Debo Ray’s self-titled album is a beautiful collection of tracks, covering all the emotions associated with love, heartbreak and growth. The choice to self-title this project feels so apt because this is a deeply personal album. From open to close, you get the sense Ray is bearding their lived experience for all to see in this project. It is a rare privilege to hear raw emotion be spoken about so adeptly. Opening with Tell Me What You Want, the album begins with a confident and bold R&B anthem.

The track conveys an immediate rhythmic bounce and Ray’s vocal performance felt connected to the lyrics. Above and beyond solid delivery, the vocals felt as if they yearned through the narrative, immersing the listener deeper within the music. This track has an interesting mixture of confidence and emotional imbalance. The speaker knows what they want and is ready for their romantic partner. However, a more introspective, melancholic tone becomes apparent as she repeatedly asks what her partner wants. Ray creates a sense of yearning for certainty through the delivery and repetition of the lyrics. Another standout for me was Feeling Lucky. This is probably the most cathartic track on the project. The song explores that bizarre levity you feel after a breakup. The song conveys the confidence in ending a relationship and the joy that renewed freedom can give you. The bass line in this track is also spectacular. The album is at its best when it commits to either end of its emotional spectrum. Although a mix between love and heartbreak is key to the album’s DNA, my favourite tracks were at the peaks and troughs of its ebb and flow. Gaslight feels like the perfect example of the hurt at the core of the album. The mix is far more sinister than other tracks across the project, with this deep, crunchy bass synth and use of high register violins which offer excellent contrast. I’m a big fan of the emotional honesty at the core of this project, especially when it commits to either the highs or lows of love and relationships.