Album review - ‘Blue Island’ by Ravyn Lenae

On August 7, Ravyn Lenae released her third album, Blue Island, named after a small town in Illinois just south of Chicago, her hometown.

The 14-track album demonstrates Lenae’s versatility and rejection of fitting in the box that Black women are expected to fit in, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.

Rise to the mainstream

Lenae’s rapid ascent began with her lead single “Love Me Not” on her sophomore album Bird’s Eye, which was released in 2024.

The single began gaining traction on TikTok, with a DJ mix of the song and “Losing You” by Solange, in early 2025. 

Later that year, Lenae was an opener for Sabrina Carpenter on her Short n Sweet Tour, showcasing her talent to the massive audience and also showing how far she had come, as they sang ‘Love Me Not’ loudly and proudly with her. 

This growth in her career acted as the background to her new album, as she learnt to deal with the commentary and changes that come with experiencing career highs, which she emphasises in her NME interview. 

Cannot be typecast

This transition to mainstream pop has led many to place Lenae in a category they deem as suitable, which is RnB. 

But in this album, staying true to her roots while experimenting, she blends 80s new wave, Pop, Rock, Neo-Soul, and Indie, proving that she cannot be pigeonholed. 

Her array of musical influences, such as Outkast, Janet Jackson and Timbaland, all mastered experimentation with genres, and on this album, these influences are highlighted in her genre-blending, which takes full force like never before. 

Transition is a key element of this album and is part of the story she tells within it.

Lenae states, in Dazed magazine, that this album is her “transitioning into an artist that is more convicted in my taste, my ability and my body.”

This state has allowed her to try and experiment with new genres, which makes Blue Island her most interesting album yet.

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The album rollout

This era began in April 2026, with the release of dual singles, “Bobby” and “Reputation” featuring Dominic Fike, another artist that doesn't stick to a singular genre.

These tracks are pop, with lush instrumentals, but differ, with “Bobby” being a letting-go song, with a more upbeat feel and “Reputation” being a slower song about holding on, with the duo singing to each other, one believing the other is lying about wanting to stay and the other exclaiming they do. 

Their differences reinforce Lenae’s genreless approach to this project. 

This is furthered by the next single, “Handle,” which is reminiscent of 2000s indie rock, very different from the previous singles, and again, with the release of the final single on June 26, before the Album’s release, “Saturday Night,” with production that sounds inspired by Blood Orange, giving it a very summery feel. 

What is consistent in all these tracks is the bold production, which is paired with Lenae’s soft vocals, which create this unique, genre-defying sound she is positioning herself in.

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My favourite tracks 

This album is a true testament to the artistry of Ravyn Lenae and DJ Dahi, with whom she collaborates on the tracks’ production. 

The genre blending made the album feel nostalgic, with sounds like “Saturday Night” and “Barriers” having a 90s pop feel and “Sew Me Back Together,” which sonically reminds me of Stevie Wonder, but it remains modern and fresh.

Every track on this album feels like it could be a single, and this is why finding favourites is so hard, but upon first listen, I found myself drawn to the following three tracks. 

“Potential,” which has a very striking and metallic house production, drew me in instantaneously. 

Her sound here is extremely experimental, but it pays off nicely as it creates an image of being in a dark club, partying with the girls. 

However, the lyrics revolve around being in a push-and-pull situation with someone in your teenage years and romanticising their potential rather than accepting that it is not meant to be. 

This ties back to this album being about transitions, and this is a key time in everyone’s life where they learn that not every relationship is perfect and forever and that you learn from them. 

“Sew me back together,” which I mentioned earlier, is quite soulful and groovy, reminiscent of Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. 

This feel-good track is about another relationship, where uncertainty around where they stand is present, but the subject wants to feel their love and is ready to stay with them forever.

This topic seems to follow this album, and I think this is purposeful, with relationships often being a transitional period in life, as you grow either with each other or after it ends.

“Find It One Day” is the second-to-last track on the album. It reminds me of Prince with the synths and drums within the production.

Her soft vocals contrast the bold instrumental, which is very enjoyable.

This song is one of the more R&B-influenced tracks on the album, but it still defies the genre conventions with its 80s synths, keeping to its genre-blending heart.

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