Raye Talks Tour Life, the Making of ‘Flip a Switch’ Video and Sliding into SZA’s DMs
Thania Garcia These days, Raye is spending time in hotel rooms, tour busses and on stages more than anywhere else. “Nothing makes sense until I’m on the stage,” the British Ghanaian singer-songwriter tells Variety. “I really feel at home up there, I’m just very grateful for every little moment.” Today, Raye announces the addition of North American dates and Australian dates to her headlining “My 21st Century Blues World Tour,” which also spans stops in Europe and the UK in support of her recent album, “My 21st Century Blues.” Released in February, the LP marked Raye’s long-awaited and hard-earned debut after years of co-writing hits for various stars including Beyoncé, Ellie Goulding, Charli XCX, John Legend and Rita Ora. In her own album, Raye rejoices in artistic freedom as a standalone, independent artist — having left the confines of her former label and signed a new deal with the Orchard’s Human Re Sources.