Raye gets choked up at Capital's Summertime Ball as she gives an emotional speech about suffering sexual violence
Raye got choked up at Capital's Summertime Ball as she gave an emotional speech about those who have suffered sexual violence, and hinted at her own experience.
Record-breaking Brit award-winner Raye, 26, made the comments as she introduced her song Ice Cream Man at the concert at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The song is about Raye being sexually assaulted when she was 17 years old by a music producer, who forced his hand between her legs.
'I wanted to sing this song for you today,' Raye said. 'I don't quite know why. Maybe it's because also, I need to sing this song for myself.
'This is a really difficult subject matter. So when I got into the statistics and the statistics were that one in four women and men will will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.'
Raye got choked up at Capital's Summertime Ball as she gave an emotional speech about those who have suffered sexual violence, and hinted at her own experience
Raye added: 'And that is a quarter of you. That is 20,000 people in this place right now will relate to the words of this song which blows my mind because I know most of us are walking around pretending like everything's fine - and sometimes it's not.
'Sometimes you need to be loud about things that you've been quiet about your whole life, and for me, the way that I can do that is in my music, so please excuse the sad subject of this song.'
At the end of the emotional track Raye said: 'Thank you for bearing with me. Yeah, it's a lot.'
The star previously revealed that she was forced to find a record deal in America after she hit out at the UK music industry over the sexual assault.
British labels turned their backs on the star after her MeToo revelation about how she was assaulted by a music producer who forced his hand between her legs when she was 17.
Raye – real name Rachel Agatha Keen – told how the attack left her hooked on alcohol and drugs to cope, and came at a huge cost to her career.
The hitmaker, from Tooting, South London, said: 'Every girl I know in this industry has some sort of story to tell me. The studio is such a vulnerable space.
'And if you say something, you create an enemy who will spread rumours or blacklist you – and you need those connections to open doors for yourself.
Record-breaking Brit award-winner Raye, 26, made the comments as she introduced her song Ice Cream Man at the concert at Wembley Stadium on Sunday
'I wanted to sing this song for you today,' Raye said. 'I don't quite know why. Maybe it's because also, I need to sing this song for myself'
Raye said: 'This is a really difficult subject matter. So when I got into the statistics and the statistics were that one in four women and men will will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime'
'Sometimes you need to be loud about things that you've been quiet about your whole life,' she said
At the end of the emotional track Raye said: 'Thank you for bearing with me. Yeah, it's a lot'
'Even though the people decide very much what's consumed on the outside, inside the music industry is still very much a gatekept society.'
She signed for Polydor in 2014, but, to her frustration, the label refused to release any of her music. After she criticised the label in a lengthy social media rant, they parted ways in 2021.
Her debut album My 21st Century Blues was released independently last year, and she is now signed to New York-based Orchard Records, a subsidiary of Sony.
Raye broke records at the BRIT Awards in March, winning six gongs during a star-studded ceremony at London's O2 arena.
Industry sources say that the singer's revelation that she had been sexually assaulted by a record producer, and then speaking out against Polydor, left music bosses fearful of signing her. One source said: 'It is absolutely insane that Raye went to America. Now look at her.
Raye was forced to seek a record deal in America after being turned down in Britain when she hit out at the UK's music industry over a sexual assault
Raye signed for Polydor in 2014, but, to her frustration, the label refused to release any of her music
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'She has been outspoken about what has happened to her as a woman, that she was sexually assaulted and you do really have to wonder whether that stopped her from getting signed by a British label.
'Raye is a strong woman who has no qualms about ruffling some feathers.
'She eventually found herself signed with a label after being in America which has a reputation for not trying to suffocate its artists.
'But the irony is, all the British music bosses at the Brits will be hailing her as some kind of success story.'