RAYE: Tiny Desk Concert
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Published 2023-04-12
"I'm a songwriter for a living, okay. I usually have all the words but I'm genuinely speechless." RAYE told the audience at her Tiny Desk. "All I've wanted is to be seen and respected as a musician."
The South London-bred singer-songwriter had finally made her way to NPR headquarters, her signature cherry-hued pin curls full of bounce and a radiant smile spread across her face. It was a long time coming, and in a re-arranged set of songs from her stunning debut album tailored to the Tiny Desk, RAYE exuded the confidence and abilities of a veteran vocal powerhouse.
In the game for over a decade, RAYE's debut album was 7 years in the making after being stuck in a major label deal that had her confined to recording mainstream pop and electronic records, and penning hits for other artists instead of executing her own creative vision. Now independent, she released the genre-busting My 21st Century Blues this year, an impressive and raw album that touches on some of the artist's most vulnerable life experiences. Over the course of her Tiny Desk, RAYE's musicianship shines as she displays a melange of jazz scats, gospel and blues inflections. Closing out her set with "Buss It Down.," she recruits the audience for some call and response action only after giving us a brief vocal lesson, 'cause that's just how particular she is. If this Tiny Desk concert is your introduction to RAYE, prepare to be enraptured.
SET LIST
"Worth It."
"Five Star Hotels."
"Mary Jane."
"Buss It Down."
MUSICIANS
RAYE: vocals
Matthew Brooks: drums
Liv Thompson: bass
Briana Washington: keys
Paul Murray: guitar
Michael Cordone: trumpet
Greg DeAngelis: trombone
DeSean Jones: saxophone
TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Bobby Carter, Ashley Pointer
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel, Alanté Serene
Audio Assistant: Neil Tevault
Production Assistant: Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Joshua Bryant, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Pilar Galván
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
#tinydesk #nprmusic #raye
All Comments (21)
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getting ads IN THE MIDDLE of a song is a crime
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She reminds me of Amy Winehouse, but has her own, unique way of approaching jazz. It's lovely to see her get the recognition she deserves.
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This is the kinda performance where you listen in silence while being so speechless how a human can sound so amazing!! Her vocals are out of this world!
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Just Watched Raye on SNL & The 1st Thing I Did Was See If She Had A Tiny Desk Performance
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I can't understand how she's had to fight so hard to break in. She is one of my fav artists of all time.
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Jazz singers are vocally elite this was amazing!
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"All I've really wanted was to be respected and seen as a musician and that's exactly what this moment is for me" if you've been following her for a while through all the frustrations she's gone through in the industry i know as a fan you felt proud of her when you heard this
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Not only she can sing - but she can listen: You don't get such a great arrangement for a band unless you know exactly what you do: And what a great band that is.
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You can really tell that she's a MUSICIAN! She made a LOT of differente melodies in her own song. And even said "i love that chord in the middle" to the girl that was playing the keys. She was feeling every beat and instrument and that's noticeable. She loves the music a lot. I love that she's being recognized as she deserves
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She is an example of someone who has mastered their craft
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Her voice control is next level. This and her first song at Royal Albert Hall just show how much of a raw talent she is. She will be one of the greats and she is independent! Buying her album right now to support her. We see you queen! Can we also please acknowledge the sheer joy and love she gets from her band? Fantastic concert thanks for bringing it to us @nprmusic.
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Tiny Desk reveals raw talent unlike any recorded album does
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really love she’s showing off her other songs on the album rather than just performing the singles from it
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The fact that she chose to perform some of the less popular songs off her album and just made them so much better😭😭 Truly no skips, I'm obsessed with her
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Five star hotels was already my favorite song off the album but WOW this version is absolutely incredible.
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It's her being shy about using the vocoder and then going nuts immediately 😂
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I love that Raye never performs her song the same way twice. She's constantly adding and subtracting in a way that seems to be very "in the moment." Absolutely love her voice, her talent, her creativity, and her use of music as a therapy of sorts.
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Tiny Desk Concert sometimes just drops gems on you. This is one of them. I had no idea who she was. Now I'm a fan.
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That lil laughing pause was golden😂😂😂😂
