Raye is a South London 18-year-old who has pop chops that are just off-kilter enough, which is probably one reason she and Charli XCX hit it off when they first met. Their shared sensibilities of being exactly themselves, as well as letting a wack dude have it when he deserves it, are present in this video for Raye’s track “I, U, Us,” appropriately directed by Charli.
The track is from Raye’s just-released EP Second, and the ice hockey situation in the clip is fire; her flow’s a little bit Migos, a little bit “Shake It Off” Mariah Carey, all with a sweetness to it that bites when she gives homie the kiss off, especially with her boy-posse behind her to back her up. My favorite part is when she trails off—“No, no, no!”—with a bit of reverb, so she sounds far away, unable to be truly bothered anymore.
On Second, Raye’s pushed forth her power, deliberately asserting her position as a boss. As further proof, here’s the track “Ambition,” featuring young grime star Stormzy; “I’ma ride this money like a wave” is my new life motto, as is telling dumb and thirsty males “Ha ha, you can go now.”
