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Concert review: Raye claims ‘This Tour May Contain New Music.’ It does, and brings much more.

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Pictured is Raye singing while crouching on stage with her arm raised above her head. The Grammy-winning artist performed at the Greek Theatre on Tuesday, for the penultimate stop of her North American leg of the “This Tour May Contain New Music” tour. (Bettina Wu/Daily Bruin senior staff)

“This Tour May Contain New Music”


Raye
Greek Theatre
May 12
Kemyron McCoy

By Kemyron McCoy

May 14, 2026 3:11 p.m.

Raye’s concert was a form of escapism, allowing audience members to lose themselves in stage design, energy and vocal performance.

The Grammy Award-winning artist graced the stage of the Greek Theatre on Tuesday night, marking the penultimate stop of her North American leg of the “This Tour May Contain New Music” tour. The show was divided into multiple acts, starting with a jazz club segment, going to a symphonic set and for the finale, a rave. The setlist highlighted newer songs from the singer’s sophomore album “This Music May Contain Hope.” with Raye performing 20 songs in total, ranging from her own discography to perfectly executed covers. Throughout the two-hour set, audience members shared moments of laughter, tears and sing-alongs with the artist, creating an experience that resonated with both superfans and casual listeners alike.

At 8:30 p.m., Raye’s voice traveled from offstage throughout the theater as she delivered the monologue from “Intro: Girl Under The Grey Cloud,” also the opening of her album. Raye, draped in a black fur coat began to take center stage as she performed “I Will Overcome” with powerhouse vocals, which the crowd followed with a standing ovation. As cheers and applause filled the venue, Raye quickly disappeared behind the stage’s red curtains. A few moments later, they opened to the tune of the catchy “Where Is My Husband!” and concert-goers remained standing as the British singer performed in a red dress.

RAYE wears a long strappless dress as she leans back, belting out the notes of one of her songs. The show was divided into multiple acts, starting with a jazz club segment, going to a symphonic set and for the finale, a rave. (Bettina Wu/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Raye wears a long strapless dress as she leans back, belting out the notes of one of her songs. The show was divided into multiple acts, starting with a jazz club segment, going to a symphonic set and for the finale, a rave. (Bettina Wu/Daily Bruin senior staff)

The show’s opening act continued as the live orchestra and stage design captivated audience members. The brass ensemble took the right side of the stage and the string section took the left. To further enchant the crowd, the stage was vividly illuminated to spotlight both the audience and musicians. Accompanied by live instruments, Raye sang a few tracks from her debut album “My 21st Century Blues,” including “Oscar Winning Tears.”

[Related: Concert review: Maisie Peters’ ‘Before The Bloom Tour’ is imperfect but full of charisma]

Attendees engaged with the singer in various ways, with some singing along and others filming so they could relive the moment later on. At one point, the music came to a pause, as Raye began to speak to the audience, with one fan shouting “I love you raye,” to which she replied, “I love you too, wherever you are.” The theater filled with laughter, which continued on as the singer entered a speaking segment, in which she told a humorous and entertaining story to transition between the opening act and the following.

The second act, titled “Raye’s Jazz Club,” was paired with a change in set design, with the stage colored in a red and gold cabaret aesthetic. Raye shared a seat with the string players as she opened the act with a beautiful rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon.” Fans gasped and began to sing along as the song played. The segment ended with a sultry saxophone piece after Raye invited an audience member to choose a musician from her band to do a solo.

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Following the jazz club segment, Raye took to the dimly lit stage to perform some of her most heartfelt pieces. She jokingly told the audience that several sad songs were coming up, urging fans to take a restroom break or stop by the bar if they did not want to get emotional. She began by performing “Nightingale Lane,” which she dedicated to all of her fans who had ever been heartbroken. After that alluring performance, Raye took a moment to talk about her Grammy Award-winning song, “Ice Cream Man,” which was written to express the singer’s experience with sexual assault. She lightheartedly mentioned that she may cry during this performance, but the audience cheered her on and supported her throughout the song.

Though Raye did not shed any tears, many audience members did, and a sense of community filled the venue as strangers leaned on and comforted one another. Raye’s performance of “Life Boat,” brought the energy back up, and the audience danced as Raye exited for a costume change.

[Related: Concert review: Gorillaz is yet to peak, brings new sound, unreleased music to Hollywood Palladium]

During the singer’s absence, two men helped move the show along with a comedy segment, which included upside-down cue cards that read things such as “We hope you are enjoying the show so far” and “In just a moment, we will be taking you to the symphony!” Raye then returned to the stage, in a white gown and performed fan-favorite “Oscar Winning Tears.” The singer moved across the stage, connecting with all sides of the venue while delivering a strong vocal performance. She then asked the audience to clap along as she sang the percussion-heavy “Click Clack Symphony.” Throughout the symphony set, marquee letters reading “Raye” appeared on the screen. However, the wording then shifted to “Rave,” marking the beginning of the nightclub segment, which was the final act of the night.

Strobe lights and lasers traveled throughout the outdoor theater and fans erupted into cheers and dance moves, completely transforming the atmosphere of the concert. The singer opened with the upbeat track “Secrets.” However, the highlight of the set came when Absolutely and Amma, the tour’s openers and Raye’s younger sisters, joined her on stage to perform “Joy.” Many fans danced and took out their cameras to capture the familial moment. With help from her sisters, the ending to the show exceeded all expectations. As the trio exited the stage, Raye warned fans not to leave, as there would be an encore.

For the final time of the night, the star then appeared on stage to perform her hit “Escapism.” The crowd reached an all-time high, both audibly and energetically, singing along with every word of the song to conclude the night epically.

With genre shifts, captivating stage design and powerhouse vocals, RAYE’s Greek Theatre performance proved that attending her concert is undeniably “Worth It.”

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Kemyron McCoy
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