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Rachel Chinouriri

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Rachel Chinouriri
Chinouriri in 2024
Chinouriri in 2024
Background information
Born (1998-11-01) 1 November 1998 (age 26)[1]
Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, England
OriginLondon, England
Genres
OccupationSinger-songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active2018–present
LabelsParlophone
Websitewww.rachelchinouriri.com

Rachel Chinouriri (born 1 November 1998; pronounced /ˌtʃɪnəˈriːri/, CHIN-ə-REE-ree)[5] is an English singer-songwriter. After posting numerous songs on SoundCloud, she began releasing music on major streaming platforms in 2018. She released her debut extended play (EP), Mama's Boy, in 2019 to critical acclaim. One of the songs from the EP, "So My Darling", received attention on TikTok when it became a popular audio to use.

Chinouriri was signed to Parlophone, with whom she released her debut mini-album, Four° In Winter, in 2021. The single Give Me A Reason off the album was nominated for the Best Contemporary Song Ivor Novello Award.[6] She then released her second EP, Better Off Without, in 2022. She released her debut album, What a Devastating Turn of Events, in May 2024.[7]

Early life and education

[edit]

Chinouriri was born in Kingston Hospital on 1 November 1998. Her family later moved to the Forestdale area of Croydon,[7] where she was raised from the age of three.[8] Her family had moved to UK from Zimbabwe shortly prior to her birth, and she experienced a "traditional African upbringing".[9] Her upbringing led her to be curious about British culture, specifically its music, and as a teenager, she became influenced by the discographies of Daughter and Lily Allen.[9] At the age of 17, Chinouriri began writing songs and recorded them on a £20 microphone, uploading them to the music-sharing website SoundCloud via her mother's laptop.[9]

Career

[edit]

Chinouriri began formally releasing various singles on major streaming platforms in 2018, which led to her being signed to Parlophone.[10] Her first release with the label was "So My Darling", which she wrote aged 17 and released in 2018. The song received radio play when it was picked as a special play on BBC Radio 1.[9] She was then announced as an act at Field Day festival in 2019.[11] Chinouriri followed "So My Darling" with "Adrenaline" in April 2019. She played a headline show in London in June 2019.[12]

Chinouriri released her debut extended play (EP), Mama's Boy, in August 2019.[13] It was released to critical acclaim.[14] Following the release, she dropped the song "Where Do I Go?", which she said was written about her thoughts on the afterlife.[15] She played at Dot to Dot Festival and Pitchfork Music Festival that year. The song "Beautiful Disaster", featuring Sam Dotia, was released in July 2020. Tom Bibby of Yuck magazine described the song as "an honest and heartfelt portrayal of the isolation and stillness felt in the midnight hours, told through Chinouriri's powerful falsettos", adding that she has proved herself to be "a powerful singer-songwriter".[14] She then released various singles, including "Give Me a Reason",[8] "Darker Place"[16] and "Through the Eye". The latter acted as the lead single for her debut mini-album, Four° In Winter, which was released in September 2021.[17] She released a deluxe edition later that year, with the addition of three new songs.[18]

In January 2022, after the rise in popularity of her 2018 single "So My Darling" on the video sharing app TikTok, Chinouriri re-released the song in acoustic form.[19] At the time of release, the audio had more than 40,000 videos shared on TikTok.[20] In March 2022, she released the single "All I Ever Asked". The song was chosen as that week's "Hottest Record in the World" by BBC Radio 1's Clara Amfo.[21] Chinouriri subsequently announced plans for a second EP that would feature the song, as well as a national tour throughout the UK.[20] That summer, she played at the Great Escape Festival and Boardmasters Festival, and also had a gig supporting Sam Fender.

In early 2023, Chinouriri was one of the openers for Lewis Capaldi on his tour, and humorously told the story of how she had secured the gig through having sent him a drunk DM.[22] She played at a number of summer festivals, including Latitude Festival, Truck Festival, Kendal Calling, Connect Music Festival, and All Points East. Later that year, she was selected as one of the openers for Louis Tomlinson on the Europe leg of his Faith in the Future World Tour.[23]

In January 2024, Chinouriri announced that she would be releasing her debut album, What a Devastating Turn of Events,[7] on 3 May.[24][25] Four promotional singles were released in the build-up leading to the record: "The Hills", "Never Need Me",[24][25] the title track[26] and "It Is What It Is".[27] What a Devastating Turn of Events debuted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart,[28] and at number 5 on the Scottish Albums Chart during the week starting from 10 May 2024.[29] Also in May, the artist performed as one of the headliners on the Introducing Stage at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend festival in Luton.[30] In June, Chinouriri played on the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2024, playing both her own songs and a cover of Estelle's American Boy.[31] In July, it was announced that she would be the opener for the United Kingdom and European leg of the Short n' Sweet Tour by Sabrina Carpenter.[32]

Artistry

[edit]

Chinouriri grew up listening to indie music, pop girl groups such as Girls Aloud, The Saturdays and the Sugababes; African acapella;[33] Britpop bands like Oasis, Blur, and The Libertines;[34] as well as the likes of V V Brown and Noisettes.[35] In 2021, she named Daughter, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and early Coldplay as her three main influences.[36] She has also expressed an admiration for Sampha,[37] Kings of Leon, and Phoenix. For her debut album, Chinouriri took inspiration from the sonic and visual aesthetics of the noughties Britpop culture and icons of her childhood.[7]

Personal life

[edit]

In March 2024, Chinouriri was one of the acts who decided to boycott the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas over the event's sponsorship deal with the US Army and major defense contractors, and in protest against the Israel–Hamas war.[38][39] In a statement of social media, Chinouriri explained her decision by stating that the topic of war was "extremely triggering" for her,[38] as both her parents had served as child soldiers in Zimbabwe before emigrating to the United Kingdom;[39] she also encouraged fans to "support victims of war in any capacity".[38]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
List of studio albums, with selected details
Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[40]
What a Devastating Turn of Events 17

Mini-albums

[edit]
List of mini-albums, with selected details
Title Details
Four° In Winter[41]
  • Released: 23 April 2021
  • Label: Parlophone
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays

[edit]
List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Details
Mama's Boy[42]
  • Released: 21 August 2019
  • Label: Marathon
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Better Off Without[43]
  • Released: 20 May 2022
  • Label: Parlophone
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Live at KOKO[44]
  • Released: 23 August 2024
  • Label: Parlophone
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles

[edit]

As lead artist

[edit]
List of singles as lead artist, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"What Have I Ever Done" 2018 Non-album single
"So My Darling" What a Devastating Turn of Events
"Adrenaline" 2019 Mama's Boy
"Mama's Boy"
"Where Do I Go?" Non-album single
"Beautiful Disaster"
(with Sam Dotia) 		2020 Four° In Winter
"Give Me a Reason"
"What the World Needs Now" Non-album single
"Darker Place" 2021 Four° In Winter
"Through the Eye"
"November"
(featuring Hak Baker) 		Non-album single
"If Only" Four° In Winter
"All I Ever Asked" 2022 Better Off Without
"Thank You For Nothing"
"Smithereens"
(with Boyish) 		Non-album singles
"I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Trying)"
"Maybe I'm Lonely" 2023
"Ribs"
"The Hills" What a Devastating Turn of Events
"Never Need Me" 2024
"What a Devastating Turn of Events"
"It Is What It Is"
"Even"
(with Cat Burns) 		Non-album single
[edit]
List of singles as featured artist, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"Animals (MK Remix)"[45]
(Preditah featuring Rachel Chinouriri) 		2019 Non-album single
"Stuck"[46]
(Kam-Bu featuring Rachel Chinouriri) 		2021 Black on Black
"Right Together"[47]
(Conducta featuring Rachel Chinouriri) 		TBA
"Can't Get Enough"
(p-rallel featuring Rachel Chinouriri & Venna) 		2022 Forward
"End of the Road"
(The Snuts featuring Rachel Chinouriri) 		2022 Burn the Empire
"Love Me in Chapters II"
(Chrissi featuring Rachel Chinouriri) 		2023 Non-album single
"Fairytale"
(Mac Wetha featuring Rachel Chinouriri) 		2023 Mac Wetha & Friends 2
"Parachute"[48]
(Shimza featuring Rachel Chinouriri) 		2024 Non-album single

Tours

[edit]

Headlining

  • What a Devastating Turn of Events (2024)[49]

