Latest news with #GlobalCitizenFestival
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Yusuf/Cat Stevens extends 2025 tour, adds NYC show. Get tickets today
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. The cat's out of the bag. Yusuf/Cat Stevens just extended his forthcoming book tour in support of his yet to be released memoir 'Cat on the Road to Findout,' which is due out in the U.S. and Canada on Oct. 7. Originally, the North American leg of the run was only seven shows. Due to overwhelming demand, the 'Father and Son' singer added second shows in New York and Los Angeles. Advertisement He'll now perform back-to-back nights at NYC's Beacon Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12. These shows will be Yusuf/Stevens' first in the Big Apple since September 2016 on his last North American jaunt, which was dubbed 'A Cat's Attic: 50 Year Anniversary Acoustic Tour.' According to Set List FM, he performed a 33-song set at the Beacon Theatre on Sept. 20. Four days later, the inimitable crooner stopped in at Central Park's Global Citizen Festival and delivered just four songs: 'Wild World,' 'Father and Son,' 'People Get Ready' and 'Peace Train.' On this 2025 trek, Yusuf/Stevens won't be playing traditional concerts. Press releases report that the Rock Hall of Famer will engage in 'in-depth conversations' about the book and perform 'select unplugged performances of songs' at all concerts. He also added on Instagram, that he'll uncover 'other truths.' 'Cat on the Road to Findout' follows Yusuf/Stevens' artistic career from his humble beginnings in the '60s as a recording artist, mainstream fame in the '70s, a near-drowning incident that influenced him to convert to Islam and '90s comeback. Advertisement 'Having passed through the exhaustingly complex maze of everyday material life, ascending the dizzying heights of wealth, recognition, and artistic achievements, I think I've got a few things to share,' Stevens said. Fans can purchase tickets for all upcoming North American Yusuf/Cat Stevens shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the newly-added 'Cat on the Road to Findout Tour' dates is Friday, May 30. Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event. Yusuf/Cat Stevens tour schedule 2025 Advertisement A complete calendar including all North American tour dates (the new shows are in bold), venues and links to buy tickets can be found below. Yusuf/Cat Stevens set list In 2023, Yusuf/Stevens performed at the genre-bending Glastonbury Festival. Based on our findings at Set List FM, here's what he took to the stage including a pair of perfectly chosen covers. '01.) 'The Wind' 02.) 'Moonshadow' 03.) 'I Love My Dog / Here Comes My Baby' 04.) 'The First Cut Is the Deepest' 05.) 'Matthew & Son' 06.) 'Where Do the Children Play?' 07.) 'Oh Very Young' 08.) 'Hard Headed Woman' 09.) 'Sitting' 10.) 'Tea for the Tillerman' 11.) '(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard' 12.) 'If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out' 13.) 'Morning Has Broken' 14.) 'Take the World Apart' 15.) 'Here Comes the Sun' (The Beatles cover) 16.) 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' (Nina Simone cover) 17.) 'Highness' 18.) 'Peace Train' 19.) 'Pagan Run' 20.) 'Wild World' 21.) 'Father and Son' Yusuf/Cat Stevens new music Advertisement In June 2023, Yusuf/Stevens released his 17th studio album 'King of a Land.' Amazingly, more than 50 years removed from his heyday, the gifted vocalist sounds just as powerful and lilting as he did on 1970's seminal 'Tea for the Tillerman' and 1972's 'Catch Bull At Four.' The major difference is the production value; Yusuf/Stevens trades in stripped-down, sparse arrangements for fleshed-out, polished studio instrumentations. As a result, some tracks are majestic like the plaintive album opener 'Train on a Hill' and stirring title track 'King of a Land.' Goofy rockin' tunes like 'Pagan Run' and 'All Nights, All Days' seem out of character for the sensitive, serious star but are a welcome respite. All that being said, the obvious highlights here are the two ditties that sound most like something Yusuf/Stevens would have recorded in 1971. They are the modest 'Son of Mary' and singalong jingle jangle 'Take The World Apart' that sounds like a Paul Simon outtake. Both are wonderful and worth adding to your classic rock playlist. Want to listen for yourself? You can find 'King of a Land' here. '70s icons on tour in 2025 Many of the most sonically gifted singer-songwriters from way back when are miraculously still going strong. Don't believe us? Advertisement Here are just five of our favorites you won't want to miss live these next few months. • Paul Simon • Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band • Stevie Nicks Advertisement • Neil Young • Graham Nash Who else is out and about? Take a look at our list of all the biggest classic rockers on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Deborra-Lee Furness speaks out on ‘traumatic betrayal' after filing for divorce from Hugh Jackman
