Raye explains real reason she stripped down to her underwear mid-performance

Warning: This article contains discussion of eating disorders which some readers may find distressing.

Following her record-breaking wins at the Brit Awards last night (2 March), Raye explained the real reason she stripped down to her underwear mid-performance in September.

The ‘Escapism’ singer swept up six awards at the big British music night, making her the most-awarded artist in a single year. As well as picking up wins for Songwriter of the Year and Artist of the Year, Raye was awarded Album of the Year for My 21^st Century Blues.

In a special one-off event last year, Raye took to the Royal Albert Hall to perform songs from the album with a live orchestra.

And when it came to the song ‘Body Dysmorphia’, the 26-year-old stripped down to only her underwear, after explaining how she suffered with it in her younger life.

Speaking to LADbible, she admitted to she ‘hates that bit’.

“Like, I don't love my body. I wrote a whole song about my body confidence issues,” Raye explained.

“I think we do live in a time where it's harder than ever to kind of be at peace with the way you look and not look in the mirror like ‘I need to change this, this isn't good enough, ew, gross’. You know, it's a whole thing.”

HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

However, it was ‘important’ to Raye to strip down to her bra and knickers during the performance and ‘not because it felt great’.

“I just knew that it was important to do that. I don't know why, I think it's an art thing. Yeah, I just wanted to really hit the message home,” she said.

Raye’s Brit-award winning album marks her debut as an independent artist, following being freed from her contract after facing years of rejection from her record label.

Kate Green/Getty Images

My 21^st Century Blues features tracks like ‘Flip A Switch’ and ‘Black Mascara’ and also retells her personal experiences with sexual assault and addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Picking up her well-deserved wins last night, an emotional Raye said in one of her Brit Awards speeches: “I'm so proud of this album. I'm in love with music. All I ever wanted to be is an artist and now I'm an artist with an album of the year!"

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article and would like to speak with someone in confidence, call the BEAT Eating Disorders helpline on 0808 801 0677. Helplines are open 365 days a year from 9am–8pm during the week, and 4pm–8pm on weekends and bank holidays. Alternatively, you can try the one-to-one webchat.

Topics: Brit Awards, Mental Health, Music, Celebrity

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_