RAYE has announced her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, with the new record set for release on 27 March.
The follow-up to My 21st Century Blues has been described as a project shaped around four “seasons”, with each side of the vinyl representing a different one. In a statement, RAYE said she wanted the album to feel like “a hug, bed or soft place” for anyone who needs it, framing the record as something rooted in comfort, healing and faith.
It marks the next chapter for the South London artist after the success of her debut album and the release of Where Is My Husband!, which offered an early taste of what this new era might sound like. RAYE has also said she wanted the album to carry the feeling of her live shows rather than sound confined to the studio, which only adds to the sense that this project is aiming for something both personal and expansive.
For CultureCues, This Music May Contain Hope already feels like a fitting title for RAYE’s next step, with the record shaping up as a more open-hearted and uplifting follow-up to her breakthrough debut, and all the signs pointing to a very strong new chapter.
This Music May Contain Hope is released on 27 March.