Laurène southe
After the release of her latest EP ‘Better Off Without’ in 2022, Indie singer Rachel Chinouriri sweeps her listeners off their feet and wooes them yet again with a new heart-warming single ‘Maybe I’m Lonely.’ Right on time for the valentine season, Rachel explores the depths of loneliness and unveils a melodic perspective on the matter throughout the course of her song. This is Rachel’s first solo single from the year 2023 and the singer is already setting her bars high, proving the world that she has more relatable stories to tell and an impactful voice that will not be put to silence.
Rachel Chinouriri is a British singer from Croydon who slowly rose to stardom after posting a few of her self-written songs on SoundCloud in 2016. Much like her American peer SZA, Rachel has a smoothing voice that indulges in break up and romantic themes. During SoundCloud’s glory days, the starlet first had her foot in RnB before switching to more experimental sounds and eventually settling with indie pop music.
One of her defining moments last year was when Rachel took the virtual stage of COLORS and performed her most intimate track yet ‘Thank You For Nothing.’ This was preceded by the drop of her well-received EP ‘Better Off Without’, a four-track long collection of witty takes, which perhaps could have been interpreted as a hint for what Rachel plans to explore next.
Maybe I’m Lonely
Throughout the duration of her song ‘Maybe I’m Lonely’, Rachel Chinouriri tackles one of the most universal emotions felt across the world which is loneliness. At times, loneliness can bring one to endeavour into situations that might not be of best interest and Rachel is evidently falling for a situation here, trying to fill the void from inside. In her own tone, Rachel addresses a position in which one often places oneself, in fear of remaining alone during seasons such as valentine’s day. Rather than taking a more common route which is a bitter breakup song or a fresh start into a new relationship anthem to begin the valentine season, Rachel sings her soul about a subject people often tend to run away from.
Unlike what some may demand out of her, Rachel finds her strength in simplicity and sticks with only a few words to translate a copious amount of hidden feelings. This is one of her magic tricks that has maintained throughout her career, while she continues to prevail with thoughtful yet short lyrics to display the layers of her thought process. With a few words to entail such a strong message, the Croydon singer doesn't leave any room for interpretation and makes sure that her feelings come across.
Perhaps her strongest point is how pure and genuine she presents herself. Rachel is aware of her imperfections when she shares; "I try too hard to pretend that I never cry" and she is not afraid to appear vulnerable; "Sometimes I shy away from the flowers and butterflies." It is those qualities that make Rachel stand out and truly an artist cut of her own cloth. The Indie Pop musician is never afraid to reveal her biggest fears and lays it all on the table for listeners to feel as though they are not alone with their own struggles.
In continuation of her past get-togethers, Rachel makes use of her pal Glen Roberts and long-time collaborators HYNLU to compose this mastery. In addition, an individual named Benjamin Francis Leftwich has been also credited as a co-writer. Although not much is revealed about the process of her song, we can only imagine how these different ears must have brought Rachel's earliest takes to life and really helped shape the vision she had started.
The thing about an artist like Rachel Chinouriri is she isn’t trying to convince you of anything - instead, she’s leaving her door wide open and you may either dive into an emotional storm of self-liberation or watch from the sideline. This is because a star on the rise like Rachel comes as pure as they come, unwilling to fit the status quo and prefer to build a movement of their own. All in all, ‘Maybe I’m Lonely’ is the best way to start a new journey which may bring listeners to tears; however, it will never disappoint sonically.
You can listen to her single 'Maybe I'm Lonely' here.