Pushkin

You may know Jackson, the painter famous for his iconic drip paintings. But what do you know about his wife,

artist Lee Krasna? On death of an artist, Krasna and Pollack, the story of the artist who reset the market for American abstract painting,

just maybe not the one you're thinking of.

Listen to Death of an artist, Krasna and Pollack, on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Rais an English pop singer songwriter whose debut album My 21st Century Blues

snagged Album of the Year at this year's Brit Awards. But that was just one

of six total awards she took home that evening.

For Ray, who at 26 has already survived a tumultuous ride through the music industry,

the evening was a complete coup.

Ray started writing songs as a young girl growing up in South London.

By 17 she signed her first record deal with Polydore records and worked for the next seven years

as a songwriter.

We're writing songs for artists like Beyoncé, John Legend, and Riana.

Ray was also writing her own songs, which her label refused to release.

She was eventually able to leave Polydore, and in 2023, independently released her debut album to heaps of critical acclaim,

kicked off by her viral Tik-Tock-powered hit, Escapism.

Ray's vulnerability on her album about her own struggles with self-esteem, substance abuse,

and sexual assault have proven to resonate deeply with fans everywhere.

On today's episode, I talked to Ray about her wild journey through the music business.

She explains how a quote from Nina Simone gave her the courage to take control of her career,

how a ski trip in Utah helped inspire some of her best songwriting ever and about her sprawling new single out everywhere called Genesis.

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