Raye's career crumbled 18 months before BRIT Awards triumph
Raye's career felt as if her career had crumbled 18 months before her triumph at the BRIT Awards on Saturday night (02.03.24) - with the singer revealing she begged her agent not to give up on her.
Raye felt like her career was crumbling just 18 months before her triumph at the BRIT Awards.
The 26-year-old singer made history at the ceremony in London on Saturday night (02.03.24) when she became the first artist ever to win six awards in a single night, but she worried her musical dream was slipping away less than two years ago when she had to beg her agent not to drop her.
She told The Times newspaper: "I'm just happy to be here: 18 months ago my career had gone to [hell]. I remember seeing my live agent at a gig.
"I went up to him, with tears in my eyes, and begged him not to give up on me. I told him I had more fight in me. A week later he set up this tiny tour.
"It was a hundred tickets per venue; me sat at the piano for two hours, talking the audience through my story so far. Had someone said then that I'd be at the O2 [venue] in less than two years, even I would have thought they were mad."
Three years ago, Raye parted ways with her record label Polydor Records after accusing them of refusing to release her albums and she went on to relaunch her career as an independent artist.
The move proved to be the right one as she was nominated for a record-breaking seven awards at the 2024 BRIT Awards and managed to scoop the coveted Album of the Year prize for 'My 21st Century Blues'.
She also picked up Song of the Year for 'Escapism' and was named Best R'n'B Act, Best New Artist, Artist of the Year and she also became the first female artist to win Songwriter of the Year.
During her speech as she accepted the prize for Best New Artist, Raye thanked her whole family for their help with her career and insisted she does feel like a new artist despite working in the industry since she was a teenager.
She said: "I have to thank my mum and my dad who are also part of my team, and my grandma. Yes grandma! I, in ways, do feel like a new artist. I released my first song when I was 15, my first mixtape when I was 16, don't go and listen to it because it's not that good any more.
"But I do feel like a new artist, I got to start again. The artist I was three years ago would not believe what she's seeing today. I'm my own boss now, I'm in control. Thank you!"
