#10 - Wild Card
Wild Card - RAYE
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RAYE is an English singer, songwriter, and producer who had a boom in popularity in 2022 and 2023 when she released her first album “My 21st Century Blues” which included the single “Escapism” which became a hit and has amassed 1.1 Billion streams. She also released her new album “This Music May Contain Hope” in March of 2026, which has received positive reviews. RAYE is an artist that holds a unique and powerful story which is only amplified by her music and the message she portrays.
I had the opportunity to see RAYE in concert on May 3rd, this was something I couldn’t pass up on as RAYE is one of my favorite artists and I was able to go to the concert with my sister, ironically her name is Hope. The concert was in Dallas so it was a long drive but well worth it. The doors for the concert opened at 6 with the concert starting at 7, me and my sister got the idea to get there early as RAYE is a big artist holding a venue in a big city. The concert took place in the Southside Ballroom in Dallas, which holds 4000 people at maximum. After waiting in line for 3 hours the doors opened and we were able to make our way inside and wait for the concert to start. This was my first ever concert where there were no seats, only standing, which through the night provided an experience unlike anything I had seen at a concert before.
RAYE’s opening act are her two sisters, who are also singers. First was her sister, Amma, who is the oldest sister after RAYE. She showed her infectious personality through her music and her talking in between songs. There was a lot of crowd interaction throughout the show with Amma and RAYE taking up most of it, however what was established early in the show was an audience member who had made crocheted dolls of each of the sisters and as they came out to perform they would eventually see her and accept the gift from the fan. After Amma finished performing, there was a break before Absolutely eventually made her way to the stage, she performed her set of songs, which my sister really enjoyed. Absolutely is not as talkative as her other sisters and she is the youngest sister of the three, but she has found success as she has been credited as opening for The Jonas Brothers in recent months. After Absolutely’s set there was another break before the main event started.
Before RAYE officially came out the room was darkened and a voice over began to play as a cloud was lowered in front of the big red curtain covering the stage. RAYE then emerged to loud applause as she was covered in a large fur coat with black sunglasses and she began to sing a song from her new album titled “I Will Overcome”. After the song concluded RAYE disappears behind the curtain which then opened to reveal her entire band, including a small symphony and her bright red dress she wore for the night. RAYE then played through multiple of her popular songs including “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” off her new album which was the most popular single to be released from it. The night took many turns in mood including a jazz section of the concert and a dip into an emotional area as she performed songs like “Ice Cream Man” and “I Know You’re Hurting”.
Eventually, after majority of the night, we reached my favorite part of the concert to which RAYE called “The Nightclub segment”. This is where the standing only aspect came into effect as with the beat oriented music, RAYE would invite the audience to get active and jump, which was a highlight of the night watching such a large crowd of people enjoying music together. After completing her final song being “Joy” off her new album which saw a reappearance of both of her sisters Amma and Absolutely (who are featured on the song), the curtain then closed as the audience erupted in applause. After a short pause RAYE eventually re-emerged for her encore which was Escapism, her most popular song. After the song concluded, the audience continued to cheer and chant which seem to catch the entire band and RAYE herself off guard and kept them in disbelief. RAYE then said her goodbyes and goodnights and brought an end to the emotional and energetic concert.
Seeing RAYE in concert was something that was highly anticipated for me as a fan for going on a year now. RAYE quickly became one of my favorite artists and the concert surpassed all expectations and was well worth it. One thing I found interesting about the experience was how supportive and positive her fan base was. Mostly everyone me and my sister met were very nice and positive people, this is also supported by people like the woman who made the dolls or anyone who shouted during the show. Getting to experience a RAYE concert in an all standing venue in Dallas with my sister was a night and an experience I will never forget. RAYE is a perfect example of how promotion and self belief and carry you to far places, and her background serves as an inspirational story about success and never giving up.
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