Deborra-Lee Furness has broken her silence after filing for divorce from Hugh Jackman. In a statement to the Daily Mail on Tuesday, Furness, 69, seemingly alluded to Jackman's alleged affair with his Broadway co-star Sutton Foster as she spoke about the end of their 27-year marriage. 'My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,' Furness said. Advertisement 9 Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman at the 2019 Global Citizen Festival in New York. Getty Images for Global Citizen 9 Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster at 'The Music Man' opening night in Feb. 2022. FilmMagic 'It's a profound wound that cuts deep,' the Australian actress continued. 'However I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us.' Advertisement Furness went on, ''This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage. I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience. Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose.' 9 Deborra-Lee Furness attends the 2025 Australian Open. Getty Images 'It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom,' she stated. Furness also shared that 'one thing' she's learned is 'that none of this is personal.' Advertisement 9 Deborra-Lee Furness, Hugh Jackman at the 'Ghosted' premiere in NYC in 2023. Variety via Getty Images 'We are all on our individual journeys and I believe that the relationships in our lives are not random. We are drawn to people, we invite them in, in order to learn our lessons and to recognize and heal the broken parts of ourselves…I remain grateful,' she concluded. The Post has reached out to Jackman's rep for comment. Furness was married to the 'X-Men' actor, 56, since 1996. They share kids Oscar, 25, and Ava, 19. Advertisement 9 Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman with their kids at Disneyland in 2009. Getty Images The former couple announced they were divorcing in 2023. Furness officially filed for divorce in New York on May 23, The Post confirmed. According to the Daily Mail, Jackman and Furness, who have a reported $250 million fortune, are just waiting for the judge to sign off on the divorce judgement. 9 Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman attend God's Love We Deliver, Golden Heart Awards in NYC in 2018. Getty Images for Michael Kors An insider claimed that 'a settlement was reached that Deborra is pleased with which includes a handsome spousal support payment.' The source added that Furness 'got what she believed she deserved' and that the divorce proceedings gives her 'closure that she needed.' Since last year, rumors have swirled that Jackman allegedly stepped out on his marriage with Foster, 50. 9 Hugh Jackman allegedly had an affair with Sutton Foster. Hugh Jackman/Instagram Advertisement The 'Younger' actress filed for divorce from her husband of nearly 10 years, Ted Griffin, in Oct. 2024. The exes have a daughter, Emily, 7. In November, Furness allegedly 'liked' a post from her private Instagram account of gossip blogger Tasha Lustig claiming that the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' star had 'blindsided' her by sharing his relationship with Foster. Sources claimed to US Weekly that Jackman and Foster did have 'an affair' and that the romance 'is the reason Hugh and Deb got divorced.' 9 Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster at the 88th Annual Drama League Awards in May 2022. Getty Images Advertisement 9 Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster perform at the 2022 Tony Awards. Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions Furthermore, insiders told the Daily Mail that Furness reportedly had 'suspicions' about her longtime husband working with Foster. The 'Music Man' co-stars confirmed their romance in January, when they stepped out holding hands for a date night in Santa Monica, California. It's since been reported that the couple are living together in Jackman's New York City penthouse.
