Elliot James Reay

Elliot James Reay (born 2002) is a British singer-songwriter known for his song "I Think They Call This Love" and covers of nostalgic songs, particularly those by Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison.^[1][2]

Elliot James Reay
Born	(2002-01-31) January 31, 2002 (age 23) Bury, Greater Manchester
Genres	Rock pop rock and roll rockabilly blues
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Labels	Interscope Records EMI

Early life and career

Elliot James Reay was born and raised in Bury, Greater Manchester.^[3] Reay released his debut single, "I Think They Call This Love", in July 2024, which garnered over 30 million streams.^[4] 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 "I Think They Call This Love" received over 10 million views prior to its full release in July.^[5][6] In its first month on streaming services, the song got more than 10 million plays and appeared on Spotify's Viral charts in over 27 countries, reaching #14 on the Global Viral 50.^[7][8]

Following this success, he signed with Interscope Records and EMI, and released his second single, "Boy In Love", in November 2024.^[9]

Reay has cited several artists as his inspirations, including Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, and Billy Fury. He attended the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards held in Manchester.^[10][11] Reay has over 4.7 million followers on social media, including 3.5 million followers on TikTok, 550,000 on Instagram, 570,000 on YouTube, and 138,000 followers on Facebook. Two videos of Reay performing "Devil in Disguise" by Elvis Presley and "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran have collectively garnered 56 million views on TikTok.^[12][13]

Since the release of his first two singles, Reay has performed live in the UK, as well as various Southeast Asian nations, including Vietnam,^[14] Thailand, Malaysia, and The Philippines.^[15][16]

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with year released, and selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions
		US	UK	AUS	CAN	BE (FLA)	NL	NOR
"I Think They Call This Love"	2024	—	16	—	—	—	—	—
"Boy In Love"		—	—	—	—	—	—	—

References

1. Webb, Carolyn (June 28, 2023). "'He'll fill stadiums': The kitchen-sink singer striking a chord on TikTok". The Age. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
2. Times, Yorkshire. "Meeting Elliot James Reay". yorkshiretimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
3. Biggane, Dan (2024-07-19). "Introducing Elliot James Reay". Vintage Rock. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
4. "Bury singer bringing sound of 50s to present day as song draws in millions of views". Bury Times. 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
5. "Tuesday Tracks: Elliott James Reay, Nico Vega, Robert Jon & the Wreck". RIFF Magazine. 2024-11-26. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
6. "Elliot James Reay Revives Magic Of 50s Classics". The Music Man. 2024-08-16. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
7. Adler, Jessica (2024-02-10). "Young man sounds like he stepped right out of 1954 with cover of "Earth Angel"". See It Live. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
8. "Viral 50 - Global". Spotify. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
9. Forrest, Jo (2024-11-22). "Elliot James Reay releases timeless track 'Boy In Love'". TotalNtertainment. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
10. Garfitt/Invision/AP, Scott A. Garfitt-invision linkable, Scott A. (2024-11-10). "Britain MTV European Music Awards Arrivals". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2024-11-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
11. "Elliot James Reay attends the MTV EMAs 2024 held at Co-op Live on..." Getty Images. 2024-11-10. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
12. Times, Yorkshire. "Meeting Elliot James Reay". yorkshiretimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
13. Braithwaite, Andrew (2024-07-16). "Q&A: Elliot James Reay talks debut single, inspirations & TikTok". Music Talkers - Latest Music News & Artist Exposure. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
14. "British singer Elliot James Reay makes Vietnam debut". Tuoi Tre News. January 21, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
15. (January 29, 2025). "Elliot James Reay (Interscope/Island EMI)". Hits Daily Double. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
16. Deala, Joanna (January 31, 2025). "Elliot James Reay: The voice behind viral song 'I Think They Call This Love'". republicasiamedia. Retrieved February 2, 2025.