Rachel Chinouriri Shares Debut Album 'What a Devastating Turn of Events'
With the album, the artist also announced a November UK headline tour.
By: Josh Sharpe May. 03, 2024
Rising British alternative indie-pop artist Rachel Chinouriri has released her long-awaited debut album What A Devastating Turn Of Events via Elektra.
What A Devastating Turn Of Events is a culmination of the experiences, challenges and joys of Chinouriri’s life so far, explored through the prism of musical stylings honed through years of experimentation and creation. Ever-eclectic and brutally honest, the album traverses life’s light and shade, the writing and sharing a healing process for Rachel, and she hopes, her listeners.
What A Devastating Turn Of Events features the singles “It Is What It Is,” “What A Devastating Turn Of Events,” “Never Need Me” and “The Hills.” The album was heralded by lead single “Never Need Me” which arrived alongside an official video starring Florence Pugh and received coverage from Harper's Bazaar, W Magazine, NYLON, Rolling Stone UK, and more. Her latest single “It Is What It Is” was named the “Coolest Pop Song of the Week” by Billboard, while BET praised the single as an “irresistible earworm.”
On releasing the album, Rachel shares, “This album is a culmination of the beginning of a journey I’ve been waiting to take for a while and to be honest, there were points where it might’ve not happened. I hope people are able to hear my potential and creativity and tune in for many more future albums. This album could’ve gone so many ways but I decided to try and make it reflect on my life and upbringing. I could’ve made it wonky, moody and more experimental but to get to this position has been such a struggle, especially being black and British… and now I’m just ready to have FUN. The topics are sad, but I felt like I was just so sad for years and now I feel like I’m healing and can just have fun and be free now. With releasing this album… I just feel so free and so happy. No matter what anyone thinks, I just am happy that I can hopefully perk more interest and continue to grow and flourish in music”.
Following a triumphant sold out headline show at London’s KOKO, and her sold out debut US headline shows in New York and LA, Rachel is currently back on the road for a run of intimate outstore dates in celebration of the release of What A Devastating Turn Of Events. See below for the full list of dates.
Rachel has also announced a new headline tour set to take place this November; she’ll play in Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton and play her biggest ever hometown show at London’s Kentish Town Forum. See below for full list of dates, find out more HERE.
On What A Devastating Turn of Events, Rachel Chinouriri is unflinching and mesmerizing as she invites us into her world and the experiences that have shaped her to become the person she is today. Despite facing up to the darkest parts of herself and her life - relationships, loneliness, regret, abuse, unconditional freedom, self harm, alcohol abuse and ultimately, death - Rachel asks us to consider the beauty amongst it all too.
The record examines the thoughts that had been swirling around her head: there are more long-standing themes of love, self-deprecation, unworthy exes and finding her boundaries in the album’s first half, but then in the second half, things get heavier.
“It’s a turning point,” she says, “Each song represents how you deal with trauma, but on the second half it’s when you get bad news and your world turns upside down.” This is an album which deals with grief, heartache, hurt, and what she calls the “worst-case scenarios” when these things are left unspoken for too long.
“I’m a lot better now,” she smiles, “And all of these topics don’t hurt me anymore, to a degree, but they shaped me and made me the person I am. When these things happen, you will never be the person you were before then, you adapt; and I think this album reflects that. It’s a healing tool, and I’m hoping people listening to it might feel less alone.”
In the process of learning to collaborate with other writers and producers in the creation of her debut album, Rachel was able to create the sonic world that she’d long been searching for. From soft acoustics to shiny indie pop to roaring scuzz, there’s her mellifluous vocal, the sumptuous harmonies, and even occasional bouts of cheeky, chatty speak-singing à la Kate Nash and Lily Allen, through which she builds upon her penchant for candid, lyrical songwriting.
What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ expansive palette was fleshed out with executive producer Rich Turvey (Blossoms, The Courteeners, The Coral), and co-credits include hip-hop behemoth Kenny Beats, and writers like Aaron “Apob” Paul O’Brien, Glen Roberts, Mary Weitz, and her long-term collaborator Daniel Hylton-Nuamah.
About Rachel Chinouriri
Rachel Chinouriri is one of the most exciting alternative indie-pop talents who made a name for herself as a leading ambassador of captivating and heartfelt songwriting. The London singer songwriter has amassed over 120 million streams to date and has been marked out as a true one to watch by being shortlisted for the BBC’s Sound of 2023 and the Ivor Novello Rising Star Award.
With her 2022 EP Better Off Without Rachel marked a return to her first genre love of indie, balancing the sadness of heartbreak with summery choruses of hope. Rachel also made her COLORS session debut, sharing her vulnerable single ‘Thank You For Nothing’, exploring the topic of alcohol abuse.
The critical success of 2021’s Four° in Winter EP marked out her capabilities as a stylistic amalgamator, praised across the likes of BBC Radio 1, The Guardian, Dazed, NME, and theneedledrop’s Anthony Fantano who named the EP his #1 project of 2021.
Over the past few years Rachel has sold out numerous headline shows, supported the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, Celeste, Tems and Kojey Radical, drawn adoring crowds at festivals including Glastonbury, Latitude, The Great Escape, Boardmasters, Cross The Tracks and more. With a fiercely loyal fanbase by her side, Rachel turns her attention to her debut album: the truest expression of her musical journey to date, she’s ready to share her realest, rawest self.
TRACKLISTING
- Garden Of Eden
- The Hills
- Never Need Me
- My Everything
- All I Ever Asked
- It Is What It Is
- Dumb Bitch Juice
- What A Devastating Turn Of Events
- My Blood
- Robbed
- Cold Call
- I Hate Myself
- So My Darling
Rachel Chinouriri 2024 live dates
Saturday 4th May - HMV Instore - The Vault, Birmingham
Monday 6th May - Rough Trade Outstore - The Fleece, Bristol
Tuesday 7th May - Rough Trade Instore - Rough Trade East, London
Wednesday 8th May - Vinilo Instore - Vinilo, Southampton
Thursday 9th May - Banquet Outstore - Kingston, Pryzm
Sunday 14th July - TRNSMT Festival - Glasgow, UK
Thursday 18th July - Gurtenfestival - Bern, Switzerland
Saturday 3rd August - AppleTree Garden Festival - Diepholz, Germany
Friday 9th August - Syd For Solen Festival - Copenhagen, Denmark
Friday 16th August - MS Dockville Festival - Hamburg, Germany
Saturday 17th August - Lowlands Festival - Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
Friday 23rd August - Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK
Sunday 25th August - Reading Festival - Reading, UK
Tuesday 12th November - Oran Mor - Glasgow, UK
Wednesday 13th November - O2 Academy 2 - Birmingham, UK
Thursday 14th November - The Old Market - Brighton, UK
Saturday 16th November - Kentish Town Forum, London UK
Photo Credit: Lauren Harris
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