Fast Company
15-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Rihanna and The Weeknd champion causes in Africa. The billionaire stakeholder behind their labels faces corruption allegations there
For years, global stars have traveled to West Africa as ambassadors of humanitarian and anti-corruption efforts: Rihanna in Senegal urging world leaders to donate aid, Bono in Ghana championing transparency as 'the best vaccine against corruption.' All the while, Vincent Bolloré, the billionaire power broker who wields significant influence over the parent company behind their music labels, was busy building an industrial empire in those same countries. That empire is now at the center of corruption trials, sexual abuse allegations, and a sweeping criminal complaint filed by West African nonprofits. 'Vincent Bolloré stole money from our communities and used it to build an empire,' Jean-Jacques Lumumba, the head of the anti-corruption watchdog group Restitution for Africa, alleges in a statement to Fast Company. For some UMG musicians, the accusations against Bolloré present a jarring contradiction: Artists are using their platforms to fight injustice, while a powerful figure profiting from their music built his fortune through actions that critics say undermined democracy. The Bolloré family's industrial empire traces back over two centuries to its origins in cigarette and Bible paper manufacturing. Over time, its global success allowed the family to pivot into West African industries like rubber, palm oil, and port operations. More recently, the family gained what French courts described in April as 'effective control' of the media conglomerate Vivendi. Until 2021, Vivendi owned all of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, and Bolloré's fortunes were widely seen as tied to it. In 2021, Vivendi spun off UMG as a publicly traded company, unlocking $53 billion of value on its first day of trading, while allowing the Bolloré family to retain their position as UMG's largest shareholders. Worldwide, UMG manages five million titles across some of the industry's most iconic labels: Interscope, Capitol, Def Jam, Island, Republic, Virgin. Technically the Bollorés control just 28% of UMG—10% directly and another 18% through Vivendi. But that gives the Bollorés outsized sway. (Kanye West once claimed he was going to bypass label execs with contract complaints and take his grievances straight to the top: 'Don't need the Arnaud meeting anymore,' he tweeted in 2020, referring to Vivendi's CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine. 'I will be meeting with Vincent Bolloré.') This complex web of corporate control casts a long shadow, even as UMG artists champion causes in regions where Bolloré's other ventures have come under fire. In 2022, Usher and SZA, whose songs include UMG distribution deals, went to Ghana to headline the Global Citizen Festival benefiting West Africa. That same year, fellow UMG client The Weeknd also launched a UN humanitarian fund benefiting the same region. But those actions coincided with a wave of divestment from Bolloré's businesses on the part of European investment funds: Switzerland's largest pension funds put his companies on their exclusion list, and Norway's $1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund—the world's largest— pulled out entirely, citing human rights reports alleging abuses in Liberia, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone, including land grabs and rape. That financial pressure mirrored growing legal scrutiny. Over the past decade, Bolloré has faced a series of corruption investigations in France tied to his business dealings in West Africa—ranging from election meddling to bribery and port monopolies. He was indicted in 2018, and French prosecutors continue to pursue charges related to those allegations. Critics of Bolloré contend that artists who remain silent risk inadvertently reinforcing the same exploitative systems many of them seek to challenge. 'Dirty money off the backs of African communities' Last month, the French National Financial Prosecutor's Office said it was still working on Bolloré's corruption trial related to the Togo bribery claims. This came days after Bloomberg News ran a 4,000-word investigation into the sexual coercion of women working on Bolloré's Liberian rubber plantations. Workers recently set fire to the office and manager's home to protest the squalid conditions. Now, a coalition of 11 West African nonprofits known as Restitution for Africa (RAF) has filed a brand-new complaint with French authorities accusing Bolloré of using 'corruption, favoritism, and influence peddling' to win port contracts in three additional countries: Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire. The complaint, also filed with the French National Financial Prosecutor's Office and reviewed by Fast Company, accuses the Bolloré Group of a criminal graft where it conspired with corrupt politicians to build a massive port, rail, and logistics monopoly across West Africa—then cashed out, selling that subsidiary (Bolloré Africa Logistics) for $6.2 billion, more than Sierra Leone's annual GDP. The complaint argues the money earned should be given to citizens of those African nations. The coalition is calling the complaint 'unprecedented in its pan-African character.' RAF followed that by launching a public petition on Thursday called ' Global Billionaire Accountability Project.' Over the past month, it has worked to solicit support from 50 major artists under contract with UMG labels—they include Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Sam Smith, The Weeknd, Usher, SZA, U2, Sting, Alicia Keys, and Billie Eilish. The group sent a letter asking them to demand that Bolloré divest from UMG, arguing that UMG artists are financially tethered to 'a corporate entity accused of profiting from illicit and exploitative activities.' The letter concludes: 'We want to ensure you're aware that these ill-gotten gains have been funding Bolloré's ownership of UMG—dirty money off the backs of African communities.' UMG declined to comment. A representative for Vincent Bolloré and the Bolloré Group did not respond to multiple inquiries by Fast Company. Restitution for Africa says so far none of the artists have responded to their letter. Fast Company also sent requests for comment to the publicists of more than a dozen UMG artists who prioritize social impact work. This includes all the artists mentioned above, other industry heavyweights like Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar, as well as Angélique Kidjo, the French-Beninese five-time Grammy winner who has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in Africa since the mid-2000s. Their representatives did not respond. Bono's ONE Campaign—publisher of 2014's widely read ' Trillion Dollar Scandal ' report warning that 'shady business practices' in places like West Africa were siphoning up to 'a trillion dollars every year from developing countries'—also didn't respond to an inquiry. While many artists publicly support causes that would seem to pit them against Bolloré's business pursuits, stars might fear speaking out could carry contractual and professional risks. In recent years, boldface entertainment names have publicly accused UMG of prioritizing profits over artist interests. Musicians from Drake and Iggy Azalea to Limp Bizkit have spoken out—even sued—over unpaid royalties, licensing conflicts, and disputes over control of their work. And to be sure, pressuring UMG is not without risk, particularly for smaller artists who depend on the corporation's support to stay afloat. Restitution for Africa is led by the anti-corruption watchdog group Transparency International and Jean-Jacques Lumumba, a former a former banker who in the mid-2010s exposed billions of dollars worth of embezzlements by Congolese President Joseph Kabila's government and now lives in exile in Europe. At Restitution for Africa, he's turned to different corruption occurring in his part of the world. 'This is not a man who global musicians at Universal Music Group should be OK with taking money from,' Lumumba tells Fast Company. The French government has long grappled with its role in allowing political leaders in postcolonial Africa to steal from their own people, then park that stolen wealth back in France, or elsewhere. In 2021, President Emmanuel Macron's government enacted a new law strengthening the legal pathway to return such corrupt assets, once seized, to their countries of origin. This followed years of high-profile cases involving hundreds of millions of euros laundered by leaders of countries like Equatorial Guinea and Congo to fund lavish Parisian real estate, high-end art, and expensive cars, the types of corruption Bono protested while in Africa and his ONE Campaign called out in its 'Trillion Dollar Scandal.' Past cases primarily targeted corrupt heads of state and their families. But more recently, nonprofits have sought restitution for 'ill-gotten' corporate gains. The most prominent example involves French energy giant TotalEnergies' operations in Congo. In 2019, two anti-corruption nonprofits filed a criminal complaint against Total alleging that it won oil exploration rights through bribery. The case is still being argued five years later, demonstrating the complexities of expanding the target to include companies. But if a whistleblower hadn't revealed a web of suspicious financial transactions tying Total and Congolese political elites to various bank accounts, it wouldn't have had legs. That person was RAF's Lumumba. In 2021, under mounting pressure, Bolloré Group parent company Bolloré SE paid €12 million to settle the Togo bribery charges brought against the corporation. Two years later, the Bollorés sold Bolloré Africa Logistics and started investing more heavily in the media industry, similar to a certain 'free speech absolutist' tech billionaire in America. The African sale, combined with UMG artists' profits, has helped breathe life into a rightwing French media juggernaut. Chanez Mensous, head of litigation and advocacy at the French corporate ethics watchdog Sherpa, calls this 'quite symptomatic' of the Bolloré business approach. (Sherpa has joined previous criminal corruption cases against Bolloré, and will be a party to his individual trial next year, distinct from the 2021 corporate settlement, involving the Togo port bribery allegations.) 'They prey on countries with weak governance standards,' Mensous says. 