Portrait of Raye

Birthday profile

Raye

Raye, British singer-songwriter

Born
October 24, 1997
Age in 2026
29
Zodiac sign
Scorpio
Birth year
1997

About Raye

Rachel Agatha Keen (born 24 October 1997), known professionally as Raye (/reɪ/ RAY), is a British singer-songwriter and record producer. Her music blends elements of jazz, pop, dance, R&B, and soul, and her lyrics address personal experiences and contemporary issues. Raye holds the all-time record for the most Brit Awards won in a single year, receiving six trophies in 2024 including "Best New Artist" and "Songwriter of the Year". She signed with Polydor Records in 2014 and first gained recognition in 2016 through collaborations on Jonas Blue's "By Your Side"—her first entry on the UK Singles Chart—and Jax Jones's "You Don't Know Me", which reached the UK top three. Raye later released several extended plays, as well as the project Euphoric Sad Songs (2020), which spawned the UK top-ten single "Secrets", a collaboration with Regard. In 2021, she collaborated with Joel Corry and David Guetta on the UK top-three entry "Bed", and later departed Polydor, citing the label's refusal to release her debut studio album. Raye signed with Human Re Sources in 2022 and independently released her debut studio album, My 21st Century Blues (2023), to critical acclaim. Its third single, "Escapism", became her first UK number-one single and her first top-ten entry on the Billboard Global 200. She also collaborated with Cassö and D-Block Europe on the UK top-two single "Prada". Raye's second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope (2026), received critical acclaim and became her first number-one album on the UK Albums Chart. Its lead single, "Where Is My Husband!", became her second UK number-one single and her highest-charting release on the Billboard Global 200. Raye has contributed as a songwriter to music by other artists, including Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Ellie Goulding, and Little Mix. The first female recipient of the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year, Raye has won seven Brit Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards, in addition to awards from the Recording Academy, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, nominations for a Mercury Prize, and three Grammy Awards. At the Brit Awards 2024, Raye won six categories including British Artist of the Year, breaking the record for the artist with the most awards received in a single ceremony. She first rose to prominence after signing with Polydor Records and providing guest vocals for Jonas Blue's song "By Your Side" (2016), which became her first entry on the UK singles chart. Its third single, "Escapism", gained popularity in social media and became her first song to top the UK singles chart and enter the US Billboard Hot 100. She also became the first female recipient of the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year. Raye subsequently released several extended plays, as well as the project Euphoric Sad Songs (2020), which features the UK top-ten single "Secrets".

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Raye timeline

  1. She first rose to prominence after signing with Polydor Records and providing guest vocals for Jonas Blue's song "By Your Side" (2016), which became her first entry on the UK singles chart.
  2. Raye subsequently released several extended plays, as well as the project Euphoric Sad Songs (2020), which features the UK top-ten single "Secrets".
  3. At the Brit Awards 2024, Raye won six categories including British Artist of the Year, breaking the record for the artist with the most awards received in a single ceremony.

The world when Raye was born

Raye was born in 1997. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1997

  • #1 song"Candle in the Wind 1997" – Elton John
  • Top movieTitanic
  • Top TV showSeinfeld
  • Best-selling bookHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – J.K. Rowling

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentTiger Woods wins the Masters at age 21 by 12 strokes
  • Top headlinePrincess Diana dies in Paris car crash
  • Technology milestoneDeep Blue beats Garry Kasparov at chess
  • Defining fadTamagotchi virtual pets
  • Notable inventionWiFi (IEEE 802.11 standard)
  • World population5.85 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderBill Clinton
  • Sports championFlorida Marlins (World Series)
  • Also wonChicago Bulls (NBA)
  • U.S. population267.6M

1997 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Raye's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19972026
Gas$1.23$3.45/gal
Average home$121,800$435,000
Average income$46,179$67,500
Minimum wage$5.15$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$4.59$11.95
Postage stamp$0.32$0.73
Population267.6M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.