For his latest celebrity interview on BBC 2, Louis Theroux chats to rising pop star Raye about all manner of subjects from the abuse she's experienced in the industry, to going head to head with Shania Twain and getting embarrassed when she sings raunchy songs in front of her dad...
On her early career ambition:
“I was just so young and hungry to make my dreams a reality. I signed my songwriting and publishing deal first, I’d just turned 17. My record deal shortly after that.”
On feeling creatively limited:
“There’s a formula I had to adhere to: the formula was, you feature on several dance tracks, then when you’re in a strong enough position you can take the names off and do them by yourself. All super pop, all super down the middle.”
On abuse in the industry:
“When you’re young, and up and coming, and you have a dream, and you cross paths with powerful people… some people abuse their power and the effects of that can be crippling. I applaud women who speak out and are loud and brave and bold about the disgusting things that they’ve been dealt. I don’t personally have that strength to do that. Sadly for me, it’s not one instance, it’s many things that have occurred.”
On missing out on a number one album:
“Do you know how close…. Shania Twain is too big! Everything happens how it needs to, and number two is good.”
On her raunchier lyrics, and being managed by her dad:
“It’s definitely an event playing things for dad… I awkwardly can’t even say it [the lyrics] in person but when the bass is playing, it’ll flow.”
On feeling trapped at her major label
“Not a day goes by when I’m not thinking about music… I’m obsessed, I’m devoted to being a musician. I take it so seriously. And I was a product. When you take a step back and remove emotion I was a product that needed to be sold.”
On self-medication
“I was able to get along with my career because I was in some form of sedation, whether it be weed or other things, which I wrote about on my album. I was just trying to get on with it Louis, and when I became sober I realised wow I can’t do this sober, it’s actually deep.”
On trying to move on from her first record deal
“I got some flowers [from Polydor] so that was nice. It’s just… honestly…. It makes me annoyed. I have to come to really find true peace, which I wrestle with. At the end of the day it should come down to a creator believing in what they’ve created. I just want to be a person who’s in control of my life.”
On healing
“I’m grateful that I am a writer, and that I have music. I don’t know how I’d handle a lot of the things I have experienced without music.”
On her Joel Corry collaboration, Bed:
“It’s really very boring. It’s not my favourite song but my bank account loved that song. This house… secured from Bed.”
On Louis Theroux’s own hit single:
“Jiggle Jiggle was an iconic song. That went! I know the lyrics.”
On the rise of AI
“I’m a robot. I’m an AI ally. 60 years in the future when AI becomes really intelligent they’ll know I’m an ally.
