Singer Raye honoured with an iconic blue plaque on London pub
Superstar, Raye, has been honoured in her hometown following her stratospheric success. The Where is My Husband! singer, 28, has quietly carved a name for herself as one of the UK's most successful performers, bagging her second number one for the brilliant bop, which also features a cameo from her grandma.
Her latest single, Nightingale Lane, is love letter to the street in South West London where she grew up and first found her voice and now a pub in her hometown has put up an blue plaque for the star. The iconic plaques, seen dotted all over the capital, are installed in public places to link the location to a famous person, who has made a significant contribution to society.
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Paying tribute to Raye and her new single, which delves deep into love and loss, the Nightingale pub between Wandsworth Common and Clapham South proudly displays the plaque, which reads: "RAYE. Experienced the greatest heartbreak she has ever known here."
The words are a reference to a relationship that ended on the street "where my first love kissed me goodbye" on the junction with Old Park Avenue, near to the pub. The singer, whose real name is Rachel Agatha Keen, grew up in the area.
Nightingale Lane is the second track to be released off the singer’s forthcoming LP, This Music May Contain Hope. The album will feature 17 tracks set across four “seasons,” with each side of the vinyl representing a different chapter.
“Music is medicine, I’ve always said that. I guess I’m in the process of making medicine for myself that I can share with the world,” Raye said in a statement when the album was announced.
She added: “I want us all to say to ourselves that it’s going to be all right, and I’m going to have faith in the seeds that I’ve planted beneath the snow. I wanted to create something that is a hug, bed or soft place for that person who needs it.”
Last year, Raye delayed her second album after her car containing her precious songwriting books was stolen. Back in October, she revealed that the car had been found — and the songbooks along with it. “It was a roller-coaster journey, but what I didn’t tell everyone is the police called me maybe two or three months ago, and they were like, ‘We found your car,’” Raye told EE Official Big Top 40 From Global at the time.
She continued: “Not only did I get it back, not one thing had been taken out of the car. All my songwriting books were there, untouched.”
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At this year's BRIT Awards, Raye performed her songs, Where Is My Husband! and Nightingale Lane. She also bagged Best Pop Act on the night, marking a significant milestone in her career.
The win follows her record-breaking achievement in 2024 when she won six awards in a single night, solidifying her status as one the mega stars of the industry.
Last month, Raye kicked off a 51-date arena tour, the aptly titled, This Tour May Contain New Music. The singer will perform in Europe, the U.K., and the United States, with Rolling Stone naming it one of the most eagerly-awaited tours of the year.
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