澳洲Raye reveals she still suffers from panic attacks and PTSD after being sexually assaulted as a teen

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Raye has revealed she still suffers from panic attacks and post traumatic stress disorder from being sexually assaulted.

The singer, 25, previously shared her experience with being assaulted by a music producer who forced his hand between her legs when she was 17 years old.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan, Raye discussed the long-lasting effects of the incident and writing about it on her new album My 21st Century Blues.

Candid: Raye has revealed she still suffers from panic attacks and post traumatic stress disorder from being sexually assaulted

She said: 'When I think about the panic attacks, the PTSD...you realise that someone's actions become your burden to carry, and there is nowhere you can put it other than a therapy session. 

'That's so isolating. It's not the kind of thing you can bring to the surface easily. You can't hang out with a bunch of friends and be like, 'So guys, do you want to talk about rape today? That's been on my mind a lot!'  

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'That song [Ice Cream Man] is me bringing it to the surface.'

Raye added that she thinks the music industry can leave young women vulnerable and artists fear being blacklisted for saying the wrong thing.

Interview: The singer, 25, previously shared her experience with being assaulted by a music producer who forced his hand between her legs when she was 17 years old

She said: 'Every girl I know in this industry has some sort of story to tell me. The studio is such a vulnerable space. 

'And if you say something, you create an enemy who will spread rumours or blacklist you – and you need those connections to open doors for yourself. 

'Even though the people decide very much what's consumed on the outside, inside, the music industry is still very much a gatekept society.'

Raye, who came on the scene for her vocal on hits like By Your Side and You Don't Know Me, felt it was difficult to build the narrative she wanted previously in her career: 

Raye said: 'When I think about the panic attacks, the PTSD...you realise that someone's actions become your burden to carry, and there is nowhere you can put it other than a therapy session'

She said: 'I was being asked to write with some of the most incredible artists in the world. Meanwhile, I'm not taken seriously enough to govern and navigate my own success. 

'What more did I have to do to prove myself? I did everything I could, and I still wasn't enough. 

'Releasing music that says nothing means nothing...that was never why I decided to become an artist in the first place. I found myself building a narrative I never wanted to build.' 

On her focus moving forwards, Raye added: 'I have to find peace. I have to see the glass as half-full. Music is my way of being loud and owning the narrative. 

Candid: Raye added that she thinks the music industry can leave young women vulnerable and artists fear being blacklisted for saying the wrong thing

'I've taken control on a very personal level to reach out to a lot of the people who have hurt me or crossed a line – I've confronted it head on.'

The star, who is mixed race, previously joined musicians Alexandra Burke, Nao and Keisha Buchanan for Leigh-Anne Pinnock's BBC documentary, Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power:

Discussing the documentary, she said: 'Having the chance to unite with women who share the same sort of struggle was so powerful. Men will roll their eyes, but it really is so much harder as a woman. 

'Then you bring race into it, and it's just a completely different game entirely. The darker your skin, the tougher it is. 

She said: 'Every girl I know in this industry has some sort of story to tell me. The studio is such a vulnerable space'

'We have miles and miles to go, even in the balance of output – if you look at an average UK Top 40, what's the ratio of Black women?'

Raye also discussed her dating life, saying the phrase she'd have on her dating profile would be: 'Unavailable, unless you're my husband.'

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She added: 'That's what it would read…I'm not here for any wishy-washy candidates…but it's really nice actually because I feel in control, I don't feel lonely, I'm actually great. 

'So, if someone wants to come and add to the greatness, by all means…but if not, just leave, no I'm not here for any of that other nonsense!'

Love life: Raye also discussed her dating life, saying the phrase she'd have on her dating profile would be: 'Unavailable, unless you're my husband'

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