“Escapism” by Raye (ft. 070 Shake)
“Escapism” begins with Raye seemingly reveling in detailing a sexual episode she had with a stranger. That particular event is recounted in the intro. But in the verse that follows, Raye reveals what it was which led to her behaving in such a manner. And that was, most simply put, being unceremoniously dumped by her significant other.
Of course if the person you love decides they don’t want to be with you anymore, you’re bound to have an adverse reaction including the likes of suffering from a serious depression. So to mitigate that reality, the vocalist resorts to alcohol, drugs and random sex with men who are “on the same page”.
As Raye puts it, this was her lifestyle prior to getting into a serious relationship with the selfsame dude that ended up dumping her. And as further revealed, she reverted back to her old ways pretty quickly, i.e. having sex with another man within 24 hours of being abandoned by her own.
070 Shake
As for 070 Shake, once the rapper solidly enters the fray she basically serves the purpose of buttressing or expounding upon Raye’s mindset. The rapper lest the listeners know that the careless drugging and bonking she’s involved is the result of a ‘numbness’ that has now taken over her soul.
Escapism
So there really is a lot to take away from this song. On one hand it reads like an advocacy of drug-fueled partying and casual sex – a reality that likely contributed to this track proceeding to top the UK Singles Chart. But you will notice that its title is actually “escapism”. This is so because as intended, the vocalist(s) isn’t actually celebrating the activities she’s engaged in but rather using them as a means to ‘escape’ from having to face what her boyfriend did to her.
That idea is made pretty evident at the end of the chorus, that what’s really going down is the vocalist looking for a way, any way, to make this pain in her heart disappear. Perhaps it can be said that her reaction, i.e. immediately getting high and having sex with someone else, is indicative of the times we live in.
Maybe others will argue that there are more constructive ways to counteract a broken heart. But again, this is the lifestyle she was used to before becoming a committed lover. So what’s also being inferred here is something like Raye having now lost faith in sobriety and monogamy, as the person she loved enough to forsake to being with has now gravely disappointed her.
Release Date of “Escapism”
“Escapism” was released on the 12th of October, 2022. This is Raye’s third single from her first album after leaving record label, Polydor. The album in question is titled “My 21st Century Blues”.
Credits
Raye and featured artist 070 Shake share co-writing credits together with American record producer, songwriter, and musician Mike Sabath.
Sabath, who also produced “Escapism”, has worked with numerous artists such as Lizzo and Liam Payne to name a few.
Charts
Raye achieved her first #1 hit on UK Singles with “Escapism”. The track also topped the charts in Ireland. Additionally, it was a top-10 single for Raye in these countries:
- Australia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Greece
- Lebanon
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
