R.A.E - Listen Up

By Christianah Jesudass-Roberts (@mstiaroberts)

I have a certain degree of passion for music that transports you. People always talk about the simplicity and ease of childhood, a time where responsibility wasn’t a thing and the most we had to worry about was what we were going to have for school dinners that day. Memories of coming back home to watch My Wife & Kids with my dad and maybe indulge in One on One. Taking it back a bit further, afternoons filled with the voice of Brandy, Aaliyah and TLC on radio bring a very particular feeling of comfort, of security, of sunshines and playgrounds. So with all this in mind, you can imagine how fond I am of musicians that bring this feeling to life in the present day. Sounds like this bring back all the feelings of comfort described but with the indulgence of being able to feel like this as an adult, if only for a moment, which is ecstatically freeing.

I write about this with such innate passion this week as I came across an artist that gave this experience live and direct, and her whole project is the gift that just keeps on giving. As I descended through the track list, I got a different nostalgic feel with each tune, from a Fresh Prince vibe, to the truth and freedom of expression that is filled with a Lauryn Hill essence, to a wispy Brandy like sound that radiates in rhythm through my body. To put it simply, I was blown away.

R.A.E is the UK songstress that has me musically mesmerised with her latest project Listen Up. She effortlessly floats between vocals that are incredibly light and alluring, and bouncy, energetic playful raps. You can’t help but follow her across the musical journey she takes you on, in a siren-like way, she gently guides you through her odyssey. I found myself lost amidst the technicalities of her project, her sound, incredibly charismatic and leaving me yearning for more. Musically appetising to say the very least. She starts the project bouncy, dynamic and quirky in her aptly named introductory track ‘The Coolest’. She then ushers us into a beaty, fun r’n’b piece full of personality later complimented by her lyrical blunt honesty, empowerment & activism. Each tune on the project is perfect placed to build upon the last, gradually, yet so powerfully that you can literally feel it within each transition. She intensifies the listeners experience through the layout, soothing us then thrusting into reality through her lyricism, climaxing in a ballad that literally takes you on a visual journey, which somewhat coats you in a musical warmth.

“It has an unmistakeable summertime sound, that can lift the mood of the listener in a way that is more than necessary at this moment in time than ever.”

Now, I am never really tied when it comes to choosing a favourite on a project, there is always one tune that really bellows at me, however this time around, R.A.E’s EP sweeted me so much that I pivoted back and forth between the second, third and fifth track in an attempt to feel which stimulated emotion carried me with more strength. Eventually, after multiple replays, I committed to the third track, Like This. Cultivated by the most appeasing drop that submerges you in the tune, the vibrant ad-libs, all complimented by R.A.E’s beautifully light, slender and enticing vocals, in a track that is vibrant in message and feel, prompting gratitude for the present moment. The tune makes you feel exactly what it’s created for and is sincerely captivating in the very best way possible.

In a time where days are getting shorter and colder, this EP has really come to comfort us in vibrance and energy. It has an unmistakeable summertime sound, that can lift the mood of the listener in a way that is more than necessary at this moment in time than ever. A babygurl has come to give us vibes ‘pon vibes on vibes and is charmingly brilliant at it. Listen Up is out now on all major streaming platforms.