Raye admits fame can be 'confusing'
Music star Raye has reflected on her experience of fame and success.
Raye thinks fame can be "confusing".
The 28-year-old singer has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years, and Raye has thanked her family for keeping her grounded in that time.
The chart-topping star told TIME: "This job and career path is so weird, in the most amazing way, but also confusing. We're put on pedestals and I’m treated as ‘Raye the artist.’ If you nurture that too much, you can lose your way. My family really helped ground me."
Raye has also learned the value of setting clear boundaries in her life.
The London-born star said: "‘No’ is my favourite word, which is really cool because for my whole life, I'd be like, ‘Okay, yes'.
"You’re not a mean person to say ‘no.’ You're not being selfish. You have to really do the work to learn [that]."
Despite her successes, Raye admits that she still suffers from stage fright.
She shared: "I had a tough gig the other day, where I had a lump in my throat from before I even went on stage.
"You know when you get that lump and it’s just gonna take one little thing to just set you off?"
Raye protects her mental health by limiting the amount of time she spends on social media.
The singer explained: "Them things can have me scrolling for hours, and then I'll start deep diving and looking at stuff I don't need to be looking at, so it's just better for my head and my heart."
Raye supported Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour, and she previously admitted to being inspired by the Grammy-winning star.
Speaking to Vogue, Raye explained: "As a fan, I gravitate toward artists who can be funny and heartbroken at the same time, witty and then extremely sincere, tough and exposed.
"It’s her ability to dance between juxtaposed feelings that really thrills me to listen to. I love that she takes big swings."
Meanwhile, Alicia Keys, Raye’s childhood hero, heaped praise on the British star.
Alicia said: "She really does bare her soul. She tells you so clearly what she’s experiencing that you feel connected to it.
"You feel allowed to have had your difficulties, your troubles with love, your confusions. It gives you solace. She shares the raw and the real, and that’s what really sets her apart."
