Some people are born for stardom and others are meant to appreciate it. Rising artist Raiche, who recently signed to GDE/Island Prolific/Atlantic Records, fits firmly into the former category, as she was touted as one of Billboard‘s “15 Hip-Hop & R&B Artists to Watch in 2021.” As she leaps into the New Year, Raiche does so with a blazing hot single, appropriately dubbed, “Burn Your Clothes,” which blends contemporary soul harmonies with hints of pop that make for a refreshing and unique sound all her own.
The Pittsfield, MA (two hours outside of Boston) bred beauty is being mentored by DJ Knock Out and Prince Charlez (Rihanna, Beyoncé, Usher), who are both responsible for elevating her brand for mass consumption. Safe to say the plan is working, as Raiche has amassed upwards of 17M streams across her impressive body of work.
Since moving to Atlanta, Raiche has found her comfort zone in the confines of a variety of studios and recently sat down with rolling out to share more about her artistic trek.
So tell me a little bit about your musical beginnings. What’s your journey been like?
It’s been a lot. I mean, I don’t think anything has been easy. But it’s been fun. I’ve learned a lot through the last six years [or so]. I’ve been singing since I was young, in church. So music has always been a part of my life. But industry-wise, it’s been about five, six years.
How has Atlanta changed things for you creatively, as an artist?
I’ve always been influenced by what I’m influenced by. Music’s been everywhere, regardless of where you live. But definitely, with [signing] my Sony deal. Being able to be in the studio constantly has been a real game-changer for me. I’m from Berkshire County, so there [were] barely any studios. And if there is, it’s not easy to just get in them. I have to either go to like New York or Boston, and those are like, hour-long drives.
Tell us a little bit about your single “Burn Your Clothes.”
I’ve had this recorded for a while now. And I’ve been like wanting to put it out for so long. It’s a beautiful song [and I] absolutely love it. the music video is really awesome. People were coming at me about the whole cigarette smoke thing, but what I was really trying to portray was like 50s housewives, breaking out of the norm. Women back then were very subjugated to taking care of the home and cooking dinner for their husbands — being there for their husbands regardless of how their husbands are treating them. That is a spin on basically standing up for women’s rights, for me, personally. That era is something that I absolutely love. I think it’s beautiful. I want to have … a spin on that with my own style. I think it’s just really fun and cool.
What inspired you so much about that era for the treatment of the video?
The music back then I absolutely gravitate towards, like Sarah Vaughn. She’s incredible. I love to emulate her sound. Her voice is immaculate. And that era of music is something I’m really drawn to.
Peep the video below and an acoustic performance after the jump.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4fv6exT7i8[/embedyt]
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