The Musician Insight

An intermission: Raye challenging the rules

After her groundbreaking first album 21st Century Blues (2023), Raye delivers a new project, one she refers as an “intermission”: a project serving as a transition between her two opuses and a true representation of what she is capable to bring to the table.

In this song, Raye shares her mental health struggles and denounces society’s hypocrisy. While talking about dark and deep subjects such as addiction and discrimination, Raye’s message is one of hope. One where despite everything, there is still a light for all of us.

In Genesis, we are presented with seven minutes of music inspired by blues, jazz, R&B, gospel, pop and repetitive music. A true blend of genres done perfectly, showing the singer’s songwriting talents.

The structure of this track is quite interesting, with the first part being Raye talking to us, followed by the introduction of the chorus (with the gospel, R&B and pop inspirations) and the first verse. The rest of the song consists of the repetition of the chorus with new elements (for example, the second chorus has a piano playing chords along with the drums and vocals — performed by Raye and her choir — while the first chorus only has the drums and Raye’s vocals).

Towards the end of the song, the genre shifts completely, switching to a more traditional take on jazz and blues, with Raye showing off her vocal abilities through phrasing, scatting and belting.

Genesis is more than a song: it’s an experience, one reinforced by the visuals of the music video, creating a seven minute long short movie. A song to savor and learn from.

Photo © Mikey Robbins