocals or theatrical presence, and instead centers this album around important moments and people in her life — both the good and the bad. Through illustrative lyricism, top-tier production and incredible features, RAYE’s album succeeds without fail to transport listeners through a journey of loss, growth and recovery. This delivers an empowering story that isn’t just about RAYE, but a narrative applicable to anyone seeking hope.
RATING: 5/5