It’s been 5 years since we met up with the R&B singer RAYE for a chat and she modelled for the cover of our 20^th issue. The then 19-year-old from London had caught our eye with her features on the phenomenal singles Jonas Blues’ ‘By Your Side’ and Jax Jones’ ‘You Don’t know Me’ as well as her collaborations with Stormzy, Nas, and Charli XCX. She told us that her goal was to be number 1 in every single country and whilst she hasn’t quite managed that ambitious goal, yet she’s certainly skyrocketed since then.

She has now added some of the biggest stars to her list of collaborations such as Mabel, Zara Larsson, Sofia Carson, Tinashe, Madison Beer, Cheat Codes, Little Mix, David Guetta, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, David Guetta, and even Queen Bee herself.

At the end of last year, RAYE achieved her first number one single with ‘Escapism’ featuring American Rapper 070 Shake. The single topped the UK, Danish, and Irish charts and charted in the top ten in several other countries following its booming success on TikTok where a sped-up version of the track is still trending. Having sat on the charts for 17 weeks the UK can’t get enough of RAYE. It seems her dreams are coming true.

In February, the singer, whose birth name is Rachel Agatha Keen, released her much-anticipated debut studio album My 21st Century Blues. Along with ‘Escapism’ the album featured four other singles: ‘Hard Out Here’, ‘Black Mascara’, ‘The Thrill is Gone’, and ‘Ice Cream Man’. The album is RAYE’s first release as an independent artist having departed from her previous label Polydor Records in 2021. It was a hit with critics and the public alike receiving praise for its honest tackling of heavy subjects and debuted at number two on the UK album charts.

The sleazy teasy music video for ‘Escapism’ was released in November and now has over 48M views. In black lingerie, dripping with glitzy chains, and wearing long black chic gloves RAYE navigates heartbreak and anxiety numbing pain with unhealthy coping mechanisms in a distorted, red-lit club. It’s clear to see why the track has such a hold on the internet with RAYE’s straightforward honest attitude relatable to many girls who have turned partying to escape their problems instead of addressing them head on.  

On the second single from the album ‘Black Mascara’ RAYE hauntingly sings about being betrayed by her lover repeatedly chanting “done to me” against an upbeat rhythmic club beat. In an interview with DIY, the singer revealed the deeper meaning behind the track was an incident where she was spiked: “The overall theme is being a woman in this world and taking a step back to process all of the shit that’s actually been done to me, things that I’ve had to hide behind the scenes. I wrote that song specifically about a time when I got my drink spiked by a man I really liked. I trusted him”.

‘Ice Cream Man’ is a heart-breaking track on which RAYE bravely sings about the sexual assault she faced from a record producer earlier in her career. Despite the dark subject matter, RAYE shines through on the track as a powerful force with her strong and clear voice telling her fans “I’m a very very brave strong woman/ And I’ll be damned if I let a man ruin/How I walk, how I talk, how I do it”. The self-directed video for the track, released on 1^st March, features raw vulnerability from the singer as she openly cries in a bathroom. The end of the video encourages anyone that has had similar experiences to speak up with the message “this evil has more power over us in the dark than it does in the light”.

The tenth track on the album ‘Body Dysmorphia’ is another courageous song on which RAYE offers solace to those who have struggled with their body image. She opens up on the track in the verses voicing her perpetual anxiety over the aspects of her body she doesn’t like but the chorus offers a way forward. She sings “I don’t really like my body/ But knowing it’s my only body/I should prolly call somebody” therefore encouraging listeners who have a similar experience to talk to someone about it. She also implicitly encourages listeners to check up on their friends in the line “Matter fact, I’m glad you callеd me” suggesting that reaching out could help relieve someone struggling alone.

My 21^st Century Blues is a fitting title for the album. RAYE uses her platform to explore issues that many modern women struggle through with grace such as sexual assault, body dysmorphia, addiction, heartbreak, and anxiety over the state of our country and climate change, often juxtaposing her heavy lyrics with pounding beats. It’s an important record: a move forward towards pop albums that combine sonically pleasing tunes with lyrics that enlighten the world about some of the things that plague the minds of Gen Z. On the outro to the album RAYE personally thanks all her listeners as well as telling us she waited seven years for this moment – it’s a touching and triumphant for the artist.

RAYE is touring currently her My 21^st Century Blues Tour which started in Amsterdam in February playing across the US and will be heading back to Europe in November. Festival goers will be delighted to see that she is featured on a hefty amount of line-ups this year including Glastonbury, Mad Cool fest, Parklife, Longitude, Indiepence Arts & Music Festival, Jugend fest, Findings, Lowlands, Connect, Sundown, and Superbloom.  

_{Words by Molly Sutherland}

^{Header Image by Sebastian Kampfhammer}

The post RAYE Isn’t Cooling Down Anytime Soon appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The success and popularity of Hispanic music is no news to us, the global music landscape has always been characterised by their lyricism and catchy rhythm. Since the days of Daddy Yankee and Don Omar and to this day with the growing success of Bad Bunny.

