Rachel Chinouriri announces debut LP ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ and shares new single ‘Never Need Me’

Rachel Chinouriri has announced her debut album ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ and shared her new single ‘Never Need Me’.

• READ MORE: Rachel Chinouriri has finally come home

The track is the second song to be released, following the LP’s lead single ‘The Hills’. Featuring a soaring indie pop sound, Chinouriri sings: “In my head you can do what you like / Oh no, I couldn’t care what you do with your life / I hope you just take it easy / I hope that you never need me”, as an ode to putting yourself first despite caring deeply about another person.

Speaking about ‘Never Need Me’ in a press release, Chinouriri said: “I made this song with a sense of heartbreak but empowerment. It’s about taking your power back the moment you realise that helping someone is actually hurting you because they aren’t willing to change.”

She continued: “Sometimes you end up enabling someone instead of actually helping them and carrying their load is tough. ‘Never Need Me’ is the moment you wish them well but you can’t continue to harm yourself by helping them. It’s always a tough decision to make but once you make it, it’s a weight lifted off your shoulders for sure.”

Her debut album ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ is set for release on May 3 via Parlaphone/Atlas Artists and is available for pre-order now.

Speaking about the LP in a press release, Chinouriri said: “It’s finally here. The moment most musicians dream of when they’re a child. I can’t believe it’s real in a way, but I’m proud of it. ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ should feel like discovering a personal journey of all the hardship and struggles that have ultimately made me the person I am today.”

She continued: “I was lost when I first made this album, when I felt so lost within myself but also in London. I was on a search to find myself and I can say I’ve managed to do that by the end of this process and have found a love for myself that I never thought was possible. I feel fortunate enough to be able to document that process and have it in physical form and sound. Hopefully it’ll help other people realise that it takes tough times, self accountability, betrayal and uncomfortable moments to finally get to a point of true self love. I’m more than ready for the next chapter.”

‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ track list is: 

1. ‘Garden Of Eden’

2. ‘The Hills’

3. ‘Never Need Me’

4. ‘My Everything’

5. ‘All I Ever Asked’

6. ‘It Is What It Is’

7. ‘Dumb Bitch Juice’

8. ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’

9. ‘My Blood’

10. ‘Robbed’

11. ‘Cold Call’

12. ‘I Hate Myself’

13. ‘Pocket’

14. ‘So My Darling’

Chinouriri was the star of this week’s NME Cover story. Speaking to journalist Alex Rigotti, the singer shared that she wants to recreate the visual and sonic aesthetics of the noughties on her debut and took inspiration from British pop culture icons such as Alexa Chung, Oasis, and The Libertines.

“It’s me trying to relive the place I grew up in, but also understand that those things caused me so much trauma,” she said. “Even though I was having some of the worst times of my life, when I heard songs like [Phoenix’s] ‘1901’ or [Kings Of Leon’s] ‘Sex on Fire’, they used to make me so happy. I wanted an album that felt as nostalgic as those songs.”

She also compiled an exclusive playlist for NME to accompany this week’s Cover story.

The playlist is titled ‘Noughties Nostalgia’ featuring tracks from a wealth of that era’s leading artists, including Kelis (‘Trick Me’), Lily Allen (‘LDN’) and Duffy (‘Mercy’). Listen to the full playlist here.