RAYE has called out the “evil, manipulative, nasty things happening” to struggling songwriters.
The ‘Ice Cream Man’ hitmaker has once again called out the abysmal earnings top songwriters are making from their craft, and how it’s particularly impacting working-class lyricists who are struggling to make ends meet.
Speaking to Rolling Stone at Coachella, she said: “We’re all here at Coachella essentially to watch songs we love, hear the lyrics and the melodies that we love.
“And there are some incredibly, stupidly, ridiculously talented people who can’t pay their rent who are writing the songs. And it’s incorrect, and it’s wrong. It is just evil if I’m going to be transparent.”
The ‘Escapism’ hitmaker – who parted ways with her record label Polydor Records after accusing them of refusing to release her albums and went on to relaunch her career as an independent artist and have record-breaking success with her acclaimed LP ‘My 21st Century Blues’ – says those who come from working-class backgrounds are the ones with the realest and relatable stories to tell, so it’s perplexing why they are not being paid enough for their service and are made to feel like “expendable parts”.
She asked: “Are we saying now that if you’re rich and you come from wealth and from money that you can be a songwriter because you can keep yourself afloat? You can do it for passion for the love?”
RAYE continued: “But I’m saying some of the best songwriters we have come from real life, real working-class backgrounds. And that’s where some of the best stories are. We’re listening to music is a commentary on the human experience. That’s where the songs are. And you’re going to treat those people like expendable parts? Evil, manipulative, nasty things happening.”
The ‘Prada’ hitmaker recently shared the disheartening breakdown of how singers and songwriters are paid.
She said: “Every single song that’s released in the world, there are 100 royalty points.
“The label will take, say, 80 points. The artist, in a good deal, will take maybe 20, 15, or maybe 12 and then producers get four points, but it has to come out of the artist’s points.
“And the songwriter doesn’t even get one point. It’s disgusting, the whole industry is disgusting. That’s one little example of what goes on behind closed doors where there is no accountability.”
RAYE – who has written hits for the likes of Beyonce, Little Mix, John Legend and Rihanna – admitted the situation “makes [her] very angry”.