This sultry performance is gonna leave you all shook up! British soul sensation Raye gave a mesmerizing performance of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 18, 2024. Raye really left it all out on the stage that night, and seemed almost to be in a trance as she performed. Her vocals are truly next level, and combined with her charisma and the crack band, it sure was a performance to remember!
Although “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” was made famous by Brown, the lyrics were written by Betty Jean Newsome. Brown’s take on the song is legendary, but hearing Raye bring a feminine energy to the lyrics really hits differently. Here, we love to share the latest and greatest of live performances, and let me tell ya, the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival really witnessed something special that night.
Raye uploaded her take on the soul classic on September 13, 2024. Fans were in awe of her performance and added comments such as “If Raye doesn’t sing the next James Bond theme, it’ll be the biggest missed opportunity ever. Her voice is just perfection. Smooth and buttery, full of soul! I’ll never get tired of listening to her” and “One of Raye’s best shows! Sound quality is phenomenal, and this cover is just pure gold! Such a masterpiece!”
Raye has really been on fire over the past 12 months. On October 17, 2024, she released her live cut of her song “Oscar Winning Tears” at the Royal Albert Hall. She performed with The Heritage Orchestra, and the high-energy performance quickly shot up to become the most popular live cut on her YouTube channel, with 4.7 million views. As always, her live vocals and stage presence are just on another level.
Readers may note that Raye’s choice of covering “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” was quite inspired, as it really played to her strength as a performer, aside from just being a cracking tune. The writing of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” is credited to Brown and his then-girlfriend Newsome. In later years, Newsome claimed that she wrote the song entirely herself, and adding insult to injury, that Brown sometimes neglected to pay her the royalties for it. “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” became a classic Brown hit, and he performed the song as a staple of his live set throughout his career.
