Ravyn Lenae Releases Third Studio Album 'Blue Island'
Ravyn Lenae releases her third studio album Blue Island via Atlantic Records. Listen HERE. Executive-produced by Bird's Eye collaborator and GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dahi, Blue Island is an immersive world shaped by poise, playfulness, and the confidence of an artist who knows this is only the beginning.
Blue Island represents a threshold that Ravyn has inhabited both mentally and physically over the past year. Notably, her hit single "Love Me Not" reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 10 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, "Love Me Not" peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart and is 5x ARIA Platinum, and in New Zealand it peaked at No. 19 on the Official Singles Chart. While this newfound success meant a host of new opportunities that she had always dreamed of, it also meant bouts of joy, anxiety, loneliness, and even heartbreak. Paired with ill-informed questions about her Blackness and reignited conversations about whether she belonged in certain music spaces, she looked to her musical influences such as Santigold, Janet Jackson, and Tracy Chapman, whose masterful catalogs reaffirmed to her that Black women artists can express their artistry through different genres and thrive doing so.
She uses Blue Island to explore the full scope of her identity: the quirks, flirty energy, "teenage angst" that often bleeds well into years outside its allotted window, as well as the quiet, lonely, "off-beat" moments that happen when you are in the midst of a transformation.
Sonically, the record widens Ravyn's world. Armed with contributions from industry heavyweights like Justin Tranter (Chappell Roan, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber), Diana Gordon (Beyoncé, Mark Ronson, Lil Yachty), and Andrew Aged (Lorde, Mk.gee, Blood Orange), and a dazzling feature from friend and past collaborator Doechii on "Babygirl," Ravyn expands on her classic sound while also incorporating the sounds of her listening diet, such as Blondie, The Sundays, The Cranberries, Martin Rev, and even the dramatic chorus structures and high vocal tones of Bollywood soundtracks.
Speaking on the album, she shared, "'Blue Island' is a point of arrival, and feeling set in my ways and in who I am, and feeling free of any of those preconceived notions about Blackness or what I had to be in the past. So I think now it's fun to challenge the idea of what R&B is supposed to sound like, what pop is supposed to sound like… and really say 'fuck all of that' and do my own thing."
The album includes her previously released singles "Saturday Night," "Reputation" featuring Dominic Fike, "Bobby," and "Handle," the last of which ushered in this new era and arrived alongside a stunning new music video that saw Ravyn incorporating choreography into her artistry for the first time. With live shows in mind, she joined forces with New York-based movement director Akira Uchida to remind listeners how a song can remain personal while also reaching the back row, and how intimacy can still feel expansive. Their collaboration was best illustrated this past June, with her debut performances at Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Governor's Ball in New York City just 48 hours later. The latter earned praise from Billboard, which described her choreography as "landing somewhere between Fosse and David Winters."
She'll be heading on the road again this month to perform on a string of European and UK festivals before launching her 22-date headline North American tour this fall, with support from Lexa Gates, Nourished By Time, and Q on select dates. Tickets are available for purchase via https://www.ravynlenae.com/tour.
Listen to Blue Island above, and stay tuned for more from Ravyn Lenae.
Blue Island
Blue Island represents a threshold that Ravyn has inhabited both mentally and physically over the past year. Notably, her hit single "Love Me Not" reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 10 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, "Love Me Not" peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart and is 5x ARIA Platinum, and in New Zealand it peaked at No. 19 on the Official Singles Chart. While this newfound success meant a host of new opportunities that she had always dreamed of, it also meant bouts of joy, anxiety, loneliness, and even heartbreak. Paired with ill-informed questions about her Blackness and reignited conversations about whether she belonged in certain music spaces, she looked to her musical influences such as Santigold, Janet Jackson, and Tracy Chapman, whose masterful catalogs reaffirmed to her that Black women artists can express their artistry through different genres and thrive doing so.
She uses Blue Island to explore the full scope of her identity: the quirks, flirty energy, "teenage angst" that often bleeds well into years outside its allotted window, as well as the quiet, lonely, "off-beat" moments that happen when you are in the midst of a transformation.
Sonically, the record widens Ravyn's world. Armed with contributions from industry heavyweights like Justin Tranter (Chappell Roan, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber), Diana Gordon (Beyoncé, Mark Ronson, Lil Yachty), and Andrew Aged (Lorde, Mk.gee, Blood Orange), and a dazzling feature from friend and past collaborator Doechii on "Babygirl," Ravyn expands on her classic sound while also incorporating the sounds of her listening diet, such as Blondie, The Sundays, The Cranberries, Martin Rev, and even the dramatic chorus structures and high vocal tones of Bollywood soundtracks.
Speaking on the album, she shared, "'Blue Island' is a point of arrival, and feeling set in my ways and in who I am, and feeling free of any of those preconceived notions about Blackness or what I had to be in the past. So I think now it's fun to challenge the idea of what R&B is supposed to sound like, what pop is supposed to sound like… and really say 'fuck all of that' and do my own thing."
The album includes her previously released singles "Saturday Night," "Reputation" featuring Dominic Fike, "Bobby," and "Handle," the last of which ushered in this new era and arrived alongside a stunning new music video that saw Ravyn incorporating choreography into her artistry for the first time. With live shows in mind, she joined forces with New York-based movement director Akira Uchida to remind listeners how a song can remain personal while also reaching the back row, and how intimacy can still feel expansive. Their collaboration was best illustrated this past June, with her debut performances at Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Governor's Ball in New York City just 48 hours later. The latter earned praise from Billboard, which described her choreography as "landing somewhere between Fosse and David Winters."
She'll be heading on the road again this month to perform on a string of European and UK festivals before launching her 22-date headline North American tour this fall, with support from Lexa Gates, Nourished By Time, and Q on select dates. Tickets are available for purchase via https://www.ravynlenae.com/tour.
Listen to Blue Island above, and stay tuned for more from Ravyn Lenae.
Blue Island
1. Handle
2. Familiar Dreams
3. Never Let Me Go
4. In & Out
5. Potential
6. Sew Me Back Together
7. Reputation (feat. Dominic Fike)
8. Saturday Night
9. Babygirl (feat. Doechii)
10. Barriers
11. Wish You Well
12. Bobby
13. Find It One Day
14. Let Us In
Photo credit: Drew Jarrett
2. Familiar Dreams
3. Never Let Me Go
4. In & Out
5. Potential
6. Sew Me Back Together
7. Reputation (feat. Dominic Fike)
8. Saturday Night
9. Babygirl (feat. Doechii)
10. Barriers
11. Wish You Well
12. Bobby
13. Find It One Day
14. Let Us In
Photo credit: Drew Jarrett
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