Working with Mark Ronson on new music is a big deal for RAYE.

The “Escapism” singer-songwriter, 27, is gearing up to release two songs with the 9-time Grammy-winning producer, 49, this month, and the pairing feels like a natural fit given how often RAYE gets compared to Ronson’s late frequent collaborator, Amy Winehouse.

Both soulful vocalists with musical knowledge beyond their years, RAYE and Winehouse certainly have some artistic similarities. She’s a huge fan of the “Rehab” artist — but getting in the studio with Ronson, who worked prominently on Winehouse’s Back to Black album, was a bit daunting at first.

“Honestly, I’m not gonna lie, I actually was quite nervous and scared to work with him,” RAYE tells PEOPLE backstage at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City, noting that she’s seen both positive and negative comments on her sonic resemblance to Winehouse.

“I just do want to say that I know I can never, ever, ever, ever, ever attempt to replace or imitate Amy. I’m in awe of her. We all are, and we miss her,” explains the “Oscar Winning Tears” performer, whose eclectic music incorporates elements of pop, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, dance and electronic genres — all tied together by her powerhouse vocals.

Before immediately jumping at the opportunity to work with Ronson, RAYE thought about what listeners might think.

“It’s quite a tough thing to even allow myself to create so freely with him,” she says. “But I really just wanted to be like, ‘Do you know what? I just need to forget what anyone else is gonna say about this.’ I absolutely love this producer. I’ve always wanted to work with this producer since I was a little girl.”

RAYE and Ronson’s first collaboration, “Suzanne,” is out this Friday, June 13. They’ll release another song, “Grandma Calls the Boy Bad News,” on the soundtrack for the upcoming F1 film later this month.

“We’ve made music together that I’m so proud of, and I love,” she says. “I play it, and it makes me happy and joyful, so I’m proud.”

Beyond the upcoming releases, RAYE is working on the follow-up project to her debut album, 2023’s My 21st Century Blues. She previously faced a setback when her car — featuring a journal of handwritten new lyrics — was stolen at the end of 2023, but now she’s back in creative mode.

There’s another element of the process, however, that she’s struggling with. “I don’t have an album title,” she admits. “I’m like, ‘What is it gonna be called?’ It’s stressing me out right now, I can’t lie, because I’ve got the music starting to really come there.”

“I just don’t know what this album’s gonna be called,” adds RAYE. “In my humble opinion, My 21st Century Blues is such a fire album title, and I can’t hand in an album title that’s less good than that.”