Rachel Chinouriri | |
|---|---|
_(53838112030)_(cropped).jpg) Chinouriri in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1998-11-01)1 November 1998 (age 27)[1] Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, England |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Labels | Parlophone |
| Website | www |
Rachel Chinouriri (born 1 November 1998; pronounced/ˌtʃɪnəˈriːri/,CHIN-ə-REE-ree)[5] is an English singer-songwriter. After posting numerous songs onSoundCloud, she began releasing music on major streaming platforms in 2018. She released her debutextended play (EP),Mama's Boy, in 2019 to critical acclaim. One of the songs from the EP, "So My Darling", received attention onTikTok when it became a popular audio to use.
Chinouriri was signed toParlophone, with whom she released her debut mini-album,Four° In Winter, in 2021. Its single "Give Me A Reason" was nominated for aIvor Novello Award in the category "Best Contemporary Song".[6] She then released her second EP,Better Off Without, in 2022. Chinouriri released her debut studio album,What a Devastating Turn of Events, in May 2024,[7] followed by the EPLittle House in April 2025.
Chinouriri was born inKingston Hospital on 1 November 1998. Her family later moved to theForestdale area ofCroydon,[7] where she was raised from the age of three.[8] Her family had moved to UK fromZimbabwe shortly prior to her birth, and she experienced a "traditional African upbringing".[9] Her upbringing led her to be curious aboutBritish culture, specifically its music, and as a teenager, she became influenced by the discographies ofDaughter andLily Allen.[9] At the age of 17, Chinouriri began writing songs and recorded them on a £20 microphone, uploading them to the music-sharing websiteSoundCloud via her mother's laptop.[9]
Chinouriri began formally releasing various singles on majorstreaming platforms in 2018, which led to her being signed toParlophone.[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 onBBC Radio 1.[9] She was then announced as an act atField 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 debutextended 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 theafterlife.[15] She played atDot to Dot Festival andPitchfork Music Festival that year. The song "Beautiful Disaster", featuring Sam Dotia, was released in July 2012. Tom Bibby ofYuck 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 adeluxe 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 appTikTok, 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'sClara 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 theGreat Escape Festival andBoardmasters Festival, and also had a gig supportingSam Fender.
In early 2023, Chinouriri was one of the openers forLewis 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, includingLatitude Festival,Truck Festival,Kendal Calling,Connect Music Festival, andAll Points East. Later that year, she was selected as one of the openers forLouis Tomlinson on the Europe leg of hisFaith 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 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 theUK Albums Chart,[28] and at number 5 on theScottish Albums Chart during the week starting from 10 May 2024.[29] Also in May, the artist performed as one of the headliners on theIntroducing Stage atBBC Radio 1'sBig Weekend festival inLuton.[30] In June, Chinouriri played on the Other Stage atGlastonbury Festival 2024, playing both her own songs and a cover ofEstelle'sAmerican Boy.[31] In July, it was announced that she would be the opener for the United Kingdom and European leg of theShort n' Sweet Tour bySabrina Carpenter.[32]
On 7 February 2025, Chinouriri released a new version of "All I Ever Asked", recorded in collaboration with American singer-songwriterSombr.[33] On 4 April 2025, Chinouriri released the EPLittle House, consisting of four tracks including the single "Can We Talk About Isaac?". Chinouriri has mentioned the EP is written about her "dreams of maybe having a little house with my future partner."[34] On 28 November 2025, she released the song "Little House" as the final song fromLittle House.
Chinouriri grew up listening to indie music, pop girl groups such asGirls Aloud,The Saturdays and theSugababes; African a cappella;[35]Britpop bands likeOasis,Blur, andThe Libertines;[36] as well as the likes ofV V Brown andNoisettes.[37] She citedDaughter andLadysmith Black Mambazo among her main influences,[38] whileColdplay is her favourite band.[39] She has also expressed an admiration forSampha,[40]Kings of Leon, andPhoenix. For her debut album, Chinouriri took inspiration from the sonic and visual aesthetics of the noughties Britpop culture and icons of her childhood.[7]
In March 2024, Chinouriri was one of the acts who decided to boycott theSouth by Southwest music festival inAustin, Texas, over the event's sponsorship deal with theUS Army and major defense contractors, and in protest against theGaza genocide.[41][42] In a statement of social media, Chinouriri explained her decision by stating that the topic of war was "extremely triggering" for her,[41] as both her parents had served aschild soldiers in Zimbabwe beforeemigrating to the United Kingdom;[42] she also encouraged fans to "support victims of war in any capacity".[41]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [43] | ||
| What a Devastating Turn of Events |
| 17 |
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Four° in Winter[44] |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Mama's Boy[45] |
|
| Better Off Without[46] |
|
| Live at KOKO[47] |
|
| Little House |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [43] | ||||
| "What Have I Ever Done" | 2018 | — | Non-album single | |
| "So My Darling" | — | |||
| "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 | 46 | Better Off Without | |
| "Thank You for Nothing" | — | |||
| "Smithereens" (withBoyish) | — | 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" (withCat Burns) | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Can We Talk About Isaac?" | 2025 | — | Little House | |
| "What a Life" | — | |||
| "—" denotes recording that did not chart in that territory. | ||||
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Animals (MK Remix)"[49] (Preditah featuring Rachel Chinouriri) | 2019 | Non-album single |
| "Stuck"[50] (Kam-Bu featuring Rachel Chinouriri) | 2021 | Black on Black |
| "Right Together"[51] (Conducta featuring Rachel Chinouriri) | Non-album single | |
| "Can't Get Enough" (p-rallel featuring Rachel Chinouriri & Venna) | 2022 | Forward |
| "End of the Road" (The Snuts featuring Rachel Chinouriri) | Burn the Empire | |
| "Love Me in Chapters II" (Chrissi featuring Rachel Chinouriri) | 2023 | Non-album single |
| "Fairytale" (Mac Wetha featuring Rachel Chinouriri) | Mac Wetha & Friends 2 | |
| "Parachute"[52] (Shimza featuring Rachel Chinouriri) | 2024 | Non-album single |
| "Chameleon"[53] (Alemeda with Rachel Chinouriri) | 2025 | TBA |
Headlining
Supporting
| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brit Awards | Artist of the Year | Herself | Nominated | [57] |
| Best New Artist | Nominated |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| International | |
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| Artists | |
