RAYE stood in an atmospherically lit Live Lounge to try her hand at covering another artist’s song. While she’s known for her genre-hopping music, her strong R&B, jazz, and soul influences might lead people to expect her to cover an iconic song from these genres’ traditions. Instead, she chose a song that may take Music Man readers by surprise. Deciding to take on Kate Bush’s recent revival hit ‘Running Up That Hill’, RAYE gave a performance that showed yet another side to her talents.
When she began to sing, RAYE surprised everyone as she managed to capture the fragility and mystical feeling of Kate’s original. Then, as her performance went on, she began to work in more elements of her signature sound, incorporating more of her R&B-influenced vocals. Fans noticed that one thing she shared with Kate was the emotion she poured into her performance, one fan commenting, “Never ever heard a cover of this song that has matched Kate’s passion. Finally, RAYE has pulled it off.”
I was extremely impressed to see how RAYE was able to take a song that has remained so popular over decades and resonated with different generations, and make it her own. Not only is this a hard enough song to do justice to, something RAYE did magnificently, but the way she subtly adapted it to suit her own style elevated it to another level. It felt as though she was taking ownership of the song, and it highlights how her commitment to her individuality mirrors that of Kate Bush’s.
For our Music Man readers who are perhaps less familiar with RAYE’s own sound, the very same Live Lounge session featured RAYE singing her own song ‘Black Mascara.’ The performance features RAYE’s signature soulful vocals that have become such a strong part of her sonic identity. Despite this, she still managed to remain explorative, as she transformed the song from its dance-pop sound as found on the album into an elegant and fragile song that showed yet another side to her.
RAYE is an artist who loves to keep people on their toes. Her versatility and ambition are constantly taking listeners by surprise and, just like with her Live Lounge covers, she somehow manages to pull it off and have people in awe every single time. With her second album on the way, and its lead single WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’ hitting the top 10 in several countries, fans are undoubtedly waiting with bated breath to see which unexpected direction RAYE takes us in next.
RAYE’s Live Lounge cover proved she can honour an icon while making a song entirely her own — a thrilling reminder of her artistry and range. If you’re keen to explore more performances, interviews and recordings, check the useful links below to discover further work from this remarkable talent.