My 21st Century Blues

My 21st Century Blues
A woman standing on a pile of electronics on a white background
Studio album by
Raye
Released3 February 2023 (2023-02-03)
Recorded2015–2022
StudioA log cabin in Utah[1]
Genre
Length46:48
LabelHuman Re Sources
Producer
Raye chronology
Euphoric Sad Songs
(2020) 		My 21st Century Blues
(2023) 		My 21st Century Symphony (Live at the Royal Albert Hall)
(2023)
Singles from My 21st Century Blues
  1. "Hard Out Here"
    Released: 30 June 2022
  2. "Black Mascara"
    Released: 24 August 2022
  3. "Escapism" / "The Thrill Is Gone"
    Released: 12 October 2022
  4. "Ice Cream Man"
    Released: 2 February 2023[3]
  5. "Flip a Switch"
    Released: 7 April 2023
  6. "Worth It"
    Released: 10 November 2023[4]
  7. "Oscar Winning Tears"
    Released: 8 November 2024[5]

My 21st Century Blues is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Raye. It was released independently by Human Re Sources on 3 February 2023.[6][7] The album is Raye's first project following her departure from Polydor Records in 2021. Largely co-written and produced by herself, she worked with notable names including Mike Sabath, BloodPop, Punctual, and Di Genius. The album features guest appearances from 070 Shake and Mahalia. My 21st Century Blues received acclaim from critics, with some publications including Variety naming it as one of the best albums of 2023.[8] It lyrically explores themes including Raye's struggles with addiction, misogyny, insecurity, body dysmorphia, and sexual assault.[6][7]

Spawned by the release of several singles "Escapism" (featuring 070 Shake), topped the charts in Ireland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, and entered the top ten in over the 20 countries. It won "Best Social Trended Song" at the Global Awards, "Best Contemporary Song" at the Ivor Novello Awards, and was nominated for "Best Independent Track" and "Best Independent Video" at the AIM Independent Music Awards. It also received a nomination for "Best British Pop Single" at the Popjustice £20 Music Award Show. A fifth single titled "Ice Cream Man", peaked at number 69 on the UK Singles Chart, while the sixth single "Flip a Switch" featuring Coi Leray reached number 35.

The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with 15,516 units, becoming her first top ten album in the UK.[9] It charted in over 13 other territories, including reaching number 58 on the US Billboard 200. It was nominated for "Best Independent Album" at the AIM Independent Music Awards, and also shortlisted for "Album of the Year" at the 2023 Mercury Prize.[10] In 2024, it won British Album of the Year at the Brit Awards,[11] in which it re-entered the UK Albums Chart the following week at #5.[12]

  1. ^ Richards, Will (6 January 2023). "RAYE talks scoring UK Number One single with 'Escapism': "It's the ultimate validation"". NME.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins, Peach PRC & More: This Week's Best New Music". The Music. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Spotify". Spotify.
  5. ^ "Spotify". Spotify.
  6. ^ a b "RAYE announces debut album titled 'My 21st Century Blues'". REVOLT. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Raye announces debut album 'My 21st Century Blues'". DIY. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  8. ^ Willman, Chris; Aswad, Jem; Garcia, Thania (29 June 2023). "The 20 Best Albums of the Year (So Far)". Variety. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  9. ^ Paine, Andre (22 February 2023). "Escape plan: Raye's artist services team on the ascent of a 'global superstar'". Music Week. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  10. ^ Snapes, Laura (27 July 2023). "Mercury Prize 2023: Arctic Monkeys tie Radiohead's record for most nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  11. ^ Heching, Dan (2 March 2024). "Brit Awards 2024: See who won". CNN. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  12. ^ "RAYE experiences massive chart uplift following record-breaking BRITs wins". Official Charts. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.