RAYE X H&M Move Is The Only Fitness Collaboration You Need On Your Radar Now

I realise, minutes into our interview, that I have done RAYE a huge disservice. Earlier that morning I had sent my dad a sweaty gym selfie with a follow-up itinerary of my day: ‘Workout done, I’m filming something for work at lunchtime, then I’m interviewing the musician RAYE – did you catch her Louis Theroux documentary?’

Moments into our virtual meet, the charismatic singer shows that she is so much more than just a musician, she is an artist – one who is bringing radical candour to the music industry and beyond. Relaxed on her sofa at home we catch up on one of her two phones (one is for social media, the other for everything else), to talk about her upcoming partnership with H&M Move. RAYE is the face, body and attitude of a campaign that highlights the importance of movement for both mental and physical health. ‘How I see myself is something I have spoken about very candidly. I have had a really up and down journey with how I feel about my body. What I have come to learn about movement is that it’s not about my outward appearance, or how I come across, it’s about providing your mind and body with endorphins,’ she says.

When you are one of the UK’s biggest rising stars, knocking out banger after banger (see her debut studio album My 21st Century Blues) and casually racking up 33.5 million listeners a month, the societal pressure to look a certain way is inevitable. In the vein of radical honesty, most people – pop star or not – would admit that body

image occupies more of their brain than they would be comfortable conceding. ‘Body image absolutely occupies my thoughts,’ admits RAYE. ‘I’ve been saying at my shows recently that I wonder what it would be like to be alive in the 1920s when what you were exposed to was so limited. You might see a beautiful person in a magazine or newspaper, but that’s it. Now, the first thing we do when we wake up is pick up our phones, enter some kind of algorithm and start scrolling. Immediately, a kind of comparison comes into play in such a burdening amount.’

The amount of times I have written, ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ in my career as a journalist is almost as many as RAYE’s weekly stream, and yet here we all are still guilty of a habit that is seemingly impossible to break – even for budding musical sensations. But where many would dodge their accountability, RAYE offers her hand up to acknowledge the problem is more complex. ‘We are part-time contributors to these platforms. It takes an agonising process for me sharing things to social media. I overthink everything. I’ll take 500 pictures and chose one. The scrutiny!’ explains RAYE. She’s not alone in that scrutiny, it’s a shared experience. We are bound by an inherent criticism of ourselves that manifests in an unfulfilling search for perfection. ‘We become very self-critical and that’s something I’ve really struggled with. Self-love is a process, it’s not going on Instagram and posting a picture of yourself in a face mask with some kind of “self-care” caption, it’s being alone in a room naked, looking in the mirror and thinking, “I like that”, or “I’m OK”, or not feeling the need to change yourself.’

The process, the journey, the path, the work – whatever you want to call the road to self-acceptance, there is no getting away from the fact it is bumpy, and it’s a road that RAYE admits she is still navigating. But for her, that path is now laced with triumphs – significant moments of shift that show it is possible to move that narrative forward. One such turning point in her self-discovery was parting ways with her record label, Polydor, by mutual agreement in 2021. She claimed the label had refused to let her release her debut album, despite a four-year album deal. Polydor said it was ‘saddened’ by her concerns and had offered its ‘full support’ A year and a half later she was at the top of the music charts.

In September 2023 RAYE stripped down to her underwear at the Royal Albert Hall during a rendition of Body Dysmorphia. The lyrics, where she picks herself apart, are impossibly hard to hear, and for many will echo the cacophony heard inside their own head. ‘It is really important for me to be honest through my art and to my fans. I wanted to strip down – and not to sexy lingerie, just a basic T-shirt bra and some granny pants (which I wear every day, by the way). I was as naked as I looked and I don’t find that easy,’ she says. ‘That’s just the human experience, though – it’s a roller coaster. I don’t want to embrace only the beautiful things. I just hope by showing up as who I am now – not a perfect person – I can inspire hope, or even just a little shred of something positive to someone.’

Another triumph is the campaign with H&M Move. ‘When H&M first approached about a campaign around fitness I was like, “You know I don’t have abs, right?” But they told me they want me for me and what I represent, and I was really honoured. Moving isn’t about moving for anyone else but yourself. You deserve to feel good, to feel joy, to feel happy and, when you zoom out and look at the science, that’s exactly what movement does.’

Many people are quick to call out the similarities between RAYE and fellow soul singer Amy Winehouse, and it’s easy to see why. They are both trailblazing females who put artistry first, arbitrary rules second, and share an ability to showcase vulnerability that travels much further than the music.

I feel a bit sad when our video call starts to wrap up, it’s a rare talent for someone in the spotlight to make you feel like you’re not only in the room with them but an equal to them. Just another person in the world, trying your best. I predict it won’t be long before RAYE smashes into new stratospheric heights and, luckily for us, she’s taking everybody along for the ride.

SHOP: RAYE X H&M Move