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Oscar Winning Tears

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"Oscar Winning Tears"
An arm lifting a microphone under stage lights
Single by Raye
from the album My 21st Century Blues
Released8 November 2024 (2024-11-08)
GenreJazz
Length3:03
LabelHuman Re Sources
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Sabath
Raye singles chronology
"Moi"
(2024) 		"Oscar Winning Tears"
(2024) 		"Born Again"
(2025)
Visualizer
"Oscar Winning Tears" on YouTube

"Oscar Winning Tears" is a song by the British singer-songwriter Raye from her debut studio album, My 21st Century Blues (2023). She wrote it alongside its producer, Mike Sabath. It first became available as the album's second track on 3 February 2023, when it was released independently through Human Re Sources. On 8 November 2024, it was digitally issued as the album's seventh single. Musically, "Oscar Winning Tears" is a theatrical jazz song led by strings, piano, and drums. Its lyrics see the narrator ending an emotionally abusive and toxic relationship while confronting a former partner.

Upon its release as a single, the song peaked at numbers 52 in the United Kingdom and 58 in Ireland; it also reached airplay charts in the United States. Raye included "Oscar Winning Tears" on the set list of the My 21st Century Blues Tour (2023–2024). Other events where she performed the song include the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and the 67th Annual Grammy Awards; at the latter ceremony, it was included in a medley of songs from the Best New Artist nominees. Another live rendition of the song was included on her live album My 21st Century Symphony (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) (2023).

Background and release

[edit]

Raye signed a four-album recording contract with Polydor Records at 17 years old.[1][2][3] She started writing songs for her debut album shortly after, including "Oscar Winning Tears" at 19.[2] In 2021, the singer stated that the label prevented her from releasing an album and she turned into "less of a priority".[1][2][4] She later parted ways from the label and became an independent artist.[5] She signed a contract with the distribution company Human Re Sources the following year.[6]

Following a string of singles, Raye announced her debut album, My 21st Century Blues,[7] and later revealed its track listing, on which "Oscar Winning Tears" appears as the second song.[8] She believed that it was one of the songs that had "stood the test of time".[9] The album was independently released on 3 February 2023, through Human Re Sources.[10] "Oscar Winning Tears" was issued as the album's seventh single on 8 November 2024 to digital platforms.[11] The song peaked at number 52 in the United Kingdom and 58 in Ireland.[12][13] It also reached numbers 26 and 35 on the US Rhythmic and Pop Airplay charts, respectively.[14][15]

Composition

[edit]

Raye provided lead vocals and wrote "Oscar Winning Tears" with its producer, Mike Sabath. The latter also served as the engineer of the song and played drums, synthesizers, piano, and bass; he additionally was the string arranger alongside Adam Krevlin. Other musicians were Jacob Braun on cello and Paul Cartwright on violin. Jonathan Castelli and Josh Deguzman were the mixing engineers, while Jenna Felsenthal was the vocal recording engineer. The mastering engineer was Dale Becker, and the assistant engineers were Katie Harvey, Noah McCorkle, and Connor Hedge.[16]

"Oscar Winning Tears" has a duration of three minutes and three seconds.[11] It is placed in the album after its introduction,[17] which depicts Raye in a jazz club.[18] It is a jazz song,[19] built over a theatrical and cinematic production with strings, piano, and drums.[17][10][20] Raye's vocal performance includes belting, which was praised by critics.[18][21] The lyrical content of the song see the narrator ending an emotionally abusive and toxic relationship.[17][10] It was written after Raye saw a man spiking her drink; she felt that the process was liberating and served as medicine for her.[19] Raye confronts a former partner who played the victim when she decided to end the relationship: "You was convincing though, very believable / The role that you played".[20] She sings that the person "convinced [her] with bullshit"; The Guardian's Alexis Petridis believed it could be a reference to her experience of the music industry and her departure from Polydor.[22]

Live performances

[edit]

Raye included "Oscar Winning Tears" in the set list of the My 21st Century Blues Tour, which ran from February 2023 to February 2024.[23][24] In September 2023, "Oscar Winning Tears" was performed as part of a standalone concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where Raye was accompanied by the Heritage Orchestra.[25] In a positive review, the NME critic Hannah Mylrea compared her vocals to those from Amy Winehouse and other jazz singers.[26] The performance was included on Raye's live album My 21st Century Symphony (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) (2023).[27] Raye performed "Oscar Winning Tears" at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards on 10 November 2024, alongside "Escapism" and "Body Dysmorphia", with a choir and an orchestra. It was met with a positive reception from the public.[28] She also sang it as part of her appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.[29]

On 2 February 2025, Raye performed the song at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, where she was nominated in three categories including Best New Artist; she contributed to a medley of songs from the nominees of that category.[30] Raye wore a black dress and was accompanied with an orchestra and a backing choir.[31] Cerys Davies from Los Angeles Times believed that Raye hit "each of the high notes with ease",[31] while Heran Mamo from Billboard praised her vocals as "jaw-dropping" and wrote that it received a standing ovation.[32] The staff of Clash named it one of the best performances of the ceremony and said that it was "all technical excellence and shattering emotional impact".[33] American Songwriter's Thom Donovan described it as a standout at the ceremony and believed that, although Raye did not win the category, it "felt like one of those moments when someone becomes a legend".[19]

