Rachel Chinouriri Shares New Single 'It Is What It Is'
This is the final preview of her long-awaited debut album, out May 3rd.
By: Josh Sharpe Apr. 19, 2024
Hotly tipped alternative indie pop artist Rachel Chinouriri has shared her new single “It Is What It Is,” the final preview of her long-awaited debut album What A Devastating Turn Of Events, out May 3rd via Elektra.
“It Is What It Is” channels Rachel’s frustrations about being messed around by a potential partner, featuring exasperated spoken word verses and voice notes from friends reminding her to know her worth. The release comes complete with a brand new visualizer and follows the album’s previous singles “What A Devastating Turn Of Events,” “Never Need Me” (with a video starring Florence Pugh) and “The Hills.”
About “It Is What It Is” Rachel shares: “Well, I was definitely in a petty mood. It’s interesting because humans are full of flaws and I have the privilege of going through therapy, which has massively helped me with my self development journey. However, there are those moments where you want to be so petty because someone’s done you wrong. I’ve learned I’m responsible for how I allow men to treat me because they feel I’m worthless enough to be treated that way and it’s a big F U to them as I’ve not discovered how much I deserve. I just feel annoyed I never got to say what I wanted and that’s fine… I have this song instead and it is what it is :)”
Following a triumphant sold out headline show at London’s KOKO and sold out debut headline shows in the US in New York and LA last month, Rachel will head back on the road from beginning April 30th for a run of UK and European dates in celebration of the release of What A Devastating Turn Of Events. See below for the full list of dates.
What A Devastating Turn Of Events has already racked up critical praise ahead of its release, with TIME naming the record one of their “Most Anticipated Albums of 2024” and promising “listeners are in for a treat.” Just last month, the artist was featured as The Cut's “It Girl” and recently appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone UK and NME.
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.
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
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 UK’s 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.
Rachel Chinouriri 2024 live dates
Tuesday, April 30th - Assai Outstore - SWG, Glasgow
Wednesday, May 1st - Reflex Outstore - Boiler Shop, Newcastle
Thursday, May 2nd - Crash Outstore - Academy 3, Manchester
Friday, May 3rd - Rough Trade Outstore - Metronome, Nottingham
Saturday, May 4th - HMV Instore - The Vault, Birmingham
Monday, May 6th - Rough Trade Outstore - The Fleece, Bristol
Tuesday, May 7th - Rough Trade Instore - Rough Trade East, London
Wednesday, May 8th - Vinilo Instore - Vinilo, Southampton
Thursday, May 9th- Banquet Outstore - Kingston, Pryzm
Sunday, July 14th - TRNSMT Festival - Glasgow, UK
Thursday, July 18th - Gurtenfestival - Bern, Switzerland
Saturday, August 3rd - AppleTree Garden Festival - Diepholz, Germany
Friday, August 9th - Syd For Solen Festival - Copenhagen, Denmark
Friday, August 16th - MS Dockville Festival - Hamburg, Germany
Saturday, August 17th - Lowlands Festival - Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
Friday, August 23rd- Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK
Sunday, August 25th - Reading Festival - Reading, UK
Photo Credit: Lauren Harris
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