From starring as an R&B starlet under the tutelage of Missy Elliott to reinventing herself as a ‘Queen Alone’ and ‘Cover Girl’, Lady Wray has become a quietly unassuming, unstoppable force of nature when giving audiences a raw, unfiltered vintage of funk, soul and R&B. Mixing self-reflection with the raucous uplift recalling childhood spent in church choirs, succinctly described as “bold, soulful and utterly free” and “anything but ordinary”, Nicole Wray’s trajectory into soul ascendancy is a classic of reinvention, deflecting and ultimately embracing industry turbulence en route to finding a rightful path.

A Big Crown Records headliner for a decade, as a result of finding a kindred spirit when paired with the production of label head, El Michels Affair’s Leon Michels (“I think it goes hand in hand: producer, artist, marriage, right?”), Wray’s tones evoke images of smoky after-hours nightspots, her sensuous performances akin to a warming nightcap or a long hot bath. Critics have noted the intimate atmosphere Wray builds – whether in the club, from front and centre at festivals or on wax – where listeners’ ears feel personally tended to. “Singing in front of an audience is a super power. You are allowed to let go and be vulnerable, sharing things you normally wouldn’t.” Confidence and delivery are built to mask fractures and envelope the healing of time. Nicole’s ubiquitous heart-on-sleeve moments are entrenched in the belief that the good will out, and ultimately that self-love and being your own boss is the driving force behind everything.

Wray has journeyed from the bright, bling-reflecting lights of the Billboard-bursting ‘Make It Hot’ and a subsequent deal with Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella label (the inevitable push-and-pull of label politics included), via collaborating with Wu-Tang Clan’s ODB and Dipset’s Cam’Ron. Fashioning a false start into a foundation, Nicole would find her groove as a touring backing singer for legendary soul man Lee Fields and his Expressions band. The grown-n-sexy sound of where she is today is borne out of pivotal collaborations with The Black Keys (a precursor to the live instrumentation, technique and recording ethic Michels and Big Crown stand for) and the UK’s Terri Walker (as the soul duo Lady) – not to mention major life moments aligning a second chapter of her career with marriage and motherhood.

It’s a timeline that’s all part of Nicole’s independent spirit and adventurous streak, as well as fundamental resilience, which audiences and critics love her for. Crisscrossing the globe as a festival must-see (her second Big Crown album ‘Piece Of Me’ reached the top 10 of the UK R&B chart, underlining the appreciation of audiences from across the water); performing on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, headlining NPR’s Tiny Desk series and guesting on the Questlove podcast, Lady Wray has rightly been described as a powerhouse of modern soul: a title the ‘Queen Alone’ and ‘Cover Girl’ won’t be giving up anytime soon.