Genesis (Raye song)

Last updated

"Genesis"
Genesis - Raye.png
Single by Raye
Released7 June 2024 (2024-06-07)
Recorded2022–2024
Genre
Length7:00
Label Human Re Sources
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Raye singles chronology
"Worth It"
(2023)		"Genesis"
(2024)
Music video
"Genesis" on YouTube

"Genesis" is a song by English singer and songwriter Raye. She co-wrote it with Marvin Hemmings and produced it with Rodney Jerkins, Shankar Ravindran, and Tom Richards. The song was first performed at the 44th edition of the Brit Awards and was previewed on season 49 of the American television show Saturday Night Live . Before its official title was announced on May 17, 2024, media publications and fans referred to the song as "Let There Be Light". It was released independently on June 7, 2024, with a music video co-directed by Raye and Otis Dominique premiering on the same date.

Contents

Developed over two years, "Genesis" is structured into three acts and experiments with various genres, including jazz, contemporary R&B, hip hop, gospel music, and pop. The lyrics address social and personal problems such as depression, exhaustion, and anxiety, while also conveying themes of hope. Upon its release, the song received positive reviews from music journalists. Raye included "Genesis" in the regular setlist of her fourth concert tour in 2024 and performed it at several events. The single peaked at number twenty two on the UK singles chart.

Background

Raye began working on "Genesis" in 2022, months before the release of her debut studio album, My 21st Century Blues (2023). [1] She expressed that she has "scrutinized, replaced, remade, and passionately sculpted" the song to be the way she imagined it. [1] The singer is passionate about the song, and feels like "it deserved all the time that was spent on it." [2] After receiving a mixed response from her management about the length of the track, Raye still wanted to release it as it was; she stated: "This is about art, if it was about selling music, then I would not have made it this way." [2]

At the 2024 Brit Awards, Raye broke the record with six wins and seven nominations for an artist in a single year. [3] At the ceremony, she performed a medley of four songs: "Ice Cream Man," "Prada," "Escapism," and the then-untitled song. [4] In the first months of the year, Raye included "Genesis" on the regular setlist of her fourth concert tour, the My 21st Century Blues Tour. [5] On April 6, 2024, during season 49 of the American television show Saturday Night Live , Raye also performed the track, which media publications had referred to as "Let There Be Light." [6] [7]

Release

The singer announced the release of "Genesis" as a single on her social media on May 17, 2024, along with its official title and the confirmation of the release date. She shared a photo of the 7-inch single and wrote: "It kind of hurts a bit to call this piece of music a 'single' because it is so much more than just a song to me". [8] On June 3, Raye hosted the Genesis Exhibition, a special pop-up exhibition in New York City to promote the song; [9] at the event, she said: "This is a seven-minute piece of music that I'm so proud of and I worked so hard on". [8] Days later, she also posted a snippet of the music video. [10] Shortly before "Genesis" was released, Raye performed it on the Selhurst railway station platform in London, accompanied by a live band. [11] The track was released independently on June 7, 2024, via Human Re Sources and was sent to Italian airplay on the same date. [12]

Music and lyrics

"Genesis" is a seven-minute song structured into three acts, [13] in which she experiments with different genres and sonic expressions. [14] She said that she had "so much" that she wanted to say on the track. [15] Its overall lyrics discuss issues of body image, social pressures, and a yearning for validation, along with other themes. [16] In a statement, Raye expressed that it is "a prayer, a plea and a cry for help and I really hope this song will be able to bring some hope, the way this music does for me, to those who need it most." [17] Raye had a quote from Nina Simone in mind while creating the record: "An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times." [2] She said that it is "such a deep, heavy, powerful, important, burdening, and overwhelming but important quote." [2] The title of the song reflects changes, new origins, and references the Book of Genesis. [15]

The gospel-tinged first part of the track deals with sobriety, a part of the lyrics that Raye followed with: "But I can feel the demons waiting on my downfall / Since I'm so ugly and irrelevant / I've been losing friends as if I’m tryna get rid of them." [18] It offers harmonies and sweeping strings. [19] The second part includes jazz, contemporary R&B, hip hop, [20] [21] and elements of pop music. [22] It contains a dramatic, dark brass section. [18] "Genesis" concludes with a repetition of the plea of "Let There Be Light" over a jazz and big band instrumental. [18]

