Full album performances are usually reserved for artists celebrating the anniversaries of classic records. Corinne Bailey Rae, however, chose a bolder, rarer path: performing her 2024 fourth LP, Black Rainbows, in its entirety — and not for nostalgia’s sake, but to reimagine something brand new.
Supported by a full band and the Guildhall Session Orchestra, Rae transformed the Roundhouse into a place of wonder. Black Rainbows, already critically acclaimed and Mercury Prize-nominated, hardly needed reinterpretation. Yet, as a host of musicians filled the stage, it became clear that the audience was about to experience something extraordinary — a live performance that went beyond a typical album run-through.
The opening arrangements, lush and sweeping, evoked the grandeur of Stokowski’s work on Disney’s Fantasia — a swirling mix of joy, unease, and soaring beauty. As Black Rainbows‘ opener, “A Spell, A Prayer,” unfolded with its Motown-inspired basslines and cinematic strings, Rae’s ironic invitation to the crowd, “I hope you get lost in it,” seemed unnecessary. They already were.
Black Rainbows marked a significant evolution for Rae, shifting from her signature introspective songwriting toward broader historical and cultural storytelling. Inspired by Theaster Gates’ Black history exhibition at Chicago’s Stony Island Arts Bank, Rae tackled themes of slavery, spirituality, survival, and freedom.
She animated these stories live, from the vibrant retelling of Audrey Smaltz’s trailblazing life in “New York Transit Queen,” to the Afrofuturist imaginings of “Earthlings,” and the poignant tribute to Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl in “Peach Velvet Sky.” Paired with conductor Sam Dinley’s evocative orchestral arrangements, Rae’s performances carried a haunting weight — at times as chilling as Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.”
Few in the Roundhouse likely knew Rae’s musical roots included fronting the punk band Helen. That raw spirit erupted during “Erasure,” when distorted guitars silenced the orchestra, making way for the searing opening line: “They Typex’d all the black kids out of the picture.” It was a moment of bracing confrontation, both musically and lyrically.
The energy shifted again when Rae drew from her nights spent dancing away heartbreak in Chicago. “Put It Down” fused classical orchestration with club beats, Rae leading the charge with a whistle, injecting a heady Summer of Love spirit into the grandeur of the concert hall.
Black Rainbows is an unexpected triumph — the work of an artist unafraid to reinvent herself after a seven-year hiatus. Rae could easily have filled half her set with beloved hits from previous albums. Instead, she offered just one classic: a stripped-back, acoustic “Like a Star.” It was a bold decision, but it paid off, revealing how transformative a live reinterpretation of new material can be.
If Rae is remembered not just for her chart successes but for championing the reinvention of live performance — urging artists to foreground new, challenging work — Black Rainbows at the Roundhouse will stand as a testament to her vision and bravery.
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