Canadian indie-pop artist GRAE releases the new album 7 Minutes ’Til Heaven.
GRAE’s previous work has already seen her establish herself: garnering over 100 million streams and landing critical acclaim from outlets from Billboard to The Line of Best Fit, as well as TV syncs across the likes of The Bold Type, The L Word: Generation Q, XO Kitty, Workin’ Moms, and Virgin River. Now releasing her most mature and complete sounding work to date, the new album highlights exactly why she’s being earmarked for stardom.
7 Minutes ’Til Heaven is a bold genre-blending exploration of self-expression, rebellion, and transformation. It fuses shimmering synths, raw emotion, and unapologetic power. Dreamy vocals and 80s-inspired new wave aesthetic reminiscent of The Cure and Joy Division, GRAE pushes her artistry to new heights with this project. Drawing inspiration from icons like Prince and Madonna, she channels their fearless reinvention while maintaining a sound that is entirely her own—cinematic, sensual, and deeply introspective.
“This album came from a dark time in my life,” GRAE explains. “It was shaped by what I was going through, but also by the things I was witnessing around me. Some songs came straight from my own experiences, while others were written from different perspectives. There’s anger, sadness, and frustration—but also growth, clarity, and strength. I tapped into my feminine rage and power, and in the end, it’s something I’m really proud of. It feels empowering.”
The album’s narrative is heightened by a standout collaboration with Apollonia—best known for her role in Prince’s Purple Rain and as the lead vocalist of Apollonia 6. She lends her voice to three evocative spoken-word interludes that act as emotional checkpoints throughout the album. Her presence adds a layer of theatricality and gravitas, tying together the album’s themes of identity, fame, and liberation.
Among the album’s standout tracks is ‘American Dream’, which opens the record with Apollonia’s bold monologue and sets the tone for an exploration of glamour and its hidden complexities through swirling neon synths. ‘Dark Energy’ delivers a night-drive anthem with haunting basslines and magnetic vocals, ultimately delivering a striking sense of commercial appeal, while ‘Fantasy’ showcases the more alternative, emotive and artistic side of GRAE’s sound.
Comparable to Billie Eilish, EMEI and even at times Frank Ocean, 7 Minutes ’Til Heaven captures GRAE at her most authentic. Bags of potential balancing commercial pop with inventive musicality.
Listen below:
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