Rachel Chinouriri – What a Devastating Turn of Events

Rachel Chinouriri is back to bless our ears with some fresh tunes on her brand new album What a Devastating Turn of Events. Known for her soft, sultry vocals and powerful lyricism, with a sound influenced by her upbringing in South London, Chinouriri nothing short of delivers in her latest release: from heartbreak to love to loss, the artist covers it all with her emotionally-in-touch writing.

The album opens with Garden of Eden, a track that draws you in and builds a sense of trust, with a gentle sample of birds singing and an addictive vocal riff on repeat in the background. A beat enters quickly before the song explodes with emotion and enchanting sound. The production build is excellently done, with talking samples thrown in throughout. It emanates the artist’s effortless aura and sets the record off to a strong start.

The next number, The Hills, is very different to the last, with a more punk-rock energy. This complete 180 is a clever artistic choice, as it informs the listeners early on that there will be lots of variation across the album, something which many fail to achieve. It’s safe to say Chinouriri has not come to play.

Next is Never Need Me. Released earlier this year, the track received an extra boost to fame with none other than actress Florence Pugh featuring in Chinouriri’s music video. Very different from the first two, Never Need Me fills the speaker with elements of electro-disco. This song holds a special place for the artist, who describes it as an empowering ode to taking back your independence when you realise someone you are protecting is hurting you more than you know.

Chinouriri follows with My Everything, which gives us unbothered and sassy, with the artist almost crossing over from singing to speaking. The tone of the melody contrasts with the story of the song, which seems to reminisce about a past relationship in which Chinouriri had put all of herself in but felt she got nothing back. Chinouriri knows how to touch on the harder topics and strikes a chord, quite literally, for many with her unapologetically honest words.

The rest of the album continues to wow – All I Ever Asked is the perfect track to plug into with some headphones. Its aching melody and samples dusted with reverb sit well in the ears and are the perfect sound hug for the listener. It Is What It Is cleverly incorporates a sample of what appears to be a voice memo from a friend. The namesake of the album, What a Devastating Turn of Events, pulls us in with its sultry intro and slow, sexy beat.

Another highlight comes from the beautiful, stripped-back My Blood. Focused on the struggles of self-confidence, Chinouriri translates into music what is so difficult for many of us to put into words. With a chorus of violin and cello accompaniment, this is the masterpiece of the collection. Not much can sum up the beauty of the writing except – simply stunning.

Chinouriri closes the album with an easy, gentle track, So My Darling. With wandering guitar picking and angelic non-lexical vocables, she invites the mind to wander, too, ending on a relaxed note.

One can certainly hear the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the making of What a Devastating Turn of Events – Chinouriri has managed to craft an expert piece of art that hits all the sweet spots of our musical craving.

Emily Downie
Image: Lauren Harris

What a Devastating Turn of Events is released on 3^rd May 2024. For further information or to order the album visit Rachel Chinouriri’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Never Need Me here: