RAYE on praise from Kylie Minogue: “It’s a really beautiful thing when you realise other artists are finding some sort of solace in your art”
RAYE has spoken to NME about her record-breaking number of wins at this year’s BRIT Awards, and what it’s like to receive praise from artists including Kylie Minogue. Watch our video interview with her below.
The singer-songwriter went into this year’s ceremony as the artist with the most nominations, with a record-breaking seven. She then went on to win in six categories, including Songwriter Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Act and Best New Artist. Following the victories, she caught up with NME in the Winners’ Room to recall what the night meant to her.
“I haven’t quite processed yet how it feels, but this is definitely the best night of my life. Hands down. Without a doubt, best night of my life,” she said, going on to point at her trophies, “I can’t even hold them. They hurt my arms!”
The singer also reflected on what it was like to have her grandmother with her during the ceremony, and the wholesome moment when she invited her on stage as she took home the Album Of The Year trophy for her debut ‘My 21st Century Blues’. “It was so beautiful. My grandma, she moved from Ghana to the UK to raise me and my sisters.”
“My parents worked full time, so she put in that shift. She used to push me in a pram every day to and from school – she had my cello on her back,” she added. “I owe so much to my grandma and I love her so much. So much. We’re very similar in personality too – we’re both dramatic as hell!”
Elsewhere in the interview with NME, RAYE recalled what it was like to meet Kylie Minogue just moments earlier – following the pop sensation winning the BRITs Global Icon Award and taking to the stage as the final performer on the night.
“That was insane, she’s just… This whole night is just a lot. In the best way,” she explained. “Also, she’s been so lovely about me. She did an interview where she was [saying] really lovely things about my music and my album.
“It’s a really beautiful thing when you realise other artists — artists you’ve looked up to and listened to since you were a kid — are finding some sort of solace in your art. That’s a full-circle moment of dreams, really.”
While accepting the Songwriter Of The Year award at The O2 in London on Saturday (March 2), RAYE also made headlines after using her speech to call on music executives to allow songwriters to receive royalty payments.
“I think we need to have a conversation. I want to normalise giving songwriters master royalty points,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be at your expense, but it just means that if the songs win big, then the writers get to win big too. Please allow that to happen.”
Her debut album ‘My 21st Century Blues’ was given a glowing four-star review by NME last year, and described as “bold, brilliant and unapologetically her own”.
“Gritty, honest lyrics, delivered by RAYE’s gorgeous voice, are paired with weird and wonderful genre-spanning instrumentals,” it read. “The hard-fought ‘My 21st Century Blues’ is unequivocally RAYE from start to finish.”
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
