\n\t\t\tTrending on Billboard\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n\tMaybe it\u2019s the self-assurance of a Scorpio who loves her craft deeply and fiercely, or the perspective that comes with being, at 27, something of a veteran in the U.K. music industry. Either way, Rachel Chinouriri moves with the confidence of someone who knows herself completely. \u201cI\u2019ve changed so much in the past few years, and that\u2019s actually a really special thing,\u201d she tells Billboard U.K.<\/em> \u201cI feel like a totally different person to who I was at 22. It is wild!\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\tAfter F1 Singapore Concert, Lana Del Rey Hints at Another Visit to Asia\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\tWatch Troye Sivan and Role Model Saddle Up and Sway to Troye’s New Track ‘Cowboy’\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\tRosal\u00eda’s ‘LUX’ Is Making Hailey Bieber ‘Wanna Throw Up in a Good Way’\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\tExplore\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\tOlivia Rodrigo\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\tRachel Chinouriri\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n\tIt is a Monday afternoon in late September, and we are perched on the balcony of a London wine bar, where Chinouriri is wrapping up an intensive run of press commitments. The only trace left of a content shoot earlier in the day is a smidge of smokey eye makeup, while a pair of black, ankle-shattering Jimmy Choo stilettos have been replaced with khaki trainers. The alcohol-free margaritas are flowing; the sun is shining on Chinouriri and her eyes are bright.<\/p>\n \n\tChinouriri\u2019s attitude to the transformative few years that birthed her incandescent new LP, I Think I Spoke Too Soon <\/em>(out Oct. 16 via Parlophone) is indicative of someone who has remained resolute throughout a career that has progressed in fits and starts. As she prepares for the release of her second album, which contains her most sophisticated and expansive music yet, she\u2019s in prime position to juggernaut towards main pop girl status \u2013 though this time around, there\u2019s a sense that the pieces are finally falling into place.<\/p>\n \n\tTake the British-Zimbabwean artist\u2019s star turn at Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s Daisy Chain Fieldss festival in Irvine, California, at the end of August. Performing in a metallic silver one-piece and channeling the sleek glamour of Kylie\u2019s Fever<\/em> era, she delivered a high-octane set that made clear why Rodrigo had singled her out for the event. Or there\u2019s the fact that Gracie Abrams is the latest pop superstar to offer Chinouriri an arena tour support slot, following Sabrina Carpenter two years ago. More recently, she made her Saturday Night Live U.K. <\/em>debut, while her marketing nous and command of Stan Twitter have cultivated a devoted, international online following, one that has translated into a streaming audience that skews heavily North American.<\/p>\n \n\tSonically, I Think I Spoke Too Soon<\/em> reflects that momentum. Where Chinouriri\u2019s 2024 full-length debut What a Devastating Turn of Events <\/em>was limned with spoken-word interludes and other traces of the intimate, lo-fi, indie-leaning EPs on which the singer made her name, her new album sounds and feels more propulsive, pulling from head-spinning pop, new age, rock and electronic sounds. There is a palpable shift in confidence, too, in how she approaches lyrical themes of mid-20s ennui and sobriety head-on. Anchored by an infernally catchy refrain, opener \u201cOne Song Away From Crying\u201d hits the ground running, and picks up steam as it incorporates stardust synths and syncopated rhythm shifts.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe winsome \u201cPretty Girls\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m a Star\u201d, a warm and fuzzy Elastica-style track, sit among the highlights; on \u201cBroken Chair,\u201d Chinouriri reckons with her relationship to alcohol and likens herself to discarded furniture left on the street to explore feelings of neglect. The album\u2019s genre-busting spirit is part of what makes Chinouri\u2019s early R&B categorisation among critics feel so limiting: as she has previously spoken about, being \u201cmislabelled\u201d because of her race left her feeling creatively out of pocket and insecure about her own musical inclinations.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI don\u2019t need to over-explain myself anymore,\u201d she says today. \u201cI\u2019ve said my piece, and if for some reason this album comes out and everyone goes, \u2018Ooh, she\u2019s doing R&B and soul\u2019, then I can\u2019t do anything \u2014 but at least I know I\u2019ve tried. I have my community who know who I am. Now it\u2019s time to just have some fun and a lil\u2019 boogie!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBelow, she speaks with Billboard<\/em> about her new album, her sobriety and her still-growing stateside audience. <\/p>\n You\u2019ve effectively grown up in the industry, and it\u2019s interesting to chart your progression as a person through your music. What\u2019s changed in your world since the last album?