However, Hispanic songs aren’t exclusive to this genre, with the evolution of various artists in these past years we have increasingly become aware of the expansive talent that diversifies it. A new generation of talent that has reached audiences across the world with hits in the pop charts and beyond.

Here is a selection of our current favourite Hispanic artists to add to your music radar.

C.Tangana

C. Tangana, previously known as Crema, has been marking Spanish music since 2006 with his hybrid take on Spanish melodies and culture. The Madrid born and raised artist presents us with his romantic affinity with music through the combination of his passion for Spanish folklore and modern rap. The result of which are incredible songs like ‘Tú me dejaste de querer’ and ‘Nunca estoy’ that have transported his fame to the international scene.

His forthcoming album ‘El Madrileño’, about to be released on the 26th of February, will continue to nourish C.Tangana’s artistic evolution. His music, visuals and narrative, will continue to honour the heritage of Spanish music through the surprising collaborations with artists that, like him, have had a strong impact on the history of Hispanic music. Artists like Andres Calamaro and the Gypsy Kings will help him create new and contrasting sounds born through the appreciation of traditional ones.

This upcoming project will undoubtedly showcase C.Tangana’s talent and maybe even beat his own record of best debut in Spanish history with ‘Tú me dejaste de querer’ and 1.6 million Spotify views in only 24hours.

Kablito

Kablito, aka Karen Freire, is an Ecuadorian artist now residing in Los Angeles that made it to our music radar with her smooth R&B sounds and relatable lyricism.

As she explains her music is a contemporary mix of inspiration gathered from all her favourite R&B artists from Prince to Jack Swing, and her musical take of South American culture and its distinct elements like drama soap operas.

It’s not a common combination nor source of inspiration for a musician but it is one that is worth our time. With her EP Telenovela and multiple hits such as “Vete de Aquí” and “Yo Nunca Te Quise” Kablito entered an industry (the Latinx music industry) that was often considered only for its traditional dancing hits and recentred the international listeners’ attention to the contemporary music that enriches it.

She’s an urban voice representing change and becoming her own representative figure in the music industry with evolving sounds and incredible collaborations.

Bad Bunny

If you don’t know Bad Bunny by now you’re not listening to the right music…But, if you’re like us and love him and everything he does we’re here to talk about him once again.

The Puerto Rican artist known due to his eccentric take on Latin music, genre versatility and joyful personality is one of the key figures in the revitalisation and appreciation of modern Latin music. Not only he creates songs that immediately boost your mood and make you want to forget about everything else, like “Dàkiti”, but he also challenges everything that is outdated and embraces change and innovation, as done in the music video of “Yo perreo sola” by becoming his own muse.

His latest and unexpected album “El Último Tour del Mundo” demonstrated the different sides of Bad Bunny’s music; his ability to work on any genre and come up with diverse songs that always represent his artistic essence. The music video for one of our favourite songs of the album, ‘La Noche de Anoche’ featuring Rosalía has just been released, it’s a visual serenade that lets us appreciate the chemistry of these two artists accompanied by the complexity of their lyrics and beautiful imagery.

In the case that video wasn’t enough and leaves you wanting more, don’t worry, we will get more of Bad Bunny in this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live.

Sebastian Cortes

Sebastián Cortés is making his way into the world of music as a singer, composer and producer. Focused on creating something different that expands the possibilities of niche-music and artists in the Spanish scene.

The Madrid born and raised artist has crafted a style of his own, which fits in with Lofi-pop and Indie sounds that resonate with us as an audience due to the quality of his unprecedented style and the catch of his lyricism.

It’s not a further extension of commercial pop or another standardised version of indie music, it’s something more. His raw voice, meaningful stories and even laid-back production provide us with a genuine alternative to Spanish pop and allows us to sit back and enjoy Sebastián Cortés hit songs like “Dos x Tres” and “T la sudo”.

He may not be the most mainstream of artists but his releases have reached a wide audience exceeding 100,000 listeners on Spotify across different genres, and all by his merit without the support of any label but due to his art. We believe he is an artist to keep up with and cannot wait to see what he has in store for us and the Hispanic music landscape.

Nathy Peluso

Nathy Peluso, an artist criticised for her daring approach to music but loved by us for it.

The Argentinian artist has carved her path in the Latinx music industry by breaking boundaries and exploring musical aspects that many have been afraid to do until now.

We became familiar with her work back in 2017 following the release of her hit single ‘Corashe’ and have been keeping up with her incredible trajectory ever since. Her music has everything that we, Voir, love; upbeat sounds, strong lyrics, impactful voice and eccentric style. Something that we had the chance to admire even more in her third album “Calambre” with songs such as “Buenos Aires” and “Delito”. The latter which has just taken a visual form with the recent release of its official music video and gained international recognition by artists such as Cardi B.

Yendry

YENDRY is a Dominican-born singer who uses her music as a mirror to reflect the realities she faced while travelling the world and adapting to two different cultures.

We came across YENDRY’s work in her performance for the COLORS show but her career took off much earlier, the 27 years singer and songwriter gained popularity in 2012 after participating in the Italian X-Factor. The participation in the Italian talent show became acclaimed due to her strong vocals and particular musical choices which were further appreciated in 2014 when she became the leading voice of Materianera and was part of their first EP “Supernova”.

