Elliot James Reay

Elliot James Reay (born January 31, 2002) is an English singer-songwriter. His music bridges the gap between 1950s rock 'n' roll and modern audiences. Reay released his debut single I Think They Call This Love in July 2024 and his debut EP All This To Say I Love You in June 2025. His covers of nostalgic songs, particularly those by Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, have attracted millions of views on social media.

Early life Elliot James Reay was born and raised in Bury, Greater Manchester. He attended Woodhey High School. Reay's grandfather lived in the Philippines for a decade, and Reay spent time there as a child.

Career Busking, kitchen videos, and covers Reay started out busking in the streets of his hometown, Bury, and later in Melbourne,

2024–present: All This To Say I Love You

Reay released his debut single, "I Think They Call This Love", in July 2024. The song features a nostalgic style reminiscent of classic malt shop music, beginning with the lines They say you know when you know / So let's face it, you had me at 'Hello.''' The single received over 10 million views prior to its full release in July, and over 30 million streams since. It was on Spotify's Viral charts in 27+ countries, reaching #4 on the Global Viral 50. In March 2025, Reay's debut single won the "Road to Memphis" competition, where it was chosen from over 33,000 international entries.

After the independent release of his debut single, Reay signed with Interscope Records and EMI Records, and released his second single, "Boy in Love", in November 2024. It has an upbeat and rock n’ roll tone, with the corresponding music video depicting Reay stepping out of an American 50s car to walk through autumnal Manchester. In "Boy in Love", Reay pays homage to Sam Cooke with the line But, now, when Sam Cooke sings, she got me whistling along. The opening chord of "Boy in Love" is similar to the Everly Brothers' classic "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1958). Reay has described these subtle nods to his musical influences as "little Easter eggs to people who get it".

Reay's third single, "Daydreaming", released in March 2025, is reminiscent of Roy Orbison in style. It is a nostalgic retro-pop track about longing, blending ’50s–’60s rock 'n' roll with sweeping orchestral, guitar, and brass sounds. The accompanying visualizer shows Reay lost in thought, matching the feeling of drifting into memories, expressed in the lyrics when I miss you, close my eyes and I drift away. Reay's fans are called "Reaydreamers", a portmanteau of Reay's last name and his single "Daydreaming".

"Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin", Reay's fourth single (May 2025), uses the humorous premise of a partner suspecting infidelity due to late-night dancing to explore the passion and energy of Northern Soul. The song includes groovy basslines, call-and-response vocals and saxophone, and the music video features Reay dancing among Northern soul dancers. In "Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin", Reay pays homage to Jackie Wilson with the lines Oh, 'cause it's too much of a risk/To tell her who my Jackie is, and a Wilson record is shown in the cinematic music video.

Reay released his debut extended play (EP) All This To Say I Love You'' on June 27, 2025. In addition to the four singles above, it includes two love songs "Sweetness" and "I Can't Stay Away". Along with the release of the EP, Reay issued a Technicolor-styled music video for "Sweetness" directed by Nikko Lamere. Reay subsequently embarked on a sold out UK tour to support the release of his debut EP.

Reay was an opening act to American singer-songwriter Benson Boone's American Heart World Tour, opening for the first half of the North American leg and for the UK and European leg of the tour.

Style Reay's music is rooted in the sound, style, and sentiment of 1950s and 1960s music—both in how it sounds and how it's presented. Reay's songs often feature vintage chord progressions common in early rock 'n' roll, vocals reminiscent of 50s crooners, and live instrumentation like guitar, real drums, tambourine and horns.

Elliot James Reay at a mall show event in Manila, Philippines.

During performances, Reay wears vintage-style outfits, such as bowling shirts, leather jackets, and high-waisted trousers, purchased in thrift stores. Reay styles his hair in a quiff, echoing the iconic pompadour hairstyle worn in the 1950s and 1960s by early rock 'n' roll and movie stars such as Elvis Presley and James Dean. and having been portrayed as Gen Z's Elvis Presley, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. As part of the promo tour, Reay sang his debut single "I Think They Call This Love" at a live radio bus road show hosted by DNWU (Wish 107.5), appeared as a guest on the Philippine television noontime variety show It's Showtime in January 2025 and on the local entertainment show ASAP in February 2025.

During his debut show and his South East Asia promo tour, Reay blended his released songs with unreleased songs as well as covers of Elvis Presley songs, such as Heartbreak Hotel.

In July 2025 – shortly after the release of his debut EP – Reay embarked on his All This To Say I Love You debut tour in the UK. All 4 shows were sold out.

Reay performed at music festivals in Jakarta and Seoul in the summer of 2025. He was the opening act in the first half of the North American leg of Benson Boone's American Heart Tour in August and September 2025, and in the UK and the EU legs of this tour in October and November 2025. In February 2026, he performed at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

Headlining Debut show: Manchester, U.K., 17 December 2024 Funtaztic.ly Festival: Jakarta, Indonesia, July 2025 One Universe Festival: Seoul, Korea, Aug 2025