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019ve had so many new life experiences, and I\u2019ve travelled the world now in a way that I\u2019d never done before. I\u2019ve met so many people. At 22, I started drinking alcohol for the first time ever, and by 26, I was tee-total. There have been so many changes when it comes to discovering who as a woman, and who I\u2019m attracted to. I just loved solidifying who I am as a person through making this album.<\/p>\n Was there a specific moment that really spurred that way of thinking?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe first track I wrote for this record was \u201cThe Good Fight,\u201d and it plays out like this train of thought that follows me around [at an event], drunk. And then, from that moment on, is when I started doing my sobriety. I started to exercise more and got into a very healthy place in my relationship. I started unearthing the trauma I put myself through, and a lot of decisions I made through drinking: essentially, trying to be who I thought<\/em> I was rather than who I actually was. There\u2019s so many layers to these things!\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWhen you do this job, you don\u2019t have many days to yourself. I realised I was missing days off and not giving myself time to rest, which then affects my mood and how I treat people. One time I broke my little toe when I was hungover; I tripped into a door and smacked my head and just thought to myself, \u201cIf I wasn\u2019t hungover right now, this wouldn\u2019t have happened.\u201d I\u2019m also rarely at home with my boyfriend, so I don\u2019t always want to be tired. He doesn\u2019t deserve that.\u00a0<\/p>\n Did becoming sober change the way you experienced or understood industry situations?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI actually feel more comfortable at [industry events] now, because when I used to walk into those rooms, I think I would drink in order to help me deal with all the small talk, and the stress of being in a space like that. I almost had to tell myself to get a grip; like, \u201cYou\u2019re walking into a room of industry people who want to tell you, \u2018Hey, your music is awesome\u2019 and vice versa \u2013 it\u2019s OK!\u201d I\u2019ve started to see the world in a very different way and realized that, in these situations, I am actually someone who is very interested in other people and hearing what they\u2019re up to.<\/p>\n There are more intentional ties between your visual aesthetic and the music now compared to your previous output. Why has world-building become so important to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI love the fact that I can chuck on my wig and feel like the character of \u2018Rachel the pop star\u2019, or take it off to run to my local cafe in the morning. I\u2019m at a place where I want more sparkles, colourful things, silly songs, fun concerts, high heels and fan activations in my life. All of that makes the world feel a little better when it can feel like a very tough place.<\/p>\n What gave you the confidence to embrace this new, more \u201ccolourful\u201d side of yourself?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI think it was APOB [Aaron O\u2019Brien], my producer. But then shortly after we\u2019d come up with these blue, disco-style visuals, Harry Styles announced his new album [Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally<\/em>]. The day after he posted the artwork for it, I thought to myself, \u201cI\u2019m going to be in trouble on the internet!\u201d But then I decided to embrace it, because I think the universe puts out ideas and people grab them. Soon after, Madonna came back with Confessions II <\/em>and I watched the Kylie [Netflix] documentary and I just thought, \u201cOh my God, this is meant to be!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s a beautiful thing, really. Also, what was I even worried about? Harry Styles is gonna outsell the entire planet with whatever he does. I have my tiny little disco ball and he has his big stadium shows. But Harry, if you need someone else to join you on tour, I\u2019m ready!<\/p>\n You toured U.S. arenas for the first time in 2024, opening for Sabrina Carpenter. How did that experience inform the new album?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI think being part of one of the biggest tours of the year was absolutely mad. It was like Sabrina World everywhere we went and I f\u2013king loved it. You get to the hotel, they\u2019re playing \u201cEspresso.\u201d As soon as you walk out of the lobby and into a taxi, they\u2019re playing \u201cEspresso.\u201d You felt her presence across an entire city. It\u2019s so f\u2013king cool that she\u2019s been able to accomplish that after all these years. She works so hard and it was a beautiful experience to watch her perform.