Supporting

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Any Other Questions with... Rachel Chinouriri | Dork". readdork.com. 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  2. ^ ""So My Darling" // Rachel Chinouriri". Indie Amy. 3 November 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  3. ^ "UK: Indie-pop Singer Rachel Chinouriri Releases New Single 'All I Ever Asked'". New Zimbabwe. 12 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  4. ^ Paton, Kloe (October 2023). "Songstress Rachel Chinouriri Brings a Rock Edge to Single 'The Hills'". IndustryMe. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  5. ^ An interview with Rachel Chinouriri for Selector Radio. British Council Arts. 4 October 2019. Event occurs at 00:00:04 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ Taylor, Mark (10 August 2021). "Nominations announced for The Ivors with Apple Music 2021". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d Rigotti, Alex (15 January 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri has finally come home". NME. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Rachel Chinouriri - Give Me A Reason [Video]". DSTNGR. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d "Rachel Chinouriri". Marathon Artists. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Rachel Chinouriri Offers Up New Video For 'Riptide'". DIY. 27 February 2019. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Skepta and Jorja Smith to Headline Relocated Field Day". DIY. 15 January 2019. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Rachel Chinouriri Airs New Track 'Adrenaline'". DIY. 5 April 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Mama's Boy - EP". Spotify. 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  14. ^ a b Bibby, Tom (27 July 2020). "Rachel Chinouriri: 'Beautiful Disaster'". Yuck. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Rachel Chinouriri returns with 'Where Do I Go?'". DIY. 13 November 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  16. ^ Taylor, Sam (25 January 2021). "Rachel Chinouriri has released her new single 'Darker Place', a song about the battle between light and darkness". Dork. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  17. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (26 March 2021). "Rachel Chinouriri announces new EP with lead song "Through The Eye"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  18. ^ Phillips, Lucy (17 October 2021). "Rachel Chinouriri has released a deluxe edition of her EP 'Four° In Winter'". Dork. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  19. ^ Mosk, Mitch (16 March 2022). "Editor's Picks 58: Rachel Chinouriri, Shannen James, Merci, Mercy, Riela, Mxmtoon, & Jenny Berkel". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  20. ^ a b Major, Michael (11 March 2022). "Rachel Chinouriri Releases New Single 'All I Ever Asked'". Broadway World. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  21. ^ Qureshi, Arisa (13 March 2022). "Rachel Chinouriri shares dreamy new single 'All I Ever Asked'". NME. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  22. ^ Rowley, Glenn (31 January 2023). "An Indie Artist Just Snagged an Opening Slot on Lewis Capaldi's Tour with a Drunk DM". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  23. ^ "Rachel Chinouriri Concert History". Concert Archives. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  24. ^ a b Kelly, Tyler Damara (18 January 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri announces her debut album, What A Devastating Turn of Events". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  25. ^ a b Carter, Daisy (19 January 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri unveils Florence Pugh-starring video for 'Never Need Me'". DIY. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  26. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (28 February 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri shares title track from debut album, What A Devastating Turn Of Events". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  27. ^ Damara Kelly, Tyler (19 April 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri shares final album teaser, 'It Is What It Is'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100 on 10/5/2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 10/5/2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  30. ^ Pandey, Manish (24 May 2024). "Big Weekend: Chase & Status provide Friday fireworks". BBC. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  31. ^ Firth, Abigail (3 July 2024). "RACHEL CHINOURIRI'S LUNCHTIME OTHER STAGE SET IS A ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTION AT GLASTONBURY 2024". Dork. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  32. ^ Mandivengerei, Paidashe (26 July 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter announces UK/EU tour with support from Rachel Chinouriri". NewZimbabwe.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Rachel Chinouriri". Fred Perry US. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  34. ^ Cohen, Danielle (25 March 2024). "Q&A: Rachel Chinouriri on New Album and Indie Sleaze". The Cut. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  35. ^ Van Dyke, Isobel (18 January 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri on her debut album, cancel culture and drunk texting". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  36. ^ "Five Things You Didn't Know About Rachel Chinouriri". Hunger. 22 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  37. ^ Riffo-Drecksel, Ceceli (14 February 2022). "A Conversation with Rachel Chinouriri". KCR College Radio. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  38. ^ a b c Aubrey, Elizabeth (12 March 2024). "NewDad, Cardinals, Enola Gay and Rachel Chinouriri issue statements on SXSW 2024 boycott: "Support victims of war"". NME. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  39. ^ a b Collins, Riyah (12 March 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri latest artist to quit SXSW festival". BBC Newsbeat. BBC. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  40. ^ "RACHEL CHINOURIRI". Official Charts. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  41. ^ "Four° In Winter by Rachel Chinouriri". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  42. ^ "Mama's Boy - EP by Rachel Chinouriri". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  43. ^ "Better Off Without by Rachel Chinouriri". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  44. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  45. ^ "Animals (feat. Rachel Chinouriri) [MK Remix] - Single by Preditah". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  46. ^ "KAM-BU And Rachel Chinouriri Join Forces On Smouldering Rap Cut "Struck"". Trench Trench Trench. 9 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  47. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (3 September 2021). "Conducta links with Rachel Chinouriri on new track 'Right Together'". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  48. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  49. ^ Phillips, Lucy (1 May 2024). "Rachel Chinouriri has announced a UK mini-tour in support of her debut album 'What A Devastating Turn Of Events'". Dork. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  50. ^ "Sabrina Carpenter announces UK/EU tour with support from Rachel Chinouriri". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
[edit]
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