Who Is Raye? All About the Grammy-Nominated British Singer Linked to Michael B. Jordan

Raye is expanding her influence as a major force in the music industry just a few years after her debut.

The British singer, 28, has steadily risen to prominence after initially facing repeated pushback and rejection over her music. A little over three years after releasing her debut studio album, My 21st Century Blues, she returned with her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, in March.

Here's everything to know about Raye's personal life and career.

Raye was born in London on October 24, 1997, to her English father and Ghanaian-Swiss mother. Her parents were heavily involved in their church, which later inspired her love of singing.

When Raye was 7, she made an early attempt at songwriting by copying a melody from a children's TV show. Around 10 or 11, she had written an original song for her school leaving concert, which was performed at Southwark Cathedral.

At 14, she enrolled at the Brit School, where she studied songwriting and production for two years before leaving.

"It's all cool, underground, indie artists," she said in a 2017 interview. "I did a song called HotBox, and I was scared to play it to people because I was like, 'Oh, my friends might think this is moist [embarrassing].'"

"I felt confined. I was ready to get out," Raye admitted.

Raye was 8 years old when she decided she wanted to be a singer. She then performed on stage for the first time in primary school.

"I remember going at it every year. In the second year, I wrote my own song — I would have been about 10 — and I performed it to the whole school," Raye, who ranked third in BBC Music's Sound of 2017 list, shared.

Her songwriting skills soon opened the doors for her to write for other artists, including Beyoncé, Ellie Goulding, Charli XCX and Little Mix.

"I expect her to be Céline Dion level in her career," SZA told Billboard of Raye. "It's unbelievable: her writing, her voice, her melody choice, her commitment to intricacy and true artistry. I'm just a fan. I hope that we can work together at some point."

In 2014, then-17-year-old Raye signed a four-album deal with Polydor Records. However, five years later, the label had still allegedly refused to release the album she had recorded. She later claimed she was told she could not release her debut album unless her lead single, "Call On Me," performed well.

After parting ways with Polydor, Raye began releasing music independently and found major success with "Escapism," which went viral on TikTok and later charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

"That very much becomes a part of your psyche," she shared. "What fuels me to work as hard as I do is to prove those people wrong. Getting into a room with men, who are experienced and talented, asking 'Who are you?' 'Give me the mic and I'll show you.'"

After her experience with the label, Raye spoke openly about the risks of signing a deal as a "young and vulnerable" singer.

"You have no leverage when you're negotiating those contracts in your early years, which can have devastating consequences later in your career," Raye explained to USA Today in 2025. "The label takes 85 percent and you take 15 percent. I was told that was a really good deal by my lawyers at the time. But what they don't tell you is that every single penny they spend on you has to be recouped first out of your 15 percent before you're going to get paid for your record sales."

Raye revealed the contract involved separate negotiations over touring and merchandise earnings. She admitted she did not fully understand the financial impact until years later, recalling the moment she wondered, "Wait, why am I not making any money from these songs? It's a lot."

Raye is soaring higher in the music industry, adding an impressive list of accolades to her growing career.

She currently has four Grammy nominations, including Best Music Film in 2026, as well as Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical, in 2025.

Raye has also won seven BRIT Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, four Global Awards, two MOBO Awards and one MTV Europe Music Award.

"I really wanted to create music … that can provide space for those emotions to force their way to the surface and be addressed," she told Billboard. "What Chappell [Roan] said there was very important, and I think on a large scale — not just in music, but in all walks of life — we need to figure out ways to create spaces for mental health and these conversations to be more normal. Or for you to not have to hit rock bottom in order for you to be like, 'Maybe I need some help.'"

The "Where Is My Husband!" songstress fueled fresh dating speculation after she was spotted with Michael B. Jordan at Six Flags Magic Mountain on August 7.

One source told People a few days after the outing, "Things are new between them. Raye tells friends that Michael is her type and that he is warm and kind."

One insider clarified the two are "just friends" and that they were with a group of people at the amusement park.

Before the latest dating rumors, Raye had largely kept her romantic life out of the spotlight, though she was previously linked to Drake and Lewis Hamilton.