Personnel

[edit]

The personnel is adapted from the liner notes of My 21st Century Blues.[16]

  • Rachel Keen (Raye) – lead vocals, songwriter
  • Mike Sabath – songwriter, producer, engineer, string arranger, piano, bass, drums, synthesizers
  • Jacob Braun – cello
  • Paul Cartwright – violin
  • Adam Krevlin – string arranger
  • Jonathan Castelli – mixing engineer
  • Josh Deguzman – mixing engineer
  • Jenna Felsenthal – vocal recording engineer
  • Dale Becker – mastering engineer
  • Connor Hedge – assistant engineer
  • Katie Harvey – assistant engineer
  • Noah McCorkle – assistant engineer

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Oscar Winning Tears"
Chart (2024–2025) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 58
Romania Airplay (TopHit)[34] 99
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 52
UK Indie (OCC)[35] 9
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[15] 35
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[14] 26

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Oscar Winning Tears"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (25 September 2021). "'I'm angry, I'm raging': how Raye took on her record label – and won". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Raye (2 March 2024). "Raye: "Only You Truly Know What You Are Capable Of"". British Vogue. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  3. ^ Krol, Charlotte (19 July 2021). "Raye and Polydor "part ways" after she claimed label wouldn't release her debut album". NME. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  4. ^ Krol, Charlotte (19 July 2021). "Raye and Polydor "part ways" after she claimed label wouldn't release her debut album". NME. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  5. ^ Peay, Malik (3 February 2023). "Raye Explicitly Speaks Her Mind On Debut Album, 'My 21st Century Blues'". Nylon. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  6. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (16 June 2022). "RAYE signs to Human Re Sources nearly a year after parting ways with Polydor". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 4 January 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  7. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (14 October 2022). "RAYE finally announces debut album My 21st Century Blues". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  8. ^ Wilkes, Emma (5 January 2023). "RAYE reveals tracklist for 'My 21st Century Blues'". NME. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  9. ^ Firth, Abigail (2 February 2023). "RAYE: 21st Century Blues". Dork. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Mylrea, Hannah (2 February 2023). "RAYE – 'My 21st Century Blues' review: a triumphant, hard-fought debut". NME. Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Oscar Winning Tears. — Single — Album by Raye". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on 5 January 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Discography Raye". Irish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Raye Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Raye Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  16. ^ a b Raye (2023). My 21st Century Blues (liner notes). Human Re Sources.
  17. ^ a b c Gonzalez, Alex (9 February 2023). "With 'My 21st Century Blues,' RAYE Is Finally In Control Of Her Own Narrative". Uproxx. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  18. ^ a b Milross, Hayley (31 January 2023). "RAYE opens her heart on her long-awaited debut My 21st Century Blues". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  19. ^ a b c Donovan, Thom (16 February 2025). "The Meaning Behind Raye's "Oscar Winning Tears"". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on 16 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  20. ^ a b Early, JT (13 February 2023). "Album Review: RAYE – My 21st Century Blues". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  21. ^ Rigotti, Alex. "Raye – My 21st Century Blues". Clash. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  22. ^ Petridis, Alexis (2 February 2023). "Raye: My 21st Century Blues review – major label escapee makes revenge taste sweet". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  23. ^ Kaplan, Rachel (5 October 2023). "RAYE Brings '21st Century Blues' To NYC With Sold Out Show". iHeart. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  24. ^ Jones, Damian (13 December 2023). "RAYE announces rescheduled UK shows for 2024". NME. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  25. ^ Walker, Sophie (27 September 2023). "Raye review – a triumphant act of independence and naked ambition". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 December 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  26. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (18 March 2024). "Raye live in London: a simply sensational, career-defining performance". NME. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  27. ^ "RAYE releases live album recorded with symphony orchestra in London". ABC Audio. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  28. ^ Singh, Surej (11 November 2024). "Social media reacts to RAYE's 2024 MTV EMAs performance". NME. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  29. ^ "Watch The Kelly Clarkson Show - Official Website Clip: 'Oscar Winning Tears' by RAYE". NBC. 10 November 2024. Archived from the original on 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  30. ^ Siroky, Mary (2 February 2025). "RAYE Delivers Triumphant Performance of "Oscar Winning Tears" at 2025 Grammys: Watch". Consequence. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  31. ^ a b Davies, Cerys (2 February 2025). "What went down when this year's best new artist nominees took the Grammys stage". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  32. ^ Mamo, Heran (2 February 2025). "Benson Boone, Doechii, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey & Raye Deliver Best New Artist Nominee Medley at 2025 Grammys". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  33. ^ "Grammy Awards 2025 – Five Key Performances". Clash. 3 February 2025. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  34. ^ "Top Radio Hits Romania Weekly Chart: Mar 27, 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  35. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  36. ^ "British single certifications – Raye – Oscar Winning Tears". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
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