The ultimate rule-breaker hasn’t lost her momentum. Last year, RAYERAYE Delivered A Jazzed-Up Rendition Of ‘Escapism’ On Her Debut ‘Saturday Night Live’ Performance released her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, after nearly decade-long battle with her previous record label. Tonight (May 7), she kicked off a new chapter with a new song, “Genesis.”

“Genesis” is a seven-minute long track, on which, RAYE shows she is a master of a multitude of genres. Over the course of the song, she displays her rap chops, over orchestral and instrumentation, and later showcases powerful R&B vocals.

“I see a sad little sinner, in the mirror / The devil works hard, like my liver / I don’t wanna be alive, but I don’t wanna die / A fist full of pills and rivers in my eyes / I’ve nothin’ left to lose, dear God in the sky / Hear my cry, hear my cry / When it’s too dark to see / Let there be light.

RAYE has been working on this song for quite some time. She’s performed versions of the song — which was previously nicknamed “Let There Be Light” by fans — at festival appearances, and earlier this year on Saturday Night Live.

“There is a Nina Simone quote, ‘It is an artist’s duty to reflect the times’. This quote is everything to me and I believe the best way I can try to do this is through my art and my music,” said RAYE in a statement. “There is so much darkness and pain in this world we live in, and I wanted to create something both as deeply personal and as raw as I could find myself to be about my own mind and the world I see around me. The song is a 7-minute piece that I have crafted and scrutinized over the last year and a half, experimenting with different genres and sonic expressions, beneath all the layers and the lyrics, the underlying message is ‘Let There Be Light’. It is a prayer and a plea and a cry for help and I really hope this song will be able to bring some hope, the way this music does for me, to those who need it most.”

You can listen to “Genesis” above.

Posted in: Pop
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