Drake, 31, sure has a way with the ladies, and it appears he’s found his newest conquest in 20-year-old up and coming British singer Raye. She approached him via social media according to the UK’s Sun, with a request to listen to her music. Their insider claims “He was clearly impressed by her songwriting talents and when they met to record, it quickly became obvious it wasn’t just her music he was interested in.” The source continued, “It’s early days but the pair have already been out on a string of dates, with Drake taking her to his favorite restaurant, Nobo Berkeley in central London. He’s got form for dating the hottest and most up-and-coming stars in the world so Raye isn’t reading too much into it, they’re just having fun at the moment.” We’ve got five things to know about Raye.
1. Raye is her professional recording name.
Her real name is Rachel Keen but shortened her handle to her nickname for her status as a singer/songwriter. Her mother is Ghanian and Swiss while her father is English.
2. Raye attended a prestigious London performing arts school.
She attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology for two years before dropping out, later saying she felt “confined…despite learning an extensive amount.” The school has had many famous graduates including Adele, actor Tom Holland and late singer Amy Winehouse.
3. Raye dropped her first original music at the age of 16 after leaving the BRIT School.
In 2014, she released her debut EP Welcome to the Winter, which featured her first single, “Flowers.” Raye also appeared as a guest artists on several high charting songs in the UK. She featured on Jonas Blue‘s 2016 hit “By Your Side” and Jax Jones‘s single “You Don’t Know Me,” which made it to number three on the British charts in early 2017.
4. Raye is also a songwriter.
She co-wrote Charli XCX‘s “After the Afterparty” and Snakehips and MØ’s “Don’t’ Leave.” She said that working with Charli was “inspiring” and she hopes to follow in the same type of career path.
5. Raye grew up a fan of Stevie Wonder and gospel music.
In a 2017 interview, she revealed that, “The first thing I was really fed as a kid was gospel music and church music. I remember being so stupidly young – like three or four. My parents used to go every weekend.” She added that her dad was a massive Steve Wonder fan and always played his music around their house growing up. She also said learning about legendary singer Nina Simone was a “revelation” to her.