Dyson has announced singer-songwriter Raye from London as their newest global ambassador. This partnership was unexpected but appropriate, especially since the British brand has a new focus on the audio market with their latest OnTrac headphones. According to a Dyson statement, this collaboration aims to "highlight Raye's visionary artistry" while "showcasing how Dyson technology enhances the creative process."
Since Raye rose to fame as a 17-year-old in 2014, the singer from south London has found fans around the world and earned praise from music critics. His 2022 single “Escapism,” featuring New Jersey rapper 070 Shake, helped catapult him into the US and peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut (and so far, only) album “My 21st Century Blues” was released in 2023 and was well received by critics. Raye recently opened for Taylor Swift on the London leg of The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium, and wrote a song for Beyoncé, “Riiverdance,” from her country album “Cowboy Carter.”
Raye's new partnership with Dyson will be launched alongside a campaign film directed by South African filmmaker Zee Ntuli. The ethereal and broody vignette shows Raye sitting alone, legs crossed and eyes closed, deep in thought while wearing Dyson's OnTrac headphones. He is surrounded by wildflowers that appear and disappear, as if they are imaginations from those he listens to, whose inspiration the audience sees. “With Raye,” says Ntuli, “it's not just about the music – it's about the feeling.”
“We want to show that when he's in his world, everything gets stronger. The headphones allow him to enter that space. We want to capture what inspiration feels like when it comes – the moment when everything around you fades, and you and the idea become stronger in your mind.”
On the one hand, it all seems a bit avant-garde for the brand better known for making vacuums. But, to its credit, when you think about what Dyson has created, you can tell that the brand has always been at the forefront of the avant-garde when it comes to its products – perhaps its marketing is just now catching up. Indeed, music is a new field that Dyson is entering, so perhaps the unexpected is, well, expected.
Dyson's OnTrac headphones were announced earlier this summer, their latest foray into the world of personal audio. The headphones have eight onboard microphones that pick up external sound around the user at a rate of 384,000 times per second to help cancel “up to 40dB of unwanted sound.” OnTrac also has one of the best battery capacities in the industry, giving users 55 hours of playback with canceling active (and even longer with it off).
For his part, Raye says he wants "people to hear exactly what I signed up for, and experience my music the way I thought it should be heard when I recorded it in the studio."
"During the shoot, I listened to Nina Simone's 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' over and over again because I really like that song. Nina Simone is the best artist who ever lived, and it's appropriate for the feel of the space,” he added.
