I saw Ray BLK a few months ago in Kentish Town at the O2 Academy. The O2 Academy isn’t one the most romantic or intimate venues in London but it definitely does capture the power, energy and smooth sounds of Ray BLK well. I went with a friend who didn’t know the array of music that Ray BLK has, the songs under her belt or her real ethos and I was immensely proud to find that she fell in love with her music.

If your lacking in inspiration or empowerment, book yourself a gig to see Ray BLK. Songs filled with sass, independence, strength and gratitude resonated with me as Ray BLK sung her heart out to a packed audience. The audience was as diverse as her music which I always see as an incredibly positive sign, that her music can impact so many people’s lives. She’s been “building, living, knowing” since 2015 and I am so glad she has received recognition from BBC Sounds by winning the sound of 2017 and being nominated for a MOBO in 2016 for Best Newcomer. She’s supported Nicki Minaj on her UK tour in March, although I would argue that Ray BLK is much more of an artist then Nicki Minaj (a debate for another time!) 

She is a natural performer with high energy, chatting enthusiastically with the audience and switching up the atmosphere depending on the song she was singing. It was the best gig I have been to for a long time and straight away after her performance, I wanted to see her again.

If you haven’t heard her music before; I implore you to check out tracks like: “Run Run,” “My Hood”, “Durt”, “Empress”, “Mama”, “5050” but my favourite song of hers is this: