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Slide 4 of 11

Raya: Worth the Splurge

Raya is a private, membership-based network that allows users to connect for dating, networking, or to find new friends. After snagging a recommendation from my high school bestie who is now conveniently famous, I've been playing around on the app that celebrities and other creatives use when they're trying to date a bit more discreetly. I like Raya because everyone puts their photos to music, so each candidate offers a 30-second slideshow to a self-selected song. One of the better profiles I've seen is a handsome dude showcasing photos of him living his life around New York to the opening song of the Larry David hit show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. It feels very retro like the beginning of a sitcom or something, and I find myself constantly delighted by the music people select to accompany their photos. On my own profile, I have a carefully curated rotation of pictures that I use for all the apps, but I've changed my song three times in the past week. I just can't decide if I'm cool enough for "Dancing on Glass" by St. Lucia or beachy enough for "SWEAT" by Inner Circle or if I should just lean in to the Pam from The Office resemblance and go with that theme song. If choosing a song is the biggest con for Raya, get yourself a famous friend to endorse you and enjoy the slideshows. Just note Raya is the only app in this entire list that isn't free ($8 for one-month membership, $24 for three months, and $30 for six months), though it is worth the cost.