RAYE Talks Creative Freedom And Passion Behind This Music May Contain Hope

In an open and deeply personal conversation on The Zane Lowe Show, seven time BRIT Award recipient RAYE spoke about her ambitious new album, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE, which arrived on March 27. The interview, shared through Apple Music, explored her difficult experiences inside the traditional record label structure and the sense of control she has finally found as an independent artist.

"It’s Taken Every Blood Cell"

Looking back at the demanding journey behind the album, RAYE said the project feels like the result of years of dedication. Taking on the position of executive producer, she guided every detail, from vocal arrangements to large scale orchestral production.

"I’m honestly exhausted, both mentally and physically," she told Lowe. "It’s been a labour of absolute passion and love... I’ve been pouring into this body of work in some way, shape, or form."

A "Subconscious Rebellion"

Much of the spirit behind the album came from her past experiences writing songs for other performers while following tight creative guidelines. RAYE described that chapter as a previous system where she had to stay "simple and minimal" to match certain BPM requirements and song durations.

"There's a kind of rebellion in there," she explained. "For so many years [I was told] you don't know who you are, you need to pick a sound... how do you expect me to possibly define myself for you unless I have the space to do that?"

She also pushed back on the pressure to stay within one musical lane, saying: "I’m not just one thing... my identity is not one thing. So how can you ask me to choose one thing? In this record I’ve embraced maximalism."

The Power of Leverage

RAYE explained that everything changed when she stood up for her independence. She remembered reaching a moment where she almost walked away from music completely. But as more people began paying attention to her situation, she recognized she finally had real negotiating strength against the label system.

"For the first time I felt like I had some sort of power over my future," she recalled. "I was able to kind of pretty explicitly say... we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Total leverage. How does it feel now I've got some? I absolutely love it. It was a great feeling."

Healing and Independence

Even with that breakthrough, RAYE openly spoke about the emotional work that came afterward, including deep self reflection and therapy. THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE became part of that recovery process, combining fresh perspectives with older material from her catalog, including "Oscar Winning Tears," which she shared was written eight years ago.

Now surrounded by a trusted and focused team, RAYE says she has stepped away from a disconnected past and into a chapter she fully controls. As she told Lowe: "I was aware that we were in this fresh slate, clean slate kind of place."