For every Soca artiste, the reason behind the passion, their drive and persistence, is different. Rachel Purcell- the artiste known simply as Rae, is the sweetheart of Soca. She says she’s motivated by not just her love for music, but her dedication to family and growth. Several songs already released heading into the heat of Carnival 2025 in Trinidad and Tobago, the young, beautiful superstar on the rise, is maintaining her focus, grateful for every blessing she’s experienced along her journey. 

In 2019, Rae experienced something almost mysterious. She had gotten a chance at a breakthrough in T&T’s Soca music industry after struggling to find her path in music. “I’ve always loved to sing. I learnt to read music during my earlier years when I played the violin and after that, I attended the Frank Sinatra School of The Arts in the US,” she said. Traveling during her earlier years between T&T and New York and now, between Maryland and T&T, Rae says her earlier years were filled with moments of uncertainty and bouts of fear. 

“I had made the conscious decision to focus on music in High School and I had been mostly involved in the classical side of music, but it didn’t feel like it was enough for me,” she admitted. Even being aligned with a young group of singers in her earlier years, and recording at Murder Inc. studios in New York, Rae felt something was missing. “The feeling just wasn’t there and I decided to put a pause on it for a while at one point,” she said, explaining that she took time out of music professionally, but would perform with friends at Karoake clubs and even made an attempt to enter American Idol. “I signed up and on the day of the audition, in the cold, I lined up. Eventually though, fear kicked in and I changed my mind.” 

A chance opportunity presented when she received a phone call from a relative, changed Rae’s trajectory. “My cousin called and told me he had connections with a songwriter who worked with Kees.” His name was Darryl Gervais, a well-known songwriter and producer who would eventually become Rae’s manager. Despite having never recorded Soca music, Rae’s conviction to make this opportunity count, led to her persuading Gervais to write two songs for her, for the 2020 carnival season. Added to that, with the help of another producer and singer in the business, Rae made a breakthrough even she did not see coming. “Darryl had contacted Motto on my behalf, telling him about me and asking him to consider me to be on a riddim for the season. Motto had asked to hear my music but I had none. It was unbelievable; Motto took that chance on me, adding me to the Toatin Riddim alongside artistes like Nadia Batson, Lyrikal, Nessa Preppy, Shal Marshall and himself. That was where it all started for me. That’s when I got my break.”

Now, five years later, having dealt with the pandemic’s tumultuous passage, Rae is standing strong, empowered as a female Soca artiste in the business. “During the pandemic when many of us were confused about the direction we should go in, I did not give up. I did a lot of virtual performances and maintained my presence,” she said, crediting the challenging global situation with her sudden rise.

Her latest release is called, ‘Throw Waist.’ It comes on the heels of other releases for the season, inclusive of ‘Wining Degree’ and ‘Come Over’ – a collaboration with Azaryah. The new single offers powerful visuals that deliver a different sound from the singer who many often consider to be strictly groovy. “Everybody calls me the Sweetheart of Soca, but I feel like that puts me in a category where people think I can only do ‘sweet’ songs. I don’t want to get boxed in; I’m versatile, and I am capable of multiple variations when it comes to Soca music,” she asserted. 

In the week ahead, Rae touches down in T&T, ready to hit the ground and push the music she’s armed with for Carnival 2025. In 2024 she became the second runner up when she entered the Antigua Soca Monarch and for the artiste, it was a major success. “I felt like I had won because I was an artiste nobody had known- with a song nobody had heard much of. That meant a lot to me,” she recalled.

Now aiming to deliver with stronger vocals in the season ahead, Rae says she is dedicated to connecting with the people through strong visuals online and authentic engagement. “It’s not enough to just release the music anymore. People want to connect, and visuals help with that. Bringing the content and the personality with the music, is the way forward,” she explained, adding that this year, her aim is also to show off more of her personality. 

‘Throw Waist’ was written by Darryl Gervais and produced by Papo. The song delivers a militancy that’s sometimes necessary in the carnival season. “This song is about the ladies and the energy is all about dominating, empowering and strengthening the women all season long,” said Rae. 

All set to parade with Paparazzi on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, the passionate, vibrant entertainer is maintaining a tunnel vision, focusing on her ascent in the business, and setting high standards for herself – something she knows will never be a mistake.