Heartbreak and disappointment may be promised to us in life, but for RAYE, who finds herself hitting rock bottom in red Manolo heels, glitzy melodrama can propel you from despair to hope.
In her second studio album, “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.,” RAYE prances through jazz, R&B, orchestral pop, synthpop and even electropop across 17 tracks that thematically mimic autumn, winter, spring and summer. Her collaborations with Hans Zimmer and Al Green and the contributions from the London Symphony Orchestra demonstrate her musical ambition and committed dedication to the craft.
The album features the playful, over-the-top radio hit “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!,” which was released last September and became RAYE’s second number one track in the UK after “Escapism” (2022). Her album, released March 27, 2026, has no trouble matching the theatricality and amusement that made her first single so addictive, but it often left me wondering whether musical melodrama is better in moderation.
The opening, “Intro: Girl Under the Grey Cloud.,” properly sets the stage, stylistically and lyrically, for the forthcoming tracks. It blares sounds reminiscent of old Hollywood as she demonstrates, through spoken word, the state of desperation she finds herself in: “A woman in her late twenties walks from a bar to her hotel / She has no umbrella, she is seven Negronis deep.”
The intro blends seamlessly into the following track, “I Will Overcome.,” and its sound and lyrics are as triumphant as its title. One of RAYE’s many strengths on this album is her ability to set a cinematic scene with her lyrics and accompany the melodrama with tongue-in-cheek glamor. This track builds on the despair of the intro as she croons, “I have black cat-eye glasses, so I look chic as I cry.”
If RAYE’s aim with this album is to replicate a golden-age Hollywood one-woman show, these first two tracks function as establishing shots.
“Beware.. The South London Lover Boy.” maintains the same theatricality of the previous tracks, but its playful sound and lyrics make the feel of the album transition from melancholic classic cinema to a full-on razzle-dazzle showtune. At this point, I had already begun to wonder what my bandwidth would be for this commitment to the theatrics.
The album is jam-packed with direct addresses to the audience, self-referential lyricism and rhythmic switch-ups. It’s fun, but unless showtunes are your preferred choice of music, it gets a bit exhausting.
But RAYE does a fairly good job of switching things up. “The WhatsApp Shakespeare.,” the final track of the “autumn” segment of the album, departs, for a moment, from the blatant theatricality, incorporating trap beats while maintaining the sonic theme of the album with orchestral instrumentation filling the empty space.
But she doesn’t give us much of a break from the old-school showtune concept as the final segment of the track dramatically switches up to take us back in time to the Jazz Age.
“Click Clack Symphony.,” released in March, featuring Hans Zimmer, was the album’s third and final single. It’s four minutes of being edged by a dramatic orchestral build-up paired with somewhat cringe-worthy lyrics that are reminiscent of the “girlboss” Internet era.
Conceptualizing a song around the sound of heels clicking and clacking on the street as you and your girlfriends hit the town is fun and clever, but something feels slightly off about singing “Calling all my baddest women, it’s about to go down” over epic, “Interstellar”-level instrumentals. Nonetheless, I’d be lying if the climactic swell of the instrumentals accompanying her final words of “The cold never lasts my darling / It just teaches the heart how to burn” didn’t give me chills.
Following the intense orchestral instrumentation of “Click Clack Symphony.,” “I Know You’re Hurting.,” offers a slightly more stripped-back version of a power ballad. The defiant drums and RAYE’s impeccable vocal performance culminate in what may be the best track on the album. Through stunning lyricism, she illustrates the desperation of pulling yourself up from rock bottom: “You always find some kind words for a stranger / I wish that you could find some for yourself.”
“Life Boat.,” the final track of the “winter” stage of the album, offers a catchy electro-pop chorus, but the repetition of “I’m not giving up yet” from different speakers gets old fast.
The “spring” stage begins with “I Hate the Way I Look Today.,” a classic swing-jazz track that gives RAYE the space to flex her impressive vocal control and range, but it’s so over-the-top that it’s doubtful many would go for a relisten.
The highlight of the “spring” segment is “Goodbye Henry.,” which features American soul singer Al Green as he offers sentimental wisdom about heartbreak.
Aside from “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!,” “Fields.” is the standout track from the “summer” stage of the album. It’s a stripped-down tribute to RAYE’s grandfather, as she pledges to carry on his legacy after he dies: “And I told him, Grandad, so long as God gives life / I will practice your song and give it my best try.”
It’s another testament that RAYE’s most meaningful and emotionally resonant songwriting shines through when she takes a break from the showy instrumentals and sardonic lyricism.
The final full song, “Happier Times Ahead.,” is a lackluster resolution to the emotional turmoil and melodramatic flair the 17-track album bolsters. If it’s meant to offer a light at the end of the tunnel, it feels like a really, really long tunnel. The track has a lighter feel to it, creating an attempt to wrap things up with a hopeful tone, but the lyrics struggle to communicate a satisfying resolution, as the constant repetition of “There must be happier times ahead” feels shallow. Maybe we’re just meant to repeat it until we believe it.
Though the adventure of “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.” doesn’t come without its critiques, its ambitious concept and unapologetically massive instrumentation are refreshing in a pop music industry where TikTok-ified melodies and low-effort production seem to be generously rewarded.
