The song was first performed at the 44th edition of the Brit Awards and was teased on season 49 of the American television show Saturday Night Live.

It was released independently by Human Re Sources on 7 June 2024, with a music video co-directed by Raye and Otis Dominique premiering on the same date.

Developed over two years, "Genesis" is structured into three acts in which Raye experiments with various genres, including jazz, R&B, hip hop, gospel music, and pop.

[2] After receiving a mixed response from her management about the length of the track, Raye still wanted to release it as it was; she stated: "This is about art, if it was about selling music ... then I would not have made it [this way].

[5] On 6 April 2024, during season 49 of the American television show Saturday Night Live, Raye also performed the track, which media publications had referred to as "Let There Be Light".

[9] Shortly before "Genesis" was released, Raye performed it on the Selhurst railway station platform in London, accompanied by a live band.

Some critics lauded Raye's vocal performance, including Consequence's Mary Siroky and Clash's Sophie Harman; while giving the song a rating of 8 out of 10, the latter highlighted the balance between "her fragility and resilience" and said that her exploration of mental health and body image resonates with listeners.

[29] Abbie Reynolds of Capital named "Genesis" a "huge moment in music history", and compared it to when the British band Queen released their six-minute song "Bohemian Rhapsody".

[15] Jenesaispop's Jordi Bardají called "Genesis" the most ambitious composition of Raye's musical career, and described it as epic and historic.

[30] In December 2024, Business Insider and Rolling Stone added "Genesis" to their lists of the best songs of the year, placing it at number five and sixteen, respectively.

[38][39] The song peaked at number 20 on New Zealand Hot Singles,[40] and within the top 40 in two Billboard charts in the United States, Pop Airplay and Rhythmic.