“a move from conscious R&B to sultry commercial pop”
“On the back of her Dickens-inspired Havisham EP, south London R&B singer Ray BLK won the BBC’s Sound of 2017 poll, beating Jorja Smith and Rag’n’Bone Man. A clutch of moving songs followed – such as Run, Run and My Hood, the latter featuring a then rising Stormzy. But it’s taken four long years for her debut full-length album to drop – time in which Rita Ekwere has pupated into a different sort of”
“In the build-up to the release of Access Denied, Ray BLK made it pretty clear that she isn’t playing around. Having put out a few EPs (2016’s Durt and 2018’s Empress) either side of winning the BBC Sound Of 2017 poll, this hefty debut has her feeling bold, bossy and baring her teeth. An album of self-love, empowerment, revenge, and SE London swagger, there’s poise and polish to the icy, minimalis”
