Ravyn Lenae talks success of 'Love Me Not' nearly 10 years after career start: 'Timing is everything

Ravyn Lenae has been hard at work since releasing her first song in 2015, and now, her song "Love Me Not" is a Hot 100 hit. She tells Billboard she received the news on what she remembers as a great day.

"I was at home watching TV, and my manager called me and told me that it was a real thing. I had a great day that day," Ravyn recalls. "I had great tacos, I called my mom, everything was going right. The weather was beautiful."

"Love Me Not" debuted at #81 on the chart dated April 12, nearly nine months since the release of its home album, Bird's Eye. It "was one of the first" songs made for the project, with a beat that reminded her of the first time she heard OutKast's "Hey Ya!"

"That mix of soulfulness with pop sensibility that anybody could sing and dance to and feels like it could have came out in any era — that’s my favorite type of song," she explains, noting "Love Me Not" lyrically "has all the qualities of a really timeless song to me."

Having had a slow burn, Ravyn notes her experience with the song taught her to step outside her comfort zone, as posting it on TikTok helped it go viral. As for the trajectory of her career, she says she's learned that she has to trust in timing.

"I have to stay patient and diligent and focused, and things will start to turn over for me," she says, noting the success of artists like Doechii has reminded her she's "on the right path."

"That’s what I’m holding on to right now," Ravyn shares. She adds, "I’m just happy for all artists who have been in this 10-plus years and are feeling the love and the benefits of so much time and effort and hard work."