Aged 11, Bay was inspired to play classical guitar after hearing Eric Clapton's "Layla".

[12] When he moved to study in Brighton at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute seven years later at age 18 he played the city's open mic nights, on which he said, "That taught me a lot about writing and performing on my own and trying to hold my own".

Bay caught the attention of Republic Records A&R after a fan uploaded a video to YouTube of him performing at an open mic in London, and within a week, he signed to the label.

[19] His single "Hold Back the River" peaked at number 2 in the UK charts and was certified X3 platinum.

[6] Bay recorded a cover of the Beatles song "Hey Bulldog" for the 2016 TV series Beat Bugs.

He recorded a cover of the Tom Petty song "King's Highway" for the 2017 Disney/Pixar film Cars 3.

[24][25] The album has notable pop and R&B influences,[26] and was noted for its "hip hop style spoken-word skits" during intervals.

Bay released a duet version of the album's third single, "Us", performed on The Voice with Alicia Keys in May 2018.

[28] Bay released a single, "Peer Pressure", on 22 February 2019, featuring artist Julia Michaels.

[38] Bay has been in a relationship with music promoter Lucy Smith since he was 16 years old; they got married at a private ceremony in August 2022.