RAYE performed at Reading Festival earlier today (August 24). Check out her full setlist below.
It was the singer’s first time performing at the festival, and she’ll play Leeds tomorrow (August 25) at 5:50pm.
After stepping onto the main stage in a brown, sequined floor-length dress, RAYE opened with ‘Flip A Switch’ from her 2023 debut album ‘My 21st Century Blues‘ — which dissolved into a jazz-inflected version of ‘Decline’. She later played her latest single ‘Genesis’.
“It’s always been a dream to play this festival and I didn’t think we would start off on the mainstage with all these people here,” she told the crowd. “So this is fucking crazy.”
It’s not her first time on the festival’s grounds though, she was sure to let the crowd know: “Listen, I’ve done it. I came to reading when I was 16, when I finished my GCSEs,” she laughed. “Oh yes, I was in the deep end, I was in the dance tent living my life.”
Raye performing “Flip A Switch.” at Reading Festival tonight. pic.twitter.com/tWB6l2XBVr
— RAYE Updates (@RayeUpdate) August 24, 2024
Elsewhere, the singer used her set to highlight sexual assault in the music industry. Introducing ‘Ice Cream Man.’, she told the crowd: “The subject of this song is sexual assault and rape and sexual violence.
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“I know that’s so fucking dark and so heavy, but something I promised myself when I became an independent artist is I wanted to make honest music. I wanted to make music that was honest to the things that I’d been through.”
She added: “I pray you don’t relate to it, but if you do, I hope it feels like a hug.”
Later, she sailed through a dance-imbued set of her earliest hits, including an afro-beats version of ‘Bed’, her 2021 hit with Joel Corry and David Guetta, and ‘You Don’t Know Me’, the 2016 Jax Jones song she featured on. ‘Prada’ was also given a rock-inspired makeover before she departed with one more pep talk (“You only get to be 16 once!”) and a high-octane performance of ‘Escapism’.
Check out everything she played below:
RAYE’s Reading Festival 2024 Setlist was:
‘Flip A Switch.’
‘Decline’
‘Worth It.’
‘Genesis’
‘Ice Cream Man.’
‘Bed’
‘You Don’t Know Me’ (Jax Jones song)
‘Secrets’
‘Black Mascara.’
‘Prada’
‘Escapism’
Reading & Leeds Festivals 2024 kicked off yesterday (August 23) at their usual sites of Richfield Avenue (Reading) and Bramham Park (Leeds) – see here for how you can follow along at home on BBC iPlayer and elsewhere if you were not able to secure a ticket.
The festival boasts Fred Again.., Lana Del Rey, Liam Gallagher, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Blink-182 and Gerry Cinnamon as its six headliners this year.
Raye, Spiritbox, Fontaines D.C., Reneé Rapp, Pendulum, Denzel Curry, Kenny Beats, Nia Archives, Two Door Cinema Club, Neck Deep, The Wombats, Rachel Chinouriri, Hak Baker, The Last Dinner Party and more are also expected to play.
Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos and more from Reading and Leeds 2024.