Raye concocts pop magic on “Natalie Don’t”

The gifted songwriter sets a tale of impending heartbreak to catchy melody and dancefloor beats

Raye’s songwriting chops are an open secret in the industry: she has written for Ellie Goulding, Beyoncé and Charli XCX. Her singing chops need no further proof either: she has fronted hits by David Guetta and Jax Jones. Somehow she hasn’t managed to score hits for herself, even though she is best when she uses her talents on her own songs.

We were wowed early this year by Raye’s uncanny ability to write a simple pop ditty that you just can’t get out of your mind. On “Natalie Don’t” she ups her game to near-classic status, serving up an absolute sugar rush that is a lot more bittersweet than it actually sounds.

As our era’s biggest hitmaker once explained, the secret to making an unforgettable melody is for it to feel familiar, close enough to something you know but still not easy to figure out. In this case, “Natalie Don’t” is a direct descendant of Toni Braxton’s ultra-melancholic megahit “Unbreak My Heart“; specifically to the numerous, less known dance mixes that made it a huge club hit despite its overpowering sadness. The 1990s classic was remixed a few times by House legend Frankie Knuckles; his “Classic Radio Mix” even has the hint of “I Will Survive” underpinning the chorus that you can also hear on Raye’s track if you listen hard enough. Raye makes no attempt to conceal it, actually letting synth strings that recall Gloria Gaynor’s classic bubble up to close out the song.

The song subject itself–about a man-eater who is so unstoppable that she induces awe rather than jealousy– is of course another call-back to a classic trope. Raye doesn’t even hide it, explicitly imploring the gorgeous Natalie to stay away from her man, “like Dolly begs Jolene”. Fun trivia tidbit: the playa in question might have been none other than Drake, although we haven’t conducted a full investigation to confirm it.

In short, Raye toes the fine line between blatant copying and inspired homage, managing to stay just on the right side of it. It sounds maddeningly familiar, to the point of feeling timeless, and thus hard to forget. That is what pop magic is all about.