Raye shares her pride at overcoming substance abuse battles after finding 'discipline and abstinence in my life' as she stuns on cover of ELLE and reveals she only wants to start a family when she is 'the best version of myself'

Raye has opened up on overcoming her struggles with substance abuse, sharing her pride for the woman she's become after finding 'discipline and abstinence in my life'.

The singer, 28, got candid about the dark time she went through with drugs and alcohol as she covered the February 2026 issue of ELLE. 

She looked nothing short of sensational in the stunning photoshoot, flaunting her tiny waist and cleavage in a plunging black corset and setting pulses racing as she posed in sheer lilac underwear.

And in the accompanying interview, Raye shared how she feels like a whole different person after coming through the difficult period in her past, admitting that she barely survived.

She said: 'I’m really proud of the growth I’ve done, because there’s a period in my life where I wasn’t interested in going on. And I know a lot of people out there go through that. I would never dream of giving up on myself like that today.'

The Escapism star has been open about how she became involved in drugs at the start of her career, admitting to taking codeine and MDMA, as well as drinking to numb her pain.

But with the help of her family, particularly her sister Lauren Keen, she was able to get through it and is 'no longer drinking to escape'.

Reflecting on how different her experience was writing her highly anticipated second album, compared to her debut LP, she said: 'A lot of My 21st Century Blues, I was up in the clouds, rolling a blunt. I like that I’ve come down to earth to write these lyrics.'

'I prefer myself like this', she went on. 'I’ve found discipline and abstinence in my life, and it’s a beautiful thing. I’ll have a nice glass of wine every now and then, but I’m no longer drinking to fix or bury or numb or escape.'

She previously told Daily Mail about how she sang about her experiences with substance abuse and assault in order to 'process the trauma' in her past. 

Explaining she didn't want to shy away from 'difficult' topics, Raye said that speaking about her issues in her lyrics served as 'medicine'.

She revealed: 'I just want to be a woman discussing uncomfortable topics that we don't talk about, these are all things I battled with in the darkness and in silence. 

'You hope in writing about these songs and putting them out into the world, you just hope that people hear them, and and relate to them also.

'It's very much medicine in a way that you have a different feeling to to put quite a painful emotion to it.

'For me is just very empowering, and I hope it can be medicine for anyone else who who needs it.' 

While the process of writing the songs was cathartic, it also led to candid and frank conversations with her loved ones - some of whom had no idea she had battled past demons.  

Raye also shared her desire to find love and have children one day, following the success of her hit single, WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!, but explained that she wanted to prioritize herself over a romantic partner for now.

'I know there’s going to come a time where I’ll be surrounded with people and family. I want to have kids one day,' the pop star said.

'I want to do all of those beautiful things, but I know that before I’m ready to meet anyone, I need to find myself first. I don’t want someone else to come and fix me. I want to meet someone as the best version of myself.'

The hitmaker previously opened up about dating in October's British Vogue last year, after being sexually assaulted as a teen.

Raye was assaulted by a music producer who forced his hand between her legs when she was 17. 

Opening up about her previous experience with dating and relationships, she said she grew up wanting a 'manly man'.

She then mused: 'Then you go through some of the… you know.'

Raye's last relationship lasted for two years before coming to an end, with the star admitting she has been 'single for so long' since.

Speaking about her split, she said: 'My last devastating break-up was four, five years ago. I was like, "I’m gonna marry him".

'We was together for two years and it ended up not working out. I have never experienced a more crippling emotion.

'It took me three, four years to get over him. Like, I can’t allow myself to fall in love again until it’s safe.'

When it comes to any potential suitors, Raye said what she looks for in a man has 'changed significantly over the years'.