RAYE Speaks Out Against ‘Nasty’ Amy Winehouse Fans

RAYE has seen her career skyrocket over the past few years, but with the growing success has also come heavier public criticism. One comparison in particular involving the late Amy Winehouse has deeply affected her, something she opens up about on her track “I Will Overcome.”

In her Billboard cover story released Thursday, May 7, RAYE explained to writer Hannah Dailey why she decided to reference the comparisons to the legendary British soul singer, who passed away in 2011 due to accidental alcohol poisoning, on the opening track of her March album This Music May Contain Hope. In the song, she sings: “Some people say I remind them of Amy/ Some spit through their keyboards, I’ll never amount/ And the evil in insults, the arrows from your tongue/ [Are] the same devils you tortured her with.”

“It honestly feels darkly ironic to me that people can attack me in such a cruel way while claiming they’re protecting Amy,” RAYE told Billboard about the lyric. “What’s being said to me reflects exactly the kind of treatment Amy experienced. She was constantly torn apart with words from the media, from the public and from so many people around her.”

She continued: “People don’t have to like me, and that’s okay. What gets me is how hateful and vicious some comments can become. It’s the exact same kind of negativity. I felt like I needed to say that because while I receive so much kindness and support, the negative voices always seem louder.”

This Music May Contain Hope debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and also gave RAYE her first No. 1 album in the U.K. The achievement follows years of struggle as an independent artist after parting ways with Polydor Records in 2021.

Elsewhere in the Billboard feature, the artist reflected on her journey with mental health, surviving sexual assault and rediscovering happiness in her life. She also opened up about where she currently stands on love and relationships after expressing her hopes of finding romance on her hit single Where Is My Husband!, which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“It’s honestly been such a long time that dating feels unfamiliar now,” she admitted. “Some days I feel really secure, confident and fulfilled with my life, and then there are moments when I’m watching a romantic comedy thinking, ‘Where is he?’ But I’m not taking it too seriously. I’m not crying myself to sleep every night. Just occasionally.”

Watch RAYE address the Amy Winehouse comparisons below.