Raye’s family had to make sure she was ‘still alive’ during drug and alcohol struggles

RAYE’s family was so concerned about her wellbeing during a difficult period in 2019 that they had to check whether she was still alive as the singer struggled with substance misuse and alcohol, her sister Amma Keen has revealed.

The British singer, whose real name is Rachel Keen, opened up about the experience during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on September 27. Reflecting on what she described as a “pretty dark year”, RAYE said she had become distant from her family while dealing with a combination of trauma, frustration and substance misuse.

“I was very distant from my family, who are, my rock now,” the singer said, explaining that the experiences had piled up until the year became “just one blurry mess”.

Her sister Amma, who was living with her at the time, recalled the emotional toll of witnessing RAYE’s struggles. “It was pretty traumatic,” she said. “It would be me that had to double-check she was okay and, yeah, she was still alive frankly.” Amma added that she was only 18 at the time and was deeply worried about her sister.

RAYE also acknowledged that there was a period when she was “just not sober at all”. She credited a Bible verse sent by her grandmother with helping her reassess her life, explaining that her grandmother had been unaware of what she was going through because she had hidden her struggles from her family.

The singer has previously spoken about the difficult experiences that influenced her 2023 debut album, My 21st Century Blues. In 2021, she publicly criticised Polydor Records after years of waiting to release her debut album, eventually parting ways with the label and pursuing an independent career with the support of her family.

Reflecting on her changing relationship with alcohol and her creative process in a February 2026 interview with ELLE, RAYE said she had developed greater discipline and embraced abstinence. Although she still occasionally drinks wine, she explained that she no longer uses alcohol to numb or escape her feelings.

The four-time Grammy nominee is now approaching her next album with a different outlook, saying she prefers the more grounded version of herself she has become. Her journey has also brought her closer to her family, whom she now describes as the foundation of trust and safety in her life.