Ravyn Lenae

Born as "Ravyn Lenae Washington" on January 22, 1999, the Chicago-based R&B artist Ravyn Lenae was still a high school student when she signed a major-label deal with Atlantic Records in 2016. A lifelong musician, she sang in the church choir of her grandfather's congregation as a child and later attended Chicago High School for the Arts, where she studied classical music. It was during her sophomore year that Ravyn Lenae began recording original music that not only explored influences far beyond her gospel and classical roots, but also showcased her strengths as a diverse songwriter and able-voiced singer. She then made her studio debut with the Moon Shoes EP in 2015. Originally released as a free download, the record was reissued by Atlantic in 2016, marking her first release for the label. Later that year, she appeared on Mick Jenkins' The Healing Component, which peaked at Number 9 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and began working on her Midnight Moonlight EP. Midnight Moonlight was released the following year, its popularity boosted by the song "Spice" and the subsequent single "Spice (Remix)," the latter of which featured rapper Smino. A third EP, Crush, was released in 2018, featuring the viral hits "Sticky" and "4 Leaf Clover." On February 1, 2022, she released "Skin Tight" with Steve Lacy; the lead single from her debut album Hypnos, which featured contributions from Monte Booker, Kaytranada,  Luke Titus, and Teo Halm. She returned in 2024 with her second album, Bird's Eye, preceded by the single "One Wish" (featuring Childish Gambino), which climbed to number 19 on the New Zealand charts.