By Rebecca Lawrence For Mailonline
Published: | Updated:
18 shares
8 View commentsRaye has revealed she felt 'liberated' after opening up about her body confidence issues in her new single, Genesis.
The singer, 26, details her body dysmorphia in the tune, in which she also admits to editing her social media snaps.
Lyrics include: 'Yes, I edit my pictures to make my waist look slimmer / And make my a** look bigger so that I'm someone you aspire to / Let me in your algorithm, please.'
Speaking about her decision to open up, Raye shared on the Capital XTRA Evening Show with Kamilla Rose: 'I just wanted to be really transparent and really open on it.
And we all think these things and we're all kind of battling with these things in our head. And I'll be the first to say who I am now, so I put this song out.'
Raye shared on the Capital XTRA Evening Show with Kamilla Rose thatshe felt 'liberated' after opening up about her body confidence issues in her new single, Genesis
Raye continued: 'But you know, I'll take a picture and be like, "oh, it would look better if I was sucked in a little bit more" or "if my jaw looked a little bit less square in this angle," you know?
'It's just insecurities that we all feel about ourselves and stuff like that, so I think it's also quite liberating being so open about that.
'Because then it's like, "yeah, sometimes I edit my pictures, and…?" Do you know what I mean? It feels nice to say it.'
Raye released the seven-minute track Genesis on Friday, explaining that the tune was laid out in three acts she describes as 'a prayer and a plea and a cry for help.'
Speaking about the process on Capital Breakfast on Friday she shared: 'We pasted all the clips together, because I’ve been working on this individually for, sorry it’s really chaotic, it’s intense, it’s long.'
As Chris Strark probed: 'So did it take quite a long period to write, and where in your life were you in this? Was this a recent thing?' Raye continued: 'This is so many sittings. Oh my god'
Sian Welby asked: 'Different eras of your life?' to which Raye responded: 'So 2022 we started originally, I wrote it for someone else and then there are a hundred different version of this song.
'I combed away at it, I re-recorded it so many times I can’t even say. The amount of engineers who have worked on this song.'
The singer, 26, details her body dysmorphia in the tune, in which she also admits to editing her social media snaps
Raye has been open about her mental health and last year she made a powerful statement when she stripped down to her underwear mid-show.
She was on stage at the Royal Albert Hall for a live album recording when she began to remove her clothing during a performance of her hit, Body Dysmorphia.
She has spoken candidly about her battle with the mental health condition - where you intensely worry about your appearance.
Her candid lyrics include lines such as 'I'm so hungry, I can't sleep / But I know if I eat /Then I'll be in the bathroom on my knees.'
In front of a cheering crowd, Raye removed her corset and trousers as she stripped down to a white bra and knickers, holding herself as she belted out the emotional lyrics.
She remained in her underwear to perform her next song, Ice Cream Man, about sexual assault, telling the audience: 'I’m taking my clothes off at the Royal Albert Hall!'
Tune into the Capital XTRA Evening Show with Kamilla Rose weekdays from 7:00am-10:00pm, also available on the Global Player app
For help and support with eating disorders contact Beat at beateatingdisorders.org.uk
WHAT IS BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER?
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others.
People of any age can have BDD, but it is most common in teenagers and young adults. It affects both men and women.
Having BDD does not mean you are vain or self-obsessed. It can be very upsetting and have a big impact on your life.
Symptoms of BDD
You might have BDD if you:
- worry a lot about a specific area of your body (particularly your face)
- spend a lot of time comparing your looks with other people's
- look at yourself in mirrors a lot or avoid mirrors altogether
- go to a lot of effort to conceal flaws – for example, by spending a long time combing your hair, applying make-up or choosing clothes
- pick at your skin to make it 'smooth'
BDD can seriously affect your daily life, including your work, social life and relationships. BDD can also lead to depression, self-harm and even thoughts of suicide.
You should visit your GP if you think you might have BDD.
If you have relatively mild symptoms of BDD you should be referred for a type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which you have either on your own or in a group
If you have moderate symptoms of BDD you should be offered either CBT or a type of antidepressant medication called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
If you have more severe symptoms of BDD, or other treatments don't work, you should be offered CBT together with an SSRI.
Source: NHS
Raye