<\/p>\n Sabrina spent nearly a decade figuring out her sound before having a hit album. Do you see any parallels between your careers, in that you\u2019ve both put out a number of projects before honing your vision as an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tWe\u2019ve both been doing this for 10 years, and she\u2019s on album seven \u2013 I\u2019m just about to do number two! But it\u2019s seeing how much she\u2019s evolved and grown is phenomenal. I think there\u2019s this \u201c10-year plan\u201d thing some artists have, where maybe five years ago I thought I would have been bigger. But what I\u2019ve realized now, in my 10th year as an artist, is that my fan base is all that I need, and I\u2019ve made an album where I haven\u2019t had to make any compromises with my label. Exactly. They trust me with the sound, and the artwork is exactly what I wanted. I\u2019ve got so many albums left to do and so many things to see, I\u2019m not in a rush at all.<\/p>\n Streaming stats show that your music reaches an especially big audience in the U.S. What does performing there give you, both as an artist and personally?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI think they connect with the community aspect of what I represent. I\u2019m a Black woman in pop, unapologetically, and I\u2019m grateful I\u2019ve been able to build my career this way. I hope it helps people to feel they can do anything. I don\u2019t know what it is about New York in particular, but when I\u2019m walking down the street, people are like, \u201cOh my God, babe, we love you!\u201d It makes me feel at home. I feel like I have a real community there.\u00a0<\/p>\n We spoke to MNEK recently, who said that as a Black British artist, he finds that same community and freedom in Los Angeles. Could you envision yourself moving stateside?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI could do a year somewhere, but I\u2019m also someone who can move to a country for two months and be like, \u201cThat\u2019s enough for me.\u201d Maybe it\u2019s because I\u2019ve toured so much and my space. I know I\u2019d have potential in L.A. or New York, because of the amount of work I could get done. But I\u2019m like, \u201cDo I want to uproot my life for the sake of work?\u201d Those are fun places to be, but I come home to London and feel grounded when I am around my friends.<\/p>\n Olivia Rodrigo is also a big fan of yours, isn\u2019t she? We saw she commented on your Instagram post for the album announce and seems super supportive\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI texted her yesterday about some new music and she was so sweet. When we first met, we had coffee and sat outside together for ages, just yapping away. I was like, \u201cThis is insane. I love this girl.\u201d I actually need to send her a playlist of new U.K. artists, as she just loves absorbing music and culture. When I hear a random song that I think she\u2019ll like, I\u2019ll message her about it! She is super, super sweet.<\/p>\n \n\tWhen we first got in touch via Instagram, I was like, \u201cGirl, how the f\u2013k do you know who I am?\u201d She\u2019d heard my song \u201cAll I Ever Asked\u201d and really enjoyed it. She is just a music lover, through and through, and you can tell. She is so headstrong when it comes to defining her artistry and I think she really solidified that with making Daisy Chain Fields happen; it was such a special day, I cried so much and had such a beautiful response from the crowd. Olivia should be so proud.<\/p>\n How do you hope your journey will evolve from here?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019d love to double what I achieved touring-wise last year, that\u2019s the goal. But I know my fanbase is rooting for me really hard, and whatever they want me to achieve, I hope we\u2019re able to achieve. I\u2019ve come to realise that once you actually remove the pressure you\u2019re putting on yourself, you\u2019re actually just like, \u201cOh my God, this [job] is amazing.\u201d You don\u2019t have to play gigs and think, \u201cWas that my best performance? Did it go wrong?\u201d You don\u2019t need to hit every target; everything can start to feel really fun when you let the pressure roll off your back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/features\/rachel-chinouriri-new-album-olivia-rodrigo-interview-1236359821\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rachel-chinouriri-cr-yana-van-nuffel-billboard-1800.jpg?w=1024″] Trending on Billboard Maybe it\u2019s the self-assurance of a Scorpio who loves her craft deeply and fiercely, or the perspective that comes with being, at 27, something of a veteran in the U.K. music industry. Either way, Rachel Chinouriri moves with the confidence of someone who knows herself completely. \u201cI\u2019ve changed so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,226],"class_list":["post-2198028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-billboard-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2198028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2198028"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2198028\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2198028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2198028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2198028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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