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Ravyn Lenae

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Ravyn Lenae
Face shot of Lenae in three-quarter view with strong lipstick and neutral desaturated lighting.
Ravyn Lenae at Camp Flog Gnaw 2023
Background information
Birth nameRavyn Lenae Washington
Born (1999-01-22) January 22, 1999 (age 25)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • Songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active2014–present
Labels

Ravyn Lenae Washington (born January 22, 1999) is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Chicago who is currently signed to Atlantic Records and the Three Twenty Three Music Group. She is also a member of the musical collective Zero Fatigue.[1] Her debut EP, Moon Shoes, was released independently in 2015 and reissued by Atlantic Records in 2016. Her follow-up EP, Midnight Moonlight, was released in 2017. In addition to performing at several music festivals, Lenae has also toured with SZA on her Ctrl Tour[2] and Noname on her Telefone Tour.[3]

She released her debut album, Hypnos, on May 20, 2022, and her sophomore album, Bird's Eye, on August 9, 2024, to critical acclaim.

Early life and education

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Washington was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother is from Panama, with her maternal grandfather being part of a doo wop musical group in the country.[4][5] She was raised as a member of the Pullman Christian Reformed Church on the far South Side of the city. Her grandfather, Richard Williams, served as the pastor of the congregation for 30 years. She credits her participation in worship at the church with helping to develop her interests and abilities in music.[6] In middle school at Roseland Christian School, Lenae began writing her own songs.[7] She would go on to attend the Chicago High School for the Arts, where she studied classical music.[8] She graduated from the school in May 2017 at 18 years of age.[9]

Musical career

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As a sophomore in high school, Lenae spent $300 for a studio session that would ultimately produce her first single, "Greetings".[7] Soon after, in 2015, she was featured on Monte Booker's song, "Baby".[10][11] Booker and Lenae along with rapper, Smino, formed the original core of the music collective, Zero Fatigue, which was brought together by Chris "Classick" Innumerable at his recording studio, Classick Studios.[8][12] Lenae's first EP, Moon Shoes, was originally released as a free download in August 2015, but was later reissued by Atlantic Records and the Three Twenty Three Music Group in 2016.[10][13] It drew praise from critics for her "fluid vocals and spare, poetic lyrics."[14]

Ravyn Lenae performing as part of the Telefone Tour on March 5, 2017.

In 2016, Lenae was officially signed to Atlantic Records.[15] She also appeared as a featured performer on Mick Jenkins' album The Healing Component[16] and on Noname's song "Forever".[17] She would go on to tour with and open for Noname on her Telefone Tour from January to March 2017.[13] Lenae also performed at WBEZ's Winter Block Party alongside fellow members of the underground collective Medicine Woman: Drea Smith, Via Rosa, and Jean Deaux.[18]

She released her second EP Midnight Moonlight on March 3, 2017.[19][20] Later that month, she performed at SXSW,[21] was featured on Smino's "Glass Flows,"[20] and was listed by Rolling Stone as one of "10 New Artists You Need to Know."[13] In the following three months, she would go on to perform at several other festivals, including Mamby on the Beach in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood[9] and Culture Shock in Purchase, New York.[22] Beginning in August 2017, Lenae opened for SZA on her Ctrl Tour. The tour ended in December 2017.[23][24] On February 9, she released her third EP, entirely produced by Steve Lacy, titled Crush.[25]

On February 1, 2022, she released "Skin Tight"[26] with Steve Lacy, the first single of her debut album, Hypnos. Following, she released her debut album[27] on May 20, 2022. Featuring vocals and production from Monte Booker, Steve Lacy, Kaytranada, Fousheé, Mereba, Smino, Sango, Luke Titus, IAMNOBODI, Phoelix and Teo Halm. She announced a tour spanning 16 cities beginning at Neumos in Seattle, Washington. A special guest, Unusual Demont, will support the tour.

Artistry

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In Jeune Afrique, Eva Sauphie described Lenae as a "cross between Kelela, an Azealia Banks dipped in honey and a teen spirit version Kelis," combining genres including "nu soul, electro-jazz, chamber pop, and ambient hip-hop."[28] The Austin American-Statesman described her style as "a watercolor R&B platter with startling depth."[21] Lenae has mentioned OutKast, Timbaland, India.Arie, and Erykah Badu among her musical influences.[8] Writing for Pitchfork, Ryan Dombal reviewed Lenae's performance on Monte Booker's "Baby" as "channel[ing] both Billie [Holiday] and Erykah [Badu] on the acoustic-guitar ballad, which crackles like Lauryn Hill's Unplugged as remixed by the ghost of J Dilla."[11]

