Folly Rae

British singer and songwriter Folly Rae specializes in a slick, extroverted brand of pop whose vibrant production palette weathers heartbreak and celebration. She found a streaming audience of millions with singles such as 2016′s “U” and 2018′s “Sniper.” A native of Hampstead, London, England, Folly Rae is the performance alias of Rachel Virtue, a student of classical dance before she prioritized music. She spent a year at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey before beginning to work as a songwriter-for-hire, including sessions with Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, Demi Lovato). She made her debut as Folly Rae in 2014 with the single “Run for Cover,” which was picked up by BBC Radio 1Xtra. Rae performed at the SXSW music festival in Texas in 2016 a few months before releasing the single “U” in July. Her debut EP, Money & Power, followed a month later as “U” racked up over two million streams. She headlined the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival in June 2017, then signed with Black Butter Records. In early 2018, Rae was featured on the track “i need u here (cortado)” by Norwegian producer anton before releasing her own single, “Sniper.” “Sniper” also garnered millions of streams by the time the Karma Club EP followed on Black Butter in August 2018. ~ Marcy Donelson