Joy.

Release date: Sep 7, 2026

Genre: Gospel-infused Soul-Pop

Label: Human Re Sources

When RAYE first dropped THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE., I had very mixed feelings about it. There was so much happening at once that I honestly got a little overstimulated by the whole album. So when “Joy.” was picked as a single on Sep 7, I went back to it, and also gave the album a few more tries.

I think “Joy.” is where all that chaos works the best for me. The piano, drums, brass and all the stacked vocals keep building on top of each other, and with Amma and Absolutely joining in, the song just keeps getting bigger and bigger. There is also something really sweet about hearing the three sisters together, which gives the whole thing a little more warmth.

There is something very satisfying about how the song keeps pushing forward. The gospel and soul side of it makes everything sound huge, while the groove keeps it moving instead of becoming too heavy. It still has all the layers and drama that made the album overwhelming for me in the first place, but here they actually turn into excitement.

Basically, this is the positive side of the chaos.