Watch Out. If RAYE Spies You On The Tube, You May End Up In A Song...

The 'You Don't Know Me' singer and Brand New For 2017 nominee tells us where she finds songwriting inspo...

Monday, January 23, 2017 - 09:30

RAYE is killing it right now. Her vocals are setting dancefloors and the charts alight on Jax Jones' 'You Don't Know Me' and Jonas Blue's 'By Your Side', she's been writing for the likes of Snakehips, Charli XCX and more, and now she's nominated for MTV Brand New For 2017.

The Croydon singer-songwriter - aka Rachel Keen - has been toiling since the age of eight/nine when she wrote her first songs, and now to be recognised on artist-to-watch lists she told us in our exclusive interview that "the hard work feels like it's starting to pay off so it feels really good."

Admitting that those first attempts were "really rubbish", RAYE's been honing her craft ever since and revealed where she's finds she gets most of her inspiration for her work:

"I think the most inspirational place to write music is on the tube 'cause there's just so much going on and so many faces and it's...really interesting to wonder what someone's story might be. It's just really good for stimulating ideas I think."

WATCH OUR EXCLUSIVE SPOTLIGHT ON RAYE HERE:

Last year RAYE dropped her SECOND EP featuring the Charli XCX-assisted 'I, U, Us'. The track "came about really randomly," she told us. "I had no idea Charli was going to be at the session at the studio. We just started making music and we just had such a blast, we were just running around like little kids, like so excited.

"I had this really weird idea and I was just like 'what if Charli was to direct it?' And I thought obviously there's no way that it was gonna happen but I thought I'd ask anyway. So I just sent her a text like 'oh what would you think about directing the video?', not even expecting a reply. But she was like 'oh my god yes, when are we gonna do it? Where? Let's do something exciting!' Yeah, it was just super fun."

WATCH RAYE'S 'I, U, Us' HERE:

View the lyrics

Delete the pictures off my phone
You know, you know
You were never in my zone
Pack your bag, it's time to go
You know, you know
You are not the one I want

All of them messages you sent
Talking 'bout how we should stay friends
Come again, come again, come again
Every single second that we spent
Every single place and time we went
Off again, off again, off

I, you, us
Never, never, never again
I, you, us
Never, never, never again
I, you, us
Never, never, never again

Our story was beautiful
You know, you know
Tables turn and pages burn
Tryna climb up on my walls
You won't, you won't
It will be as if I never knew

The next girl that you meet
Couldn't do what I do on repeat
Come again, come again, say it loud
Never, ever see you on my street
Boy, you'll never talk to me
Let me spell, let me spell, spell it out

I, you, us
Never, never, never again
I, you, us
Never, never, never again

I will no longer be yours on your shoulders
So cry all you wanna, I can't stay to listen
To you telling me 'bout how perfect we were
Cause it's you who broke this and it feels so good to say
I and I, you and I, you and us isn't right
You weren't there when I needed you by my side
And so now you won't listen to me when I sing it to you
It's to easy to say it like, no no no no

I, you, us
Never, never, never again
I, you, us
Never, never, never again

Writer(s): CHARLOTTE AITCHISON, JONNALI PARMENIUS, RACHEL KEEN, FRED GIBSON Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com

While she's having fun, RAYE is also taking this opportunity seriously. "The one rule I adhere to as an artist I think to just work really hard,"she said. "Everything you do just to put that extra [little bit in], like you just give all you can, I guess."

To vote for RAYE to win MTV Brand New For 2017, like/heart the Instagram image below: