RAYE on Her Terms
Ice Cream Man and reclaiming voice through music - a Grammy-recognised work for social change
It has now been announced that Ice Cream Man by RAYE has been awarded the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change.
The song is a raw exploration of life after sexual assault. It opens with the moment of harm, but it doesn’t stay there. Instead, it traces what follows - the confusion around consent, the silence, the self-blame, and the ways trauma lingers long after the incident itself.
Set against a slow, restrained beat, Ice Cream Man allows space for both vulnerability and strength. Moments of pain sit alongside moments where RAYE reclaims her voice, asserting herself not as broken but as a “brave, strong woman” refusing to be defined by what was done to her.
Recognised by the Recording Academy, the award acknowledges music that doesn’t simplify survival or rush healing - but tells the truth of living with it.
For MYH x Art, this is music that names the emotional reality survivors are so often expected to carry quietly. Honest. Uncomfortable. Necessary.
