The exclusive dating app for celebrities and influencers – why Raya has been called ‘the Illuminati of the Tinder world’

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In 2020, Sharon Stone tweeted that her Bumble dating profile was shut down because users reported the account as fake. In less than 24 hours, Bumble had their account restored and apologized for the misunderstanding.

You could be forgiven for thinking the Basic Instinct star couldn’t possibly be looking for love on a mainstream dating app like Bumble. It’s not every day that you swipe left to discover the next profile that is a Hollywood star.

Anyhow, it seems that celebrities are just like the rest of us. Looking for love or intimacy in a world where face-to-face meetings are no longer commonplace. Unlike Sharon Stone, the majority use their own dedicated dating app called Raya instead of Bumble.

A membership to this invitation-only dating app is as exclusive as you would expect, with only a small number of elite applicants being accepted into the app ⁠ – meaning your chances of charming and dating someone dating rich and famous on Tinder (insert shocked emoji). I just got slimmer.

What is Raya?

Founded in 2015, Raya prides itself on being “an exclusive dating and networking platform for people in the creative industries”.

Cara Delevingne, Ruby Rose, Alexander Wang, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Teri Hatcher, Elijah Wood and Zach Braff are among the elite crew rumored to be on the dating app. Demi Lovato is a longtime user of online relationship sites. She revealed in her documentary, Simplified, that she decided to date Raya after her split from Wilmer Valderrama in 2016. Most recently, Lily Allen and David Harbor credited their meeting to Raya.

Before you think about sneaking onto the platform, sometimes known as the “Tinder Illuminati” of the dating app world, there’s a complex application process — which involves three people’s recommendation and then being reviewed by an unknown jury. Rumor has it that Raya has over ten times as many people waiting to be added to the app – than they are currently on it.

The New York Times reports that only about 8% of applications are accepted, meaning Raya has a higher rejection rate than the famous Harvard Business School.

The story goes on

You’ll have to pay for it too, with a conservative fee of AU$9.99 per month, and other in-app purchases (e.g. extra swipes – once you’ve swiped a certain number of profiles, Raya will temporarily stop using it Showing you new profiles unless you pay a small fee of $4.99 required. Promotional material points out, “Raya’s main goal is to provide a simple, accessible and convenient platform for like-minded people to connect.”

Applications will be “reviewed by an anonymous global committee” to “uphold that ideal.”

Read more: “High maintenance” is a red flag for dating apps. Women are still expected to downsize

How to find love on Raya

My research examines how and if dating apps have transformed intimacy, sex, and romantic relationships. How does love change through a digital sieve? However, it is difficult to track down Raya users to give their testimonials about their exclusive experiences.

Most B-class users i.e. non-celebrities and non-influencers report that the app is overwhelming and delivers no matches. Put simply, if you’re not an A-list celebrity, you just don’t have the celebrity appeal to get the matches.

Insiders point out that the app is flooded with professional photos, in which most users look like models. On ordinary apps, such profiles are usually rejected as potentially fake profiles or as bots.

The profiles are presented in slideshow format, with users selecting a song for their slideshow to play over. All profiles contain the person’s Instagram handle. So if you really liked how someone looks and you want to make sure you connect with them, you can add them on Instagram. Also, screenshots are not allowed in these sacred halls.

Out of 40 people interviewed in Australia, only 2 had used Raya. Respondents called the app a “waster of time,” suggesting that while there was a wealth of recognizable talent on the app, the majority fell into the influencer category – and their hit/or match rate was low, if not non-existent was.

Read more: What is a “soft” or “hard” relationship start? Explanation of celebrity-led trend

celebrities and creative people

The app raises a relevant question about what we consider the creative industries in today’s society – and whether that terminology extends to influencers or, for example, OnlyFans content creators, and how we classify celebrities and creatives.

Dating apps also tend to open Pandora’s box of judgmental behavior. My research suggests that the majority of users make split-second decisions based primarily on looks, but also tend to continue this overly critical behavior once they stop direct messaging and ultimately people.

Mainstream dating apps are highly white domains where sexual racism proliferates, ranging from overt (e.g., the standard “not Asian” biography descriptions) to more covert behaviors like left swiping against racially diverse people.

They foster a highly visual economy in which individuals are often reduced to a hot or non-hot factor. Most participants in my focus groups and interviews felt that their dating app use had made them more judgmental—rather than being quick to reject arbitrarily attractive players.

Apps like Raya, which claim to bring like-minded people together, instead tend to expand and reinforce the idea that the modern love categorized by the dating app is only for a sanctified few, arbitrarily handsome people, with Solid Instagram or fans only followers. At the same time, they distort the idea of ​​the creative industries and creative people.

Raya opens the promise of a private dating space in an online environment. In doing so, however, it creates a digital culture where intimacy is restricted to an elite that is no longer open to the masses.

As platforms like Tinder come under scrutiny for pricing structures and security, the future could bring a plethora of rayas—defined by the attributes (and pay) of their community members. The important thing is to keep the unwanted in check.

But are we continuing to create a world of haves and have-nots in intimacy?

While a select few may enjoy the sanctity of private and exclusive dating, the rest of us have been locked out to navigate the wild west of the digital dating world.

This article is republished by The Conversation, the world’s leading publisher of research-based news and analysis. A unique collaboration between scientists and journalists. It was written by: Lisa Portolan, Western Sydney University.

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Lisa Portolan does not work for, consult with, own an interest in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations other than her academic appointment.