2024 was Raye’s year — that’s according to the *actual* stats
We all know viagogo — they’re the ticket sellers (and resellers, for the occasions that you cane it too much the night before) behind gigs all over the globe. But when they’re not doing that, they’re getting their analytics hats on. And for 2024, they’ve compiled a list of the top ten highest-selling Black British female acts on their platform. Coming in at number one? None other than Raye, the homegrown act whose journey from industry frustration to independent triumph has become the stuff of legends.
Remember that viral TikTok moment in 2021 when Raye publicly called out her label Polydor for refusing to let her release an album? Look who’s laughing now! After going independent, she’s not just topped viagogo’s UK list, but ranked as number three globally, beating out actual music royalty like Mariah Carey, SZA, and Doja Cat. And the proof’s in the numbers — after she swept the BRIT Awards in March (snagging a record-breaking six awards and becoming the first woman to win “Songwriter of the Year”), searches for her tickets shot up by an eye-watering 845%.
But this isn’t just about the numbers. Raye’s been grafting since dropping her debut EP back in 2014 when she was just seventeen. Her critically acclaimed album My 21st Century Blues pulls zero punches — take “Ice Cream Man,” where she fearlessly tackles the darker side of the music industry, including experiences of coercion and sexual abuse. It’s this kind of raw honesty that’s made her live shows something else entirely. If we had to put one performance in a time capsule? That rendition of “Oscar Winning Tears” at the Royal Albert Hall. Future civilizations could dig that up and still feel the shivers.
The rest of viagogo’s top ten reads like a who’s who of British music excellence. At number two, there’s Olivia Dean, fresh off her Mercury Prize nomination and still riding high from the success of “Dive.” Walsall’s finest, Jorja Smith, takes third. Then you’ve got Cat Burns and PinkPantheress bringing their Gen-Z swagger to the list, while industry veterans like Beverley Knight (casual MBE recipient) and Gabrielle show exactly why they’ve stood the test of time.
The list also spotlights the incredible diversity in British music right now. You’ve got Nia Archives revolutionizing electronic music, Griff bringing her unique take on pop, and Greentea Peng keeping that neo-soul flag flying high. It’s a proper mix of genres, generations, and stories.
