Rae Street

Courtney Barnett
Things Take Time, Take Time (2021)
Safe 90 BPM
AI-analyzed — check another song
Easy, low-key calm, gentler than 87% of our 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for focus.
90
BPM

Rae Street by Courtney Barnett is 90 BPM — Andante (walking pace).

Half-time 45 BPM · Double-time 180 BPM · released 2021

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Fan image for "Rae Street"

An abstract illustration of what this song feels like. Each image is built from a prompt — the text description fed to the image generator. Listeners submit their own prompts, upvote the ones that fit best, and the top-voted prompt drives the next regeneration. After 100 image votes, we make a new picture.

Fan-driven abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of Rae Street by Courtney Barnett
The prompt that made this image Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Rae Street" by Courtney Barnett. Modest rise and fall. balanced composition. Mood: contemplative, introspective, melancholy. Visual style: contemporary editorial aesthetic. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format.

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"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Rae Street" by Courtney Barnett. Modest rise and fall. balanced composition. Mood: contemplative, introspective, melancholy. Visual style: contemporary editorial aesthetic. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."

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Song DNA

Dynamic Range5/10
Sudden Changesnone
Texturesmooth
Predictabilityhigh
Vocal Stylesoft vocals
Notes: The song features a laid-back, conversational vocal style with a gentle instrumental backdrop, creating a soothing atmosphere. The overall sound is warm and inviting, perfect for reflective moments.

Misophonia Triggers

Mouth Soundsnone
Percussive Clicksnone
Breathing Soundsnone
Repetitive Micro-soundsmild

Rae Street is a contemplative song that explores the mundane aspects of life with a sense of nostalgia and introspection.

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Hear it the way it was made

The right gear changes everything.

Moods: contemplative, introspective, melancholy

Traditions: indie rock

At a glance

"Rae Street" by Courtney Barnett

90 BPM, dynamic range 5/10, smooth texture, soft vocals. Sits in the middle band — neither built for stillness nor pitched at workout intensity. Whether it works for a given moment depends more on mood and lyrical content than on the acoustic profile. The full sensory breakdown follows.

How this song sits on each sensory axis

A dynamic range of 5/10 is within the normal pop-mix band. There is variation between verse and chorus, but it's the kind of variation most listeners encounter routinely.

Sudden changes: none. Transitions are musically signaled — nothing will surprise you if you're only half-listening.

Texture: smooth.

Predictability is high — the song telegraphs what it will do next. A sensory-sensitive listener can usually guess where it's going without close attention.

Vocal style: soft vocals.

Where this sits in Courtney Barnett's catalog

We have 20 songs from Courtney Barnett in the library. Of those, 1 are rated Safe, 19 Moderate, and 0 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 5/10 sits below the artist average of 5.9, making it the #20 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.

Other tracks from Things Take Time, Take Time

We have 9 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.

2021 context

Released in 2021. We have 411 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.2/10. This track is quieter / less dynamic than the year average. Explore more from the 2020s.

Explore by mood and tradition

Moods
contemplative · 3309introspective · 5733melancholy · 5408
Traditions
indie rock · 1111

Guides that may help

Why Video Game Soundtracks Are Perfect for Focus and Study
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Music for Focus That Keeps Slipping: What Actually Works
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Lo-fi hip hop is the default focus soundtrack for millions, but the science is messier than the mark…

How fast is "Rae Street"?

90 BPM — Medium (midtempo / pop ballad)

For running

Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.

For workouts

Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.

For daily life

Morning coffee, deep work, commute wind-down.

Browse more songs at 90 BPM.

When "Rae Street" works, and when it doesn't

Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.

~
Focus / studying

Maybe — fine for routine work, but the mid-song changes may pull attention during deep focus.

Running / workout

No — 90 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.

~
Sleep / winding down

Maybe — calm overall, but tempo is a bit high for deep sleep. Better for winding down than falling asleep.

Driving / road trip

Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.

Cooking / dinner background

Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.

Emotional release / catharsis

Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.

Related reading

Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.

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Why this rating

We rate this song Safe because its dynamic range stays within our low-variance band, there are no unsignaled changes, and the texture and vocal style are both in the low-fatigue range. Our methodology uses an AND rule for Safe — a song has to clear every dimension to earn the rating.

This song in the Music Studio
21/100 intensity

See how “Rae Street” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.

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For focused listening

Independently chosen tools listed on eBay. We may earn a commission from these links, at no extra cost to you.

Wireless Headphones Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Stereo Earphones Over Ear Headset Wireless Headphones Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Stereo Earphones … $13.99 · New Wireless Bluetooth 5.1 Headphones Over Ear LED Headset Stereo Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth 5.1 Headphones Over Ear LED Headset Stereo No… $17.79 · New NEW! *B Iconic Focus True Wireless Earbuds with Charging Case White, Bluetooth NEW! *B Iconic Focus True Wireless Earbuds with Charging Case Wh… $19.99 · New Sony WH-CH520 Over Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones  WHCH520 - BEIGE Sony WH-CH520 Over Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones WHCH520 - … $23.99 · Open box

Browse more focus & deep work on eBay →

Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-17. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.

Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 87% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 21/100 comes from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 88% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep9/10
Focus10/10
Workout1/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype1/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

2021 in context

The 410 songs we’ve measured from 2021 average a dynamic range of 6.2/10. At 5/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity21
Dynamics44
Tempo28
Surprise0
Density0
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load13

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Frequently asked about "Rae Street"

Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.

What is the BPM of "Rae Street" by Courtney Barnett?

"Rae Street" by Courtney Barnett has a tempo of 90 BPM (Andante (walking pace)). At half-time that is 45 BPM, and at double-time 180 BPM.

What is the sensory intensity of "Rae Street" by Courtney Barnett?

"Rae Street" by Courtney Barnett rates as Low-Intensity. Dynamic range 5/10, no sudden changes, smooth texture. Our Low-Intensity rating means no single dimension triggers the higher-intensity thresholds.

How loud is "Rae Street" — what is its dynamic range?

"Rae Street" has a dynamic range of 5/10. Within normal pop-mix variation. Movement between verse and chorus but nothing dramatic.

Does "Rae Street" have sudden or surprising changes?

No. "Rae Street" has no sudden unsignaled changes. Every transition is musically telegraphed.

What is "Rae Street" best for?

In our library "Rae Street" is recommended for: meditation, relaxation, study. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.

When was "Rae Street" released?

"Rae Street" is from 2021, on the album "Things Take Time, Take Time". It appears in our 2020s catalog.

What is the emotional mood of "Rae Street"?

We tag "Rae Street" as contemplative, introspective, melancholy. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.

What is the vocal style of "Rae Street"?

The vocal style is soft vocals.

Is "Rae Street" good for running?

Not really — at 90 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.

Is "Rae Street" good for studying?

Only partially. The song's dynamic range (5/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.

Can I use "Rae Street" for sleep?

Not recommended for sleep. Dynamic range is too high — quiet moments will be ambushed by louder ones.

Should I listen to "Rae Street"?

If you want gentle, low-arousal music, "Rae Street" is a solid pick — Low-Intensity across every sensory dimension.

Songs with the same DNA

smooth texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.

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DR 6
You and Your Heart
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Even If You're Never Awake
Stars of the Lid
safe
DR 4
Like an Angel Passing Through My Room
ABBA
moderate
DR 4
Someone to Watch Over Me
Ella Fitzgerald
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DR 6

What this song means to people

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Where to next?

You know how this one feels — now go find the next one.

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