Listen to the “Handle” from the forthcoming “Blue Island” project by Ravyn Lenae. Watch music video. Stream, buy the track, mp3 download.
The Chicago native who sang herself out of the city’s south suburbs has a new chapter ready. Ravyn Lenae, born in 1999 and raised in the Chicago neighborhood of South Holland, first turned heads with her 2016 EP “Moon Shoes.” She spent her high school years recording in her bedroom and performing at local DIY venues. A chance email to The Internet’s Steve Lacy led to her signing with Atlantic Records. Her 2022 debut album “Hypnos” earned critical praise. Her 2024 follow-up “Bird’s Eye” expanded her reach. Now Lenae announces her third studio album. “Blue Island” arrives August 7, 2026. The lead single “Handle” dropped on May 28.
The song runs three minutes. Lenae co-produced the track with Dahi, Flanafi, Eric Leva, and Bryan Schwaller. Dahi, the Grammy-winning producer behind Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees” and Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” also executive-produced the album. Lenae calls “Blue Island” her most reflective work yet. The album explores identity, growing pains, and the strange in-between moments of transformation. “Handle” serves as the entry point. The lyrics find Lenae caught in the push and pull of a relationship that demands she take control. She resists. She bargains. She deflects. The production moves at a measured pace. Soft synth pads and a steady kick drum leave room for her voice to carry the weight.
ravyn lenae blue island
The official music video, directed by Akira Uchida, marks the first time Lenae has incorporated choreography into one of her visuals. The clip follows Lenae through a series of minimalist rooms. She dances alone. She sings to a mirror. She never looks away. The video arrives as part of a career reset. Lenae will support “Blue Island” with a North American tour this fall, beginning September 14 in Vancouver. Earlier this year, she won her first Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Love Me Not,” a track from “Bird’s Eye.” That song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. On May 31, she performed “Handle” on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Her live backing band now includes a string section.
Ravyn Lenae – Handle
From the “Blue Island” project
Produced by Dahi, Flanafi, Ravyn Lenae, Eric Leva, Bryan Schwaller
2026-05-28 • 1 song, 3 minutes
© 2026 Atlantic Recording Corporation
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