RAYE Addresses Criticism from Amy Winehouse Fans Who Claim to Honor the Late Star
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RAYE’s rise to fame has intensified scrutiny over the past few years, particularly a notable critique related to the late Amy Winehouse. This specific comparison, which has troubled her, is addressed in her song “I Will Overcome.”
In her Billboard cover story published on May 7, RAYE discussed with staff writer Hannah Dailey her decision to confront the comparisons to the British soul-pop icon, who passed away in 2011 from accidental alcohol poisoning. In the opening track of her March album, This Music May Contain Hope, she reflects on the criticism she faces: “Some people say I remind them of Amy/ Some spit through their keyboards, I’ll never amount/ And the evil in insults, the arrows from your tongue/ [Are] the same devils you tortured her with.”
“It just strikes me as so funny, darkly funny, that someone can rip into me in the most evil, horrible way, ‘defending’ Amy,” RAYE explained, referencing the lyric. “What you’re saying to me is a microcosm of what Amy went through. Amy went through being berated and annihilated through words — by the press, by the public, by everyone.”
“It’s one thing to not like me, that’s fine,” she added. “It’s just the irony of someone being so horrible, so dark, so nasty. It’s the same evil. I just wanted to say that, because … I get a lot of beautiful, lovely, kind things. Unfortunately, the negative things are just louder.”
This Music May Contain Hope debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and achieved the No. 1 spot in the U.K., marking RAYE’s first album to reach this milestone. This success follows her challenging journey as an independent artist after parting ways with Polydor Records in 2021.
In her interview, RAYE also touched upon her experiences with mental health and sexual assault, as well as rediscovering joy in her life. She shared her thoughts on dating, expressed through her hit single “Where Is My Husband!,” which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“It’s been genuinely so many years that it feels alien to me,” she reflected. “Sometimes I’m very assured and confident and happy with my life, and then some days I’m watching a rom-com, and I’m like, ‘Where? Where?’ But it’s not serious. I’m not crying myself to sleep every night — just some nights.”
RAYE’s reflections on the Amy Winehouse comparisons can be seen in the video below.