Critical reception

Upon its release, "Genesis" received positive reviews. Writing for Clash , Sophie Harman described "Genesis" as a standout release, a "raw and emotive" track. [23] She gave the song a rating of 8 out of 10, and said that "Raye's candid exploration of mental health and body image resonates with many listeners, offering a sense of shared experience". [23] The critic also lauded Raye's vocal delivery for being "delicate and strong, capturing the duality of her fragility and resilience." [23] Abbie Reynolds of Capital FM named "Genesis" a "huge moment in music history", and compared it to when the British band Queen released their six-minute song "Bohemian Rhapsody." [15] Jenesaispop 's Jordi Bardaj called "Genesis" the most ambitious composition of Raye's musical career, and described it as epic and historic. [24] Andrew Unterberger of Billboard included the song on its list of the must-hear releases of the week, and wrote: "It's a lot, and none of it is expected — meaning it might not quite have the pop appeal of "Escapism" — but it will certainly find its audience, and for many it will likely end up being nothing short of a revelation." [25] Consequence 's staff admired Raye's vocals for "running wild" and the transition between the second and third part, that "very few artists could execute." [26] Tyler Damara Kelly of The Line of Best Fit interpreted "Genesis" as a "confrontational acknowledgement of a chapter not yet closed but with a set intention for a new beginning." [13]

Track listing

Charts

Chart performance for "Genesis"
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) [29] 53
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [30] 20
UK Singles (OCC) [31] 22
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [32] 4
UK Indie (OCC) [33] 3
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [34] 30

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References

  1. 1 2 Cordero Orellano, Melanie (31 May 2024). "RAYE revela nuevos detalles de su próximo sencillo "Genesis"". Los 40 (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Betancourt, Bianca (7 June 2024). "Raye's "Genesis" Is More Than a Song. It's a Journey". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (2 March 2024). "Brit awards 2024: women dominate as Raye scores record-smashing six wins". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  4. ↑ Chelosky, Danielle (2 March 2024). "Raye Breaks BRIT Awards Record With Most Wins In A Single Year". Stereogum. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  5. ↑ Mylrea, Hannah (18 March 2024). "Raye live in London: a simply sensational, career-defining performance". NME. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  6. ↑ Gonzalez, Alex (7 April 2024). "RAYE Was Simply Stellar In Performances Of 'Worth It' And 'Let There Be Light' On 'Saturday Night Live'". Uproxx. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  7. ↑ Wilkes, Emma (7 April 2024). "Watch RAYE perform 'Worth It' And 'Let There Be Light' On 'Saturday Night Live'". NME. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  8. 1 2 Duran, Anagricel (4 June 2024). "Watch Raye perform unreleased composition 'Genesis' at NYC pop-up". NME. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "Singer-Songwriter Raye Is Performing a Surprise Show in Lower Manhattan Tonight". Downtown NY. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  10. ↑ Tiller, Joe (5 June 2024). "Raye Announces New Single 'Genesis': Watch Clip". Dig!. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  11. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (7 June 2024). "Watch RAYE Perform New Single 'Genesis' on an Active Train Station Platform". Billboard . Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  12. ↑ Caldarola, Camilla (6 June 2024). "Raye - Genesis, pt. ii (Radio Date: 07-06-2024)". Ear One. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  13. 1 2 Kelly, Tyler Damara (7 June 2024). "Raye unveils new project, "Genesis."". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  14. ↑ Gonzalez, Alex (7 June 2024). "RAYE Seeks The Light On 'Genesis', Her New Seven-Minute Song". Uproxx. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 Reynolds, Abbie (7 June 2024). "Raye Explains Her Powerful Song 'Genesis', Lyrics And Meaning". Capital FM. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  16. ↑ Smith, Carl (6 June 2024). "New Music Friday Releases: RAYE, Halsey, Bon Jovi and more". Official Charts. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  17. ↑ Chelosky, Danielle (7 June 2024). "Raye – "Genesis"". Stereogum. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 Skinner, Tom (7 June 2024). "Raye shares "deeply personal" new single 'Genesis': "It is a prayer, a plea and a cry for help"". NME. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  19. ↑ Stickler, Jon (7 June 2024). "Raye Shares New Song Genesis". Stereoboard. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  20. ↑ Samuels, Keithan (7 June 2024). "RAYE Releases New Song 'Genesis': Listen". Rate R&B. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  21. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (7 June 2024). "Raye says ambitious new song 'Genesis' is 'a plea and a cry for help'". Independent. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  22. ↑ Denis, Kyle (7 June 2024). "Raye Charts New Beginnings With Epic 7-Minute Single & EP 'Genesis': Stream It Now". Billboard . Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  23. 1 2 3 Harman, Sophie (7 June 2024). "Raye's 'Genesis' Is Art In Triplicate". Clash. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  24. ↑ Bardají, Jordi (7 June 2024). "La ambición desmedida de RAYE en la épica 'Genesis'". Jenesaispop (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  25. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (7 June 2024). "Friday Music Guide: New Music From Sabrina Carpenter, Tems, Charli XCX & More". Billboard . Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  26. ↑ "Jamie xx and Raye Reach New Peaks, Drake Dips into the Uncanny Valley, and Other Songs of the Week". Consequence. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
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  31. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  32. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  33. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  34. ↑ "Raye Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
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