Can we talk about Rachel Chinouriri?

Featured Image Credits: Yana Van Nuffel

Who is Rachel Chinouriri? 

This is a question you may have been asking yourself for the last couple of months. 

Here's some necessary context: the English singer-songwriter recently featured as the support act for the UK leg of Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ tour, thrusting her in front of tens of thousands a night. Before that, Florence Pugh starred beside Chinouriri in the music video for ‘Never Need Me’ in January 2024. 

So, somewhere along this timeline, the question might’ve cropped up in your mind. Or, maybe, this article is the first time you’ve ever heard of her.

Yet, like most ‘overnight sensations’, Chinouriri’s rise to fame has been almost a decade in the making.

Chinouriri was born in '98 and raised in Croydon by Zimbabwean parents. So, as a child she was surrounded by peak '00s Brit culture; it’s a childhood she claims she wants to “relive [...] but also understand that those things caused [her] so much trauma.” Chinouriri experienced bullying due to the colour of her skin, growing up as one of only six students of colour in her secondary school. Continuing to feel isolated at home, Chinouriri turned to music. 

In 2018, she began releasing singles on streaming platforms, garnering attention from Parlophone, with whom she then signed with. The 2018 single ‘So My Darling’ was her debut release after signing to Parlophone. While the song did receive airtime, it didn’t hit its peak popularity until 2021, when an acoustic rendition went viral. However, it did cement her in 2018 as an indie up-and-comer to keep a close eye on - one who was promising exciting prospects for the future. 

The follow-up single, ‘Adrenaline,’ was released in 2019 and increased the tempo from her first hit. Working with “an amazing young creative called Nwaka” for the music video, Chinouriri was hard at work to establish her position as a dreamlike, indie-pop icon. 

There was a steady stream of new music from Chinouriri in 2019, with the single ‘Mama’s Boy’ in May and an EP under the same name in September. The EP included the already released ‘Adrenaline,’ plus an acoustic version of this track, as well as two others: ‘Riptide’ and ‘Good Enough.’ It’s a blend of dreamy, dancey, bedroom-pop tracks, with some slower, sensitive ones; all featuring thoughtful lyrics and ethereal synths.

Following the EP was ‘Where Do I Go,’ released only two months after ‘Mama’s Boy’ in November '19. With a contemplative piano, accompanying strings and her signature ethereal synths, this track demonstrated Chinouriri’s ability to not only consistently release music but at a high quality too. 

Throughout 2020 and 2021, she released several singles building towards her next project, with accompanying music videos for five of the tracks. Her second EP, ‘Four° In Winter’, was released in April '21. Like the title suggests, this EP has a cooler sound than previous releases - blue-toned and darker. The tracks feature substantial electronic influences and are rife with rhythmic percussion, otherworldly harmonies, and ambient synths. The lyrics delve into Chinouriri’s mental health and even her struggles with suicidal ideation.

Image Credit: Miss Ohio

After this EP, Chinouriri wouldn’t release another cohesive collection of tracks until her debut album in 2024. In the meantime, she maintained a steady output of singles and collaborations with the likes of Hak Baker, KAM-BU, p-rallel, and Boyish. These collaborations presented opportunities for Chinouriri to experiment with her sound, leaning into UK Garage on her tracks with Conducta and Mac Wetha, respectively. 

October 2023 saw the true beginning of her debut album’s iconography and aesthetic with the release of the first true single from the album, ‘The Hills.’ Yes, technically ‘All I Ever Asked,’ one of Chinouriri’s most popular songs from ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events,’ had already dropped in 2022, but it wasn’t packaged with Chinouriri’s signature English imagery: flags, quintessentially British attached houses, and Chinouriri in a zip-up tracksuit jacket. There was a vision with this body of work, and Chinouriri seamlessly delivered it. It is truly a love letter to the Britcore '00s.

The journey to the debut album wasn't easy. Chinouriri has discussed the various obstacles she has had to overcome because of her race, e.g., critics have often categorised her as a ‘jazz’ or ‘soul’ artist, despite her sound not fitting within either genre.

“From the start, my manager, who is a white man, told me that it would be a struggle to get the message across, and I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. But within two years, I did feel like I was trying to swim against the stream, and it did get me down. [...] I’m friends with so many white female artists in the industry, and they already have a tough time. We’ll talk about the same struggles, but I would talk about my added ones, and it became a hard thing to swallow, to realise mine were simply because of my race.” - Chinouriri to Rolling Stone UK. 

“My music is not R&B. My music is not soul. My music is not alternative R&B. My music is not neo soul. My music is not jazz. Black artists doing indie is not confusing. You see my colour before you hear my music."

But Chinouriri has persisted, sticking true to her English-indie vision and to herself; Chinouriri is blazing a trail for generations of black artists to come, and January '25 ushered in a full circle moment for the BRIT school alum when she received not one but two Brit Nominations: Best New Artist and Artist of the Year.

Image Credits: Lauren Harris

March '25 brought an amazing opportunity for Chinouriri to gain further exposure: supporting Sabrina Carpenter for the European leg of her ‘Short n’ Sweet’ tour. Travelling all over the UK, playing shows in France, Germany, and Sweden to name a few, presented Chinouriri to an all new audience, and they loved her. At least 13 tracks from ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events’ have surpassed a million spotify streams, and throughout March and April the album kept beating its own highest streaming day, setting new peaks on the regular. 

Despite hitting new peaks of her career, Chinouriri didn’t waste any time basking in success, but rather kept her work ethic consistent, dropping a new EP on 4th April.

Just in time for spring. 

The EP titled ‘Little House,’ is green and sunny, with lyric videos of Chinouriri frollicking in lush fields, clutching a bouquet of flowers. It features the already released ‘Can We Talk About Isaac?’ as well as some new tracks. Chinouriri fans will recognise some signature elements like her classic alt/indie guitars, whether acoustic or electric, and the rich, warm timbre of Rachel’s voice.

An overview of her career that had its humble beginning from bedroom-pop dreams exemplifies how deserving Chinouriri is of her success. Paving the way for both black-indie artists and young black girls with similarly big dreams, Chinouriri is truly an artist you want to root for. While I would recommend deep diving into her entire discography, if you don’t have the time, I would start with ‘Can We Talk About Isaac?’ Not only is it a summery, indie-pop banger with mega-catchy, screeching guitar riffs, but the visualiser is probably the sweetest thing you’ve seen in a while, featuring brief cameos from Isaac himself. 

So now you're all caught up to speed with the English singer-songwriter, sit back and watch her career reach new heights. 

A true reflection of Chinouriri's hard work and passion.