With albums under threat, Raye’s Mercury win is a triumph for grand statements | Alexis Petridis

Her winning album has its longueurs, but there’s something heartening about its risk-taking – and the Mercury prize needs big bold records like this to stay relevantIt was generally agreed that last year’s Mercury prize ceremony was a vast improvement on its predecessor. In fairness, the bar was set pretty low: hosted without an audience – or indeed a corporate sponsor – in what looked like a broom cupboard at Abbey Road, the 2024 Mercury prize seemed to suggest the whole jig was up.Instead, the event was relocated to Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, the general public rather than record label grandees provided the audience, and something approaching a sense of genuine excitement attended the event. Continue reading...