Corinne Bailey Rae is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist whose music combines contemporary R&B, neo-soul, pop, folk, rock, and classic soul. Born in Leeds on February 26, 1979, she developed an interest in music at an early age, studying classical violin before taking up electric guitar as a teenager. Her first band, Helen, drew on alternative rock influences including L7, Veruca Salt, and Belly. Although the group built a local following, it eventually dissolved while Rae was studying English literature at the University of Leeds.
A job at a Leeds jazz club helped redirect her musical interests toward soul, jazz, and songwriting. She began developing a more personal style, centered on understated vocals, acoustic textures, and emotionally direct lyrics. After signing with EMI, she released her self-titled debut album in 2006. The record became one of the major British pop breakthroughs of the decade, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and the top five in the United States. Its best-known single, "Put Your Records On," became an international hit, while "Like a Star" established Rae's gift for intimate, atmospheric songwriting.
The success of Corinne Bailey Rae brought several major award nominations and two MOBO Awards. She also appeared on Herbie Hancock's 2007 album River: The Joni Letters, contributing vocals to a project devoted to songs associated with Joni Mitchell. The album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, giving Rae one of her earliest major honors on the international stage.
Her second studio album, The Sea, arrived in 2010 after a period of personal upheaval. The record marked a significant artistic development, replacing much of the debut's easygoing warmth with darker arrangements, more complex emotional themes, and a broader sonic range. It was a commercial success in both Britain and the United States and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. In 2011, Rae issued The Love EP, a collection of interpretations of songs by artists including Bob Marley, Prince, and Paul McCartney. Her version of Marley's "Is This Love" won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance.
Rae returned in 2016 with The Heart Speaks in Whispers, an expansive album that moved between funk, electronic soul, folk, and experimental pop. Tracks such as "Been to the Moon" and "Green Aphrodisiac" showed her willingness to move beyond the restrained singer-songwriter image associated with her debut. The album was recognized for its ambitious production and placed Rae among the more adventurous figures in modern British soul.
After a lengthy gap between albums, Rae released Black Rainbows in 2023. Inspired by the art and archival materials collected at Chicago's Stony Island Arts Bank, the album is her most eclectic work, incorporating post-punk, ambient music, funk, spoken-word elements, and extended compositions alongside her familiar piano-led ballads. Songs such as "New York Transit Queen" and "Put It Down" reflect a more exploratory approach to structure and texture.
Known for maintaining a deliberate pace rather than following a conventional pop schedule, Corinne Bailey Rae has built a career around reinvention, musicianship, and emotional subtlety. Her work has expanded from accessible soul-pop into a broader artistic practice, while the enduring appeal of "Put Your Records On" continues to define her place in contemporary music.