Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Journalist Sidney Madden sits with @RavynLenae Lenae in #NYC on the release day of Blue Island, her third studio album. Since her teenage years, the singer-songwriter has built her career and shared stages with the likes of @sza , @stevelacy119 and #Kaytranada. Despite her voice often being in R&B rotation, last year marked a milestone in her music career. Her insatiable single “Love Me Not” climbed a Billboard chart, hit the viral jackpot on social media, and surprisingly brought her a new level of visibility. Here, the #Chicago supernova talks about the importance of identity as a Black artist, working on the multi-genre-fused ‘Blue Island’ with longtime collaborator #Dahi, and being the captain of her own ship in this thing called life.

Read the cover story: vibe.com/features/editorial/the-arrival-of-ravyn-lenae-blue-island-1235183314

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Writer: Sidney Madden
Photographer: Maria Rojas
Video Producer: Jason Chandler
Executive Editor: Christine Imarenezor
Creative Director: Joe Hutchinson
Director of Photography: Jenn Santana
Director of Social & Video: Waiss Aramesh
Senior Producer: Viviane Feldman
Video Producer/Editor: Mitch Saavedra
Social Media Editor: Elise Brisco
CEO: Julian Holguin
Filming location: Vizzcast

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