Raye Details 'Traumatic' Drug and Alcohol Spiral in 2019

Singer Raye has opened up about a period of intense struggle in 2019, describing it as a "pretty dark year" marked by a "traumatic" spiral of drug and alcohol abuse. The 28-year-old artist, whose real name is Rachel Keen, shared that during this time, her family, particularly her sister Lauren (Amma), feared for her life.

Raye, who was signed to Polydor Records in 2014 and gained early fame at 19, experienced growing disillusionment with the music industry around five years into her record deal. Record executives, she said, pressured her into unwanted projects and withheld her debut album. It was while living and recording in Los Angeles in 2019 that she reached a low point, attributing it to a combination of "traumas, frustrations and substance abuse, misuse, or whatever, that just kind of piled up."

Her sister, Amma, recalled in a joint interview for CBS' Sirius radio the fear she experienced, stating, "It would be me that had to double check that she was okay and yeah, she was still alive frankly." Raye confirmed that she was using "other stuff" during that period, though she still drinks. She described being "really in the deep end" and not sober at all for a time. A turning point came when her grandmother, unaware of the extent of her struggles, texted her a Bible verse about sobriety, which Raye felt was a significant catalyst for her recovery.

"I was at a session in LA, I just remember I went to the bathroom and I shed some tears and I was like, 'I need to start getting it together here'," she explained.

After years of estrangement, Raye reconnected with her parents, Paul and Sarah, in 2021, with her father taking on a managerial role. Her sisters Amma and Absolutely also became involved in her professional life.

Raye has previously spoken about being prevented from releasing music for years under her Polydor contract. She stated in 2021 via Twitter that she had "albums on albums of music sat in folders collecting dust, songs I am now giving away to A list artists because I am still awaiting confirmation that I am good enough to release an album." She felt she had done everything requested, including genre shifts and long work weeks, but was denied the chance to release her album. She expressed a desire to "make my album now." This ultimately led to her release from the contract and a successful independent career.

In a 2023 interview with Louis Theroux, Raye discussed feeling "sedated" for years to cope with her career demands, using substances that she later wrote about on her album. Upon becoming sober, she realized the depth of what she had been doing to herself. "I just got to a point where I was like what is my life right now. I was at a point where I had nothing left to lose," she said.

Her career saw a significant resurgence in late 2023 with the TikTok viral hit "Escapism" featuring 070 Shake, which reached number one. This was followed by her debut studio album, "My 21st Century Blues," which received critical acclaim and peaked at number two on the charts. The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

In 2024, Raye made history by winning six Brit Awards, including British Album of the Year. She has also been open about past trauma, including being assaulted by a music producer at 17, which has led to panic attacks and PTSD.

Raye's second studio album, "This Music May Contain Hope," was released independently in March 2026. The lead single, "Where Is My Husband," became her second UK number-one and reached number six on the Billboard Global 200. She is scheduled to perform a special symphonic reimagining of the album at London's Royal Albert Hall on October 23.