Get To Know: CARI

Introducing CARI, one of the voices spearheading a new wave of UK R&B. Armed with her electric guitar, CARI delivers a distinctive blend of soulful melodies, rich instrumentation and deeply personal storytelling. Her talent extends far beyond her  voice; she is equally compelling as an instrumentalist and a lyricist, crafting songs that  feel both intimate and immersive. 

Her musical journey began long before her debut single, ‘Colder in June’, a record that  captures the emotions of experiencing her first heartbreak. For CARI, songwriting has  always been a way to process what she feels. 

“It feels like something that allows me to take really hard parts of life and put it into a  package that I can live with,” she explains. “Like a breakup is crazy, but when you talk  about it in a song, it kind of makes it easier.” 

That instinct to translate emotion into music is rooted in her upbringing. West London  native, CARI’s love for music began in childhood. Growing up around gospel music at  church, she found herself drawn to both singing and playing instruments from an early age.

“I’ve always loved language, and I grew up in church,” she says. “Those two things that I  love just kind of coalesced. I started out playing the drums and piano, and I always  loved the musicians.” Those early experiences laid the groundwork for the musician she would later become,  someone who treats instrumentation not just as accompaniment, but as a core part of  her storytelling. That same passion has already led to major moments early in her career. CARI recently  supported Destin Conrad, contributing an interlude to his album and joining him on  tour. Along the way she has also begun catching the attention of notable names,  including Kendrick Lamar, while also receiving support from peers within the UK R&B  scene such as kwn and Sasha Keable. 

Despite the growing attention, CARI remains drawn to the intimacy of live performance,  especially the connection that comes from smaller rooms. 

“I feel like I can see everyone,” she says. “Sometimes when it's very big and the lights  are up; you can't actually lock eyes with people. I really enjoy that. It makes me feel  comfortable enough to relax and let my personality show a little bit.” That connection was especially clear during her recent BRITs Week performance  supporting kwn, part of the fundraising series for War Child UK. “It was beautiful,” she says. “I feel like the audience was so receptive to what I have to  give. Sometimes especially as support it can feel like you're trying to win over a crowd  that don't know you yet, but this crowd seemed open, sweet and receptive.” 

Her lyricism also shines in moments like her interlude on Destin Conrad’s album, where  she sings: 

“F*ck the gap, man, I'm tryna bridge it/ Know the sand gon' run out any minute/ And it  should feel like a honeymoon/ But it feels like a ticket straight to hell for two.” CARI describes her sound as progressive R&B, a label that reflects just how expansive  her sonic palette is. Rather than sitting within the genre’s traditional boundaries, her  music stretches across moods and textures, allowing each song to exist in its own emotional world. 

That freedom is something she has been intentional about protecting from the  beginning. 

“I’ve always loved rock,” she explains. “When The Script first came out, I loved them.  Even though my vocal language is R&B and I grew up in the church, it feels really  liberating to pull from different genres. Artists shouldn’t feel like they can only make x, y  or z. I do think you have to insist upon freedom when you're creating. Explore all those  things so you’re not tied into one sound.”

Tracks like ‘Bleeding’ carry an eerie, almost haunting atmosphere, while ‘Over and Over’  contrasts light, folk-like instrumentation with lyrics that capture the exhausting feeling  of being trapped in a cycle you can’t escape. 

Inspiration for her songwriting often comes from beyond music too. A self-proclaimed  film lover, CARI says cinema regularly finds its way into her creative process. 

“I'm a big movie buff. I go to the cinema a lot, by myself,” she says with a laugh. In fact, ‘Luvhiii’ pushed her to write from a completely different perspective than usual. 

“Historically all of my music has genuinely been based on my feelings and thoughts  towards something, my direct lived experience,” she explains. “I think that is genuinely  the first song I've ever made that I didn't feel like I was talking directly from my lived  experience at the time. I did genuinely try to put myself in the shoes of someone else.” 

These songs all appear on her debut EP Flux, a seven–track project that showcases the  breadth of her artistry. Moving across different sonic landscapes, the record never feels  scattered; the common thread throughout is CARI’s exceptional command of language.  Her writing places listeners directly inside her emotional experience, making every line  feel lived-in and deeply personal. 

Each instrument she plays also carries its own emotional weight. 

“The piano is something that I actually underestimated a little bit,” she says. “Even  playing it in the capacity that I have been, I’ve been adding piano here and there. I added  piano to my interlude with Destin Conrad. It just felt really good. It’s a different  instrument that brings out certain things in me.” 

Collaboration has also played an important role in her creative journey so far. Reflecting  on working with Destin Conrad, she says the experience felt particularly natural. 

“He really gave me freedom to do what I would do,” she says. “It felt really liberating.  Like even though I'm doing what I'm doing, it could still have a home in what he's doing.” 

At the heart of CARI’s music, however, is a willingness to be vulnerable. While she jokes  that her Caribbean upbringing might normally encourage her to keep her personal life  private, music provides a space where honesty feels easier to share. 

“I think in my music I’m super vulnerable,” she says. “Everyone has gone through  heartbreak, so when you think about it, why is it so embarrassing to speak about? Music  just feels like a place where I can share those real experiences.” 

As her catalogue grows, CARI continues to embrace the freedom that comes with  expressing every part of her story through music, a space where vulnerability becomes  strength and listeners are invited into the emotional world she builds with each record. 

Fans already have something new to anticipate. During her performance in Brighton for  the 2026 BRITs Week celebrations, CARI debuted an unreleased single for the crowd. 

Asked when the track might arrive, she laughs: “Soon. Soon. Really soon. To be fair, we  don’t actually have a date right now, but we know it’s within the next month and a half.”