British singer-songwriter Raye released her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, March 27. The four-time Grammy-nominated artist released her lead single “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” for the album in Sept. 2025, with music producer HYPATON, which rose to No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The experimental album explores hope and personal growth in difficult times, spreading the message that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Raye first started making music on SoundCloud in 2014 with the release of her debut EP, Welcome to the Winter. She later rose to fame in Oct. 2022 following her single “Escapism” featuring 070 Shake, which topped the UK and US charts. “Escapism” was later added to Raye’s 2023 debut album, My 21st-century blues, and went on to win six Brit Awards. Recently, she’s continued to create waves; she made history at the 2025 Grammys when she was nominated for both Songwriter of the Year and Best New Artist.
The album kicks off with a narrated monologue, “Intro: Girl Under The Grey Cloud,” with classical orchestral scoring that sounds like the start of an old movie. Throughout this track, Raye presents it as an almost spoken-word poem, setting up the themes of heartbreak and resilience within the album. The intro refers to the weight of depression as a grey cloud, singing, “Though disappointed, she is no stranger to rejection. She has weathered many storms, that she herself has become the girl under the grey cloud.” This narration reoccurs throughout the rest of the album as she leads us on a journey of struggle and rebirth.
Track two, the first musical track of the album, called “I Will Overcome,” continues the theatrical sound with its backing of grand orchestral arrangements. Starting in a monotone manner, Raye portrays the negativity haunting her, but as the song progresses, its grandeur does too, leading to a dramatic vocal and musical finish. The song explores dealing with external negativity, serving as an affirmation for herself and her listeners that they will overcome whatever criticism they face: “This is a song to remind me, since I needed one, I will overcome.”
Track five, “Winter Woman,” strays from the theatrics of the previous songs, with its soulful, melancholy sound. The song creates a haunting atmosphere using cinematic strings and a muted, pulse-like beat. Traversing themes of isolation, Raye explores depression, using the title “Winter Woman” as a metaphor for being numb and cold inside, waiting for the sun to return: “And I’ll wait and pray for warmer days to come, Until then, I’m numb.”
Track ten, “Goodbye Henry. ft. Al Green,” lightens up the album with an upbeat, bluesy ballad. Led by jazzy, melodic piano and gospel organ, Raye creates a southern-influenced vibe, including an iconic collaboration with Al Green. Despite the jolly tune, the lyrics are heavy, describing a farewell to an ex while coming to terms with their leaving. Raye cautions the listener at the start of the song, “This is a sad song, though it feels happy, it is not happy at all.”
Track 13, the pre-released single “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” is a standout on the album, mixing fast-paced jazz influence with a contemporary pop sound. The high-energy hit is filled with a racing drum line and a heavy brass section, along with a frantic, almost rap-like vocal performance. The song tackles the exhaustion of modern dating as she sings in the chorus, “Baby (Woo-hoo), where the hell is my husband? (Woo-hoo) What is taking him so long to find me?” Illustrating her frustration with romantic relationships, this song departs from the album’s serious subjects, functioning as a sort of comic relief.
Raye leaves her listeners with a sense of hope and growth as shown in the penultimate song, track 16, “Happier Times Ahead.” The jazzy drums, jaunty piano, and uplifting horns leave the melody feeling as hopeful as the lyrics. The song has an optimistic message, explaining that even if you are going through a hard time, there will be happier times ahead. During the verses, Raye introduces different stories of people struggling. Then during the chorus, she instills hope, singing, “Find a little faith to hold on, my friend. There will be happier times again.”
Track 17 “Fin.,” concludes the album with a dramatic flair. Returning to the classic orchestral theme, this outro acts as the album’s end credits, almost as if the end of a movie. First, Raye revisits the main message of hope, singing, “To conclude there, and so it goes, and as it says on the tin, in the winds, This May Contain Hope.” She then, throughout the final four minutes of the song, individually thanks everyone who worked on the album with her, along with her family, which is a tedious listen.
This Music May Contain Hope functions as an art piece, meant to be listened to in its entirety. Throughout, as Raye courageously works through her fears and heartbreaks, she allows listeners to do the same, thus serving as a beacon of hope, as advertised in the album’s name. However, although the spoken-word elements are creative, they aren’t as digestible as typical songs, which makes casually listening to the album difficult. With this being said, Raye brings us on a theatrical journey, pushing the boundaries of what an album is, creating not just songs, but stories, earning the album 3.5 out of five feathers.