'They have the financial strength to consider sanctions and fines a reasonable economic risk they can absorb. Their relative impunity is made possible by the control they have over the media. They use SLAPPs [strategic lawsuits against public participation] to silence civil societies and journalists covering these cases.' The family currently controls the telecom giant Canal+, Europe 1, various magazines, and France's only Sunday newspaper—along with CNews, a free Canal+ channel that Harvard's Nieman Reports recently criticized for 'its role in mainstreaming far-right ideas.' That shift began accelerating after 2017, the year Bolloré took over the channel. Since then, CNews has added figures like Éric Zemmour, the far-right TV pundit turned politician repeatedly convicted of racial and religious hate speech. In the past few years, the network has been a place to find anti-vax histrionics, calls for Muslims to renounce their faith, interest in the Great Replacement Theory, suggestions that immigrants caused Paris's pre-Olympics bedbug infestation, and full-blown panic over le wokisme —this as many UMG artists worldwide were busy promoting COVID vaccination efforts, calling out police brutality, and condemning white supremacy. Last summer, CNews rose (briefly) to the rank of France's #1 news channel. Bolloré is also credited with empowering the far-right French leader Marine Le Pen—echoing her brand of nationalism, as well as her warm feelings toward Russia. Weeks ago when Donald Trump berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, Bolloré's outlets took cues, turning friendly fire on Ukraine's European allies. 'The far-right broadcasters and newspapers owned by Vincent Bolloré are backing Vladimir Putin,' Le Monde told readers. 'The French Rupert Murdoch' Meanwhile, Bolloré's outlets have undergone an ideological purge serious enough to inspire Reporters Without Borders to produce a documentary chronicling their 'repeated attacks on press freedom and the independence of editorial offices,' then denouncing them as 'an unprecedented threat to democracy.' During France's latest elections in 2022, hundreds of journalists and activists formed Operation Stop Bolloré, a coalition that accused Bolloré media of 'breaking with all journalistic ethics,' arguing 'it is no longer a matter of informing citizens, but of transforming minds.' On top of that, Bolloré lawyers have done their best to silence critical reporters and nonprofits that dig into the company's business operations, like in 2016 when three newspapers (Mediapart, L'Obs, and Le Point) and two nonprofits (Sherpa and ReAct) reported that a Bolloré company bulldozed West African villagers' land. In 15 years, the company has hit journalists and activists with at least 20 gag lawsuits. The Bolloré media arm is eyeing expansions back in Africa, too: If a deal awaiting approval closes, the Bollorés will own South African-based satellite TV provider MultiChoice, via the continent's largest-ever media acquisition, giving them a subscriber base in sub-Saharan Africa of more than 20 million viewers. Of course, Bolloré's right-wing crusade puts UMG artists in a bigger bind—whether they champion African causes or not, do they want their music profits to flow, in part, to a so-called ' French Rupert Murdoch ' who is bankrolling a political agenda many of them have publicly denounced? UMG's ownership structure already presents an ethical dilemma for its most socially conscious performers: Beyond the Bollorés' 28% control, the next largest shareholder, with 20%, is Tencent—the Chinese tech giant the U.S. government labels a Communist military asset. Noted Trump booster Bill Ackman controls the third most, with 10%. Taylor Swift isn't active in Africa, but she has repeatedly condemned racism and the oppression of women, and has lamented the 'naiveté that we used to have about [bigotry].' The Imagine Dragons band members, signed to Interscope, are vocal official ambassadors of the Ukrainian state charity United24. Kendrick Lamar's music criticizes racial injustice and systemic oppression, while Lady Gaga has used her platform to condemn far-right rhetoric as an attack on democracy and human rights. And that's just four of UMG's better-known artists. While Bolloré Group got blacklisted by Swiss funds in 2023 over human rights abuses, it's harder to find examples of controversial investors caving to public pressure and divesting from publicly traded companies. That highlights the challenge of holding powerful billionaires accountable who can shield themselves from accountability. It also explains RAF's long-shot strategy of seeking to leverage the platforms of celebrities whose careers aren't directly impacted by a French shipping mogul, and who have largely ignored outside requests to speak out against him. However, since RAF's letters went out, one artist has taken note of Bolloré's business practices: Drake. The rapper is currently suing UMG over Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning diss track 'Not Like Us'—a blistering takedown featuring the line 'Drake, I hear you like 'em young,' with cover art showing a sex-offender map plastered with pins around Drake's Toronto home. Just days after receiving the petition, Drake's lawyers referenced Bolloré's growing scandals in a legal filing, arguing that 'recent headlines involving UMG's largest stakeholder' call for greater transparency from the label.
