Ravyn Lenae is welcoming fans into Blue Island with her new album, set to arrive on Aug. 7.
The project marks her third studio album, one that finds her exploring “the full scope of her identity: the quirks, flirty energy, ‘teenage angst’ that often bleeds well into years outside its allotted window, as well as the quiet, lonely, ‘off-beat’ moments that happen when you are in the midst of a transformation,” according to a press release.
The album follows a year filled with both highs — including new opportunities — and lows, such as questions surrounding her Blackness and place within music spaces. It’s a project inspired by the desire to move forward and express herself, as did Black female artists like Santigold, Janet Jackson and Tracy Chapman, according to the release.
“‘Blue Island’ is a point of arrival, and feeling set in my ways and in who I am, and feeling free of any of those preconceived notions about Blackness or what I had to be in the past,” Ravyn said in a statement. “So I think now it’s fun to challenge the idea of what R&B is supposed to sound like, what pop is supposed to sound like … and really say ‘f*** all of that’ and do my own thing.”
As a result, the album finds Ravyn incorporating influences from The Sundays, Blondie, The Cranberries and Martin Rev, as well as the “dramatic chorus structures and high vocal tones of Bollywood soundtracks,” into her signature sound.
Ravyn kicks off Blue Island with the release of “Handle,” out now with an accompanying music video featuring choreography from New York-based movement director Akira Uchida. The visual marks the first time many fans will see Ravyn incorporate choreography into her artistry.
Blue Island is now available for presave and preorder.
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