Rachel Chinouriri is pop's next big thing
album review of 'What a Devastating Turn of Events'
2024 has been a landmark year for a new generation of pop girls.
On August 24, a tweet declaring that “pop music is in good hands right now,” with images of Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, and Tate McRae, sparked conversations about the current pop landscape. One thing in particular stood out: the absence of a new Black pop star.
Enter Rachel Chinouriri.
In a perfectly timed response, the 25-year-old British singer-songwriter replied to the tweet with a clip of her single “Never Need Me,” quickly grabbing the internet’s attention.
Her tweet went viral, amassing over 95,000 likes. Since then, I’ve watched Chinouriri inch towards stardom through the sheer power of word of mouth. The goodwill she’s gained is increasing every day, and I reckon she’s on the verge of breaking out.
If Rachel Chinouriri isn’t on your radar yet, it’s time to start paying attention.
A LONG TIME COMING
My first encounter with Rachel Chinouriri came in July when a friend recommended me “Never Need Me,” which led me to her debut album What a Devastating Turn of Events. I took a listen and I was floored.
Chinouriri’s sound, storytelling, and personality all felt raw in a way that was genuine—none of that broad strokes version of relatability carefully designed to illicit an emotional response.
Take the opening track, “Garden of Eden.” Its title already vivid, and but even more striking when Chinouriri bolsters the visual metaphor with each succeeding line. “No matter what, your youth is gonna end,” she sneers.
Chinouriri likens adulthood to exile from the biblical paradise—once banished, one can only look back, but never return. The song captures the bleak realities of growing up and the strange breaking point where one feels too young to be an adult, yet too old to hang with the kids “throwing up in the garden.”
I notice a recurring theme of outgrowing one’s surroundings in her lyrics. In “The Hills,” she describes leaving a place that no longer serves you: “When you don’t belong, the hills will know.” It’s a song about searching for a home where one truly feels accepted, even if that means leaving behind familiar places and faces. Chinouriri’s personal journey—leaving for Los Angeles, only to realize that London was always where she belonged—inspired this narrative.
Sonically, Chinouriri is as quintessentially British as it gets. The accented talk-singing style of “It Is What It Is” is reminiscent of Lily Allen, while the grungy production on “Cold Call” is straight out of the 2000s British rock scene. “I was really inspired by “Politik” by Coldplay,” she confesses.
Yet, there’s so much more to mine in her music than just these vaguely British cues. “Garden of Eden” and “The Hills” can be read as a two-parter of a Black woman finding her place in British indie music. For years, Chinouriri has faced scrutiny and bias in the music industry, from being boxed her into soul and R&B genres because she’s Black to being told that she sounds too white.
This reading frames the album as something much more powerful, rather than just looking for a place to fit in, Chinouriri is actively making space for herself in a place she wants to call home.
The St. George’s Cross flags in the album art feels all the more intentional, serving as a means of for Chinouriri to reclaim her identity. “It definitely reflects my upbringing, my home, my life,” she remarks.
TURN OF EVENTS
Things take a darker turn at the halfway mark of the album.
The title track details the story of a Zimbabwean cousin who committed suicide after getting pregnant out of wedlock. “What a disappointing world she didn’t choose, with a man’s ego to bruise,” Chinouriri narrates, weaving in her commentary on patriarchy into the song’s heavy subject matter.
“It’s my blood that I do this for,” Chinouriri sings on the tender ballad “My Blood,” referencing her history with self-harm. Meanwhile, “I Hate Myself” continues the thread of self-doubt, as she declares, “I hate myself, I hate my skin.”
These lyrics not only explore Chinouriri’s personal anguish but also reflect her experience as a Black woman in Britain, raised by two immigrant parents. Beyond the literal blood she bleeds, she’s also acknowledging her Zimbabwean ancestry, something that ultimately empowers her to keep striving. This sense of empowerment is transformative: by the end of “I Hate Myself,” she shifts from singing “I hate my skin” to “I love my skin.
That’s not to say that only despair begets authenticity. Even in the album’s brighter moments, Chinouriri feels refreshingly honest. Be it the aforementioned “Never Need Me,” a fun kiss-off anthem with an equally fun music video starring Florence Pugh, or the Gen Z-coded “Dumb Bitch Juice,” she delivers all her stings with the utmost sincerity.
I also appreciate Chinouriri for embracing the art of the cathartic outro. “I won’t take these cold calls anymore,” she screams on “Cold Call,” not before repeating “anymore” five times, leaving a haunting resonance that lingers even after the song fades to silence.
OPENING DOORS
Next year, Chinouriri will be opening for Sabrina Carpenter on the European leg of her Short n’ Sweet Tour. In recent years, being the opening act for a major pop artist has proven to be a powerful launchpad—Carpenter herself skyrocketed after her stint on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, while 2024 breakout star Chappell Roan quietly built a following while opening for Olivia Rodrigo.
I have no doubt that opening for Carpenter will do wonders for Chinouriri.
Just look at her working a crowd:
In the meantime, Chinouriri is releasing a new collaboration “Even” with fellow British indie singer-songwriter Cat Burns on October 2nd. Stay tuned!
PS: I was born only a day apart from Rachel Chinouriri. Just felt like I had to insert this information somewhere. My fellow Scorpio sister, I see you.
Stream What a Devastating Turn of Events now!
Omg mention…
yes!! she is the moment and i’ve been loving her stuff lately. this was a great read! it was also a fun coincidence because i put “the hills” on my weekly playlist that will be up in a few hours. great minds think alike lol!