Washington Post
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
The singer-songwriter with a shape-shifting voice charts her own path
Next in Arts & Entertainment The singer-songwriter with a shape-shifting voice charts her own path By Chris Kelly February 11, 2025 at 6:00 a.m. EST 0 Sorry, a summary is not available for this article at this time. Please try again later. Raye stays busy. One week in September, the singer-songwriter was in New York for a screening of her new concert film, a taping of 'The Daily Show,' a performance at a museum event and a set at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park. 'I love being busy, but I've definitely got to the point where I need a break now,' she said over Zoom from the city. 'I've been going as hard as I can go for a really long time.' Raye has certainly earned a period of rest and relaxation, and not just because her schedule has been nonstop since the February 2023 release of her debut studio album, 'My 21st Century Blues,' and recording of the orchestral live version at the Royal Albert Hall that came out less than a year later. She gave a powerful performance at the Grammy Awards in February, belting out 'Oscar Winning Tears' while barefoot on stage. Raye performs 'Oscar Winning Tears' at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. () Raye has been in and around the music business for more than a decade, even if this latest media whirlwind is the first time audiences are hearing the 27-year-old artist. Before that, maybe they caught her opening gig on the last night in London of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, or perhaps it was her record-breaking night at the Brit Awards 2024 when she took home six statues, including the ones for album, artist and best new artist. Don't take the name of that last award literally. 'My 21st Century Blues' wasn't Raye's first musical output — it was a body of work that she had to fight to share with the world. Stepping out as an independent artist The artist, born Rachel Keen in South London, self-released her 'Welcome to the Winter' EP back in 2014, when she was just 17, and quickly signed with Polydor Records. Yet after a handful of EPs, more than a dozen singles and collaborations with the likes of EDM superstar David Guetta, Raye had not released a proper debut. In 2021, the singer took to social media, alleging that the label had refused to let her release an album, claiming she was sitting on music 'in folders collecting dust.' Less than a month later, Raye was released from the label. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement The independently released 'My 21st Century Blues,' drawn from years of recordings, serves as a bold and dramatic introduction to what Raye is capable of. With an instant-classic voice that has drawn comparisons to Amy Winehouse and Adele, Raye can either pitter-patter chitchat or really belt it out, finding her pocket over hip-hop-inflected pop, modern funk or club-ready dance music. And the 'blues' of the album's titles are often deeply hued, with lyrics about personal experiences with body dysmorphia and sexual assault. She also tackles societal issues like environmental collapse and describes a ruling class as 'classist, sexist, racist, ableist, fascist, ageist, homophobic.' Raye describes the process of finally crafting a debut album after becoming an independent artist as a 'step-by-step thing … not something that came together overnight.' 'There was a lot of soul searching and healing and processing that needed to take place,' she said. 'I needed to get back to, 'What's the point? Why did I choose to dedicate my life to this wild craft?'' In that way, the driving passion behind 'My 21st Century Blues' is Raye's love of music and musicianship, in all its forms. She recalled being overwhelmed and fighting 'mental battles' as she assembled a multigenre album that was perhaps not as cohesive as she would have imagined her debut would be. (The year hasn't been without its setbacks, however: In fall, her car was stolen along with her songwriting books in it.) Eventually, she learned to stop worrying and love the album. Raye performs at the Pool in the Seagram building in New York on Sept. 9. () 'You know what? I f---ing love these songs. I love the order I'm presenting them. I can envision how we're going to translate it live. I'm proud of these songs,' she said. 'Some are old, some are brand-new and I love them.' Envisioning the album's live experience eventually led to Raye's decision to record a concert album at the Royal Albert Hall, the site of live albums by performers including the Who, Eric Clapton and Adele. Again, Raye's love of musicians was the guiding light: She had crossed paths with amazingly talented composers, arrangers and performers through her touring and performing, and after adding more and more musicians to her show, she took the idea to its logical conclusion. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement 'It's always been my dream to both compose a symphony of my own and to work with orchestral arrangers and players,' she said. 'Then the idea just kept getting more and more wacky.' Coming up next Recording and releasing 'My 21st Century Symphony' was 'an absolute dream,' but even with plans to take some time to recharge, she's already focused on the next dream, the next adventure. Next up is a trip with her band and then perhaps 'getting into her producer bag' and experimenting with 'orchestrating the room.' 'Performing live has really shaped a lot of how I see myself as an artist,' she said. 'I'm excited to create with musicians, instead of [being] in a room with one producer. I'm looking forward to seeing how that translates.' And if 'My 21st Century Blues' is an album for a genre-less time, Raye might be an artist for our increasingly multidisciplinary one. She has worked on scoring for TV and film and has done a little filming with 'some cool directors.' 'I caught a little bug,' she says of her acting dalliance, but don't expect a quick jump to the screen: 'I'm not gonna attempt to indulge myself in a craft that I haven't studied for, so I would want to do the work and get confident in my skills.' Story continues below advertisement Advertisement The rest of the 21st century looks bright for Raye, whether her art takes the form of a film score, acting, or another album. When I spoke with her, she was focused on her next show — her second night at the famed Blue Note with jazz pianist-producer Robert Glasper — and a possible vision of the future crept in. 'I love a little jazz venue,' she said of the Blue Note. 'If my career goes [sideways] at any point, that's where I'm going to end up, and I think I'm going to have a great time if and when I do.'