Comparing Lenae's two EPs, Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone said Midnight Moonlight "delves into more romantic concerns with the same quiet grace" first heard on Moon Shoes in which she "sings about life as a dreamy, sometimes-melancholy teenager in a softly assertive voice."[13] Marcus J. Moore's Pitchfork review of Midnight Moonlight noted that it "carries a methodical late-night vibe suitable for Quiet Storm radio" particularly when compared to the "far brighter" energy on Moon Shoes.[29]

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of Albums with selected album details
Title Album details
Hypnos
  • Released: May 20, 2022
  • Label: Atlantic
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming
Bird's Eye
  • Released: August 9, 2024
  • Label: Atlantic
  • Format: CD, LP, Digital download, streaming

Extended plays

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List of EPs with selected details
Title EP details
Moon Shoes
  • Released: August 2015
  • Label: Self-released (reissued by Atlantic/323 in 2016)
  • Format: Digital download
Midnight Moonlight
  • Released: March 3, 2017
  • Label: Atlantic, 323 Music Group
  • Format: Digital download
Crush[25]
  • Released: February 9, 2018
  • Label: Atlantic, 323 Music Group
  • Format: Digital download

Charted singles

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List of charted singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
NZ
Hot
[30]
"One Wish"
(featuring Childish Gambino) 		2024 19 Bird's Eye

References

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  1. ^ Bekoe (March 3, 2017). "Atlantic New Signee Ravyn Lenae release 'Midnight Moonlight' EP". Illa Noize. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  2. ^ "SZA Announces Extensive 'CTRL' Tour". Billboard. July 6, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  3. ^ "Noname Announces The Telefone Tour". The FADER. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  4. ^ Douze, Khalila (October 21, 2022). "How Ravyn Lenae Came of Age During a Chicago Renaissance". Ssense.
  5. ^ "Ravyn Lenae, Musician". Into The Gloss. August 24, 2019.
  6. ^ Dykstra, Lori (April 7, 2017). "Pullman CRC Musician Makes Rolling Stone's Top Ten". The Banner. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Bianchi, Laura (July 20, 2017). "Rolling Stone says you should know this local singer". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Drake, David (February 4, 2016). "Zero Fatigue: Chicago's Next Hip-Hop Visionaries | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Julious, Britt (May 24, 2017). "How to Balance High School and Touring? Ask Ravyn Lenae". Chicago. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Galil, Leor (February 2, 2017). "Singer and Zero Fatigue member Ravyn Lenae balances R&B aspirations with high school". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Dombal, Ryan (November 5, 2015). ""Baby" [ft. Ravyn Lenae] by Monte Booker Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  12. ^ Julious, Britt (October 13, 2016). "Smino still enjoying his big year". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d Reeves, Mosi (March 15, 2017). "10 New Artists You Need to Know Now". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  14. ^ Dampier, Cindy (March 1, 2017). "Chicago singer Ravyn Lenae Washington talks singing secrets, vintage shopping". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  15. ^ "Ravyn Lenae – Sleep Talking". SingersRoom. November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  16. ^ Robertson, Darryl (September 26, 2016). "Mick Jenkins Thinks Love Conquers All on New Album, 'The Healing Component'". Vibe. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  17. ^ Siber, Alex (October 4, 2016). "The Making of Noname's 'Telefone'". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  18. ^ Galil, Leor; Nelson, J. R. (January 25, 2017). "This year's Winter Block Party celebrates women in Chicago hip-hop". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  19. ^ McKinney, Jessica (February 22, 2017). "Ravyn Lenae Soars on the Visuals For Her "Alive" Video". Vibe. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  20. ^ a b Mack, Wallace (March 29, 2017). "Understanding The Divine Feminine in Smino's 'blkswn'". Vibe. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  21. ^ a b Stith, Deborah Sengupta (March 7, 2017). "SXSW 2017: 11 soul and blues acts to catch". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  22. ^ Viola, Joe (May 9, 2017). "Ravyn Lenae plans to lay a blanket over the globe". Office Magazine. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  23. ^ Fountain, Rasheena (November 17, 2017). "There's No Box For Ravyn Lenae Or Chicago's Music". HuffPost. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  24. ^ Gracie, Bianca (July 5, 2017). "SZA Announces The CTRL Tour: See the Dates". Fuse. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  25. ^ a b Sanfiorenzo, Dimas (December 12, 2017). "Ravyn Lenae Announces 'Crush' EP, Executive Produced by Steve Lacy". okayplayer. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  26. ^ Blanchet, Brenton (May 18, 2022). "Make Way For Ravyn Lenae". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  27. ^ "Ravyn Lenae's 'Hypnos' Is A Cosmic R&B Contemplation". Grammy.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  28. ^ Sauphie, Eva (September 29, 2016). "Musique : Ravyn Lenae, la nouvelle Kelis". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  29. ^ Moore, Marcus J. (April 25, 2017). "Ravyn Lenae – Midnight Moonlight EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  30. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
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