YENDRY’s music evolved with the years and so did our appreciation of it. Her hit singles “Barrio” and “Nena” are the ones that caught our attention, these, to us, are the ones that encompass her path into finding her niche and that represent her will to include and represent her roots and culture through her music.

As you will be able to appreciate when listening to her different releases the young artist doesn’t solely sing in Spanish but tries to communicate her message and style using the combination of various languages, therefore creating a particular characteristic in her craft.

A characteristic that also translates into her influences, taking equal inspiration from Bachata to R&B and including her favourite elements of both to create her trail.

If you want to find out more about her music don’t miss out on the opportunity and go listen to “Se Acabó”, her latest release featuring Dominican rapper Mozart La Para.

Louta

Louta cannot be described exclusively as a singer. The young Argentinian artist is a singer, songwriter, performer and music producer… but most importantly his artist that likes to communicate with this audience, he’s a stage bug and many call him.

Louta doesn’t just perform his music, he makes an artistic proposition out of his songs, one that his viewers are obliged to listen to and take the time to interact with. His songs are a dialogue with the public that goes beyond the entertaining role of music, they’re a discussion accompanied by innovative music.

Why innovative you may ask… Louta is a multifaceted artist that has succeeded in incorporating diverse genres into his projects, from electronic music to traditional cumbia and many more. But this music as catchy as it is by itself is always presented alongside a specific choice of visuals and shows that surpass our acoustic expectations.

He’s not the most known artist in the Hispanic music industry, however, he’s one that will change your perception of Latin music and will make you fall in love with his intimate songs like “Media hora” and the more chaotic ones like “Alto visto”.

Manuel Medrano

Romanticism in soothing Latin pop, this is how we would describe Manuel Medrano’s music to the ones that aren’t familiar with it. The Colombian singer and songwriter has built himself an impressive career following the classic and rather traditional beauty of Latin pop music.

His most popular songs, that also happen to be our favourite ones too, “Bajo el agua”, “Si pudiera”, and “Una y otra vez” have attracted over 4.5 monthly million listeners over the world on platforms such as Spotify. The simplicity in his music is what makes it so pleasant, his laid-back approach allows us to directly focus on his incredible vocal talent and minimal acoustic sounds, letting the music speak for itself.

Unlike other Latin artists of the moment that try to include as many elements as possible in their projects Manuel Medrano’s style relies on the quality of his sounds and the impact of his voice. Something that is becoming underappreciated nowadays but that is always captivating to see, especially by a renown artist like him.

Rosalía

Rosalía, the singer who transformed the sound of Spanish music throughout the world. The acclaimed artist who has now become a sought-after collaborator in the music industry has brought to light her passion for Flamenco in the incorporation of contemporary pop music.

We have yet to meet someone who doesn’t appreciate Rosalía’s talent or straight up isn’t obsessing over he music, and fairly so. The Catalan singer owns her originality in every sense, she presented to the world one of the most traditional aspects of Spanish culture in everything but a traditional way. This originality is centred in her music, through the never-ending reinvention of current sounds and visual stimuli she became one of our favourite personalities in the global music industry.

It is no wonder why so many artists have opted to collaborate with the Catalan singer, from Bad Bunny to James Blake, proving the reach of her sounds to every imaginable audience from every part of the world. Check out one of our favourite projects of hers below.

Words by Chiara Ferrari, Graphics by Victoria Zhao

The post The Hispanic Artists On The Rise That You Need To Add To Your Playlist! appeared first on Voir Fashion.

In honour of the brilliant 2001 album, J Lo recreated the famous music video from the record’s biggest track “My Love Don’t Cost A Thing”, in which the star ditches her Aston Martin and discards her expensive clothes and jewelry on the beach, fitting the lyrics of the song (“Think you gotta keep me iced, you don’t”). It was an iconic 2000s moment, as the triple threat star followed all the traits of a noughties RnB video and her own brand as a feisty, strong willed woman. The song and video were met with worldwide commercial success. 

In the recreation, J Lo hasn’t changed a bit, barely looking a day older and keeping just as glamorous. She strips her coat and bracelets and swats the camera away before stripping her vintage J Lo tee. The video was posted to her instagram along with some pictures from the shoot, with a message of gratitude to her fans in the caption – “As I reflect on the fact that it’s the #JLo20thAnniversary, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for being with me, loving me and supporting me through all the ups and downs. Thank you so much for all the love over the past 20 years!! I love you so much!! #MyLoveDontCostAThing#SameGirl”  

Not only does Lopez look just as good 20 years later, but her career is just as packed: even though 2021 has just begun, the superstar has already teamed up with Coach on a new campaign and made a stunning performance at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Inauguration ceremony, singing “This Land Is Your Land,” and  “America the Beautiful”. J Lo’s long and successful career is continuing with her talent and beauty remaining timeless.

Words by Daisy Grace Greetham

The post J Lo Jumps Back 20 Years To Recreate ‘Love Don’t Cost A Thing’ – And Nothing’s Changed appeared first on Voir Fashion.