- 2023-10-12
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MUSIC
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Rachel Chinouriri Premieres New Song “The Hills” on BBC Radio 1
British singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri premiered a new song “The Hills” on BBC Radio 1's Future Sounds with Clara Amfo on October 11, 2023.
The song will appear on her upcoming debut album.
The track was written by Aaron Shadrow, Mary Weitz, and Rachel Chinouriri. Produced by Aaron Shadrow and Rich Turvey.
The song was written based on her realization that she felt out of place during a long period of time in Los Angeles far away from London, and draws about her identity and comfortable in her hometown London.
Rachel Chinouriri said of the song, “I wrote 'The Hills' about the feeling of not belonging and being out of place. I was in LA having a pretty terrible time. I didn't feel like I connected with many people musically or in general, and I was stressed out about lots of things in my personal life. I also love being at home, and felt very out of place.”- She continued, “After a month in LA, I was having my last session and it was going very bad… I was texting Aaron Shadrow in the session… one of the few people I really connected with creatively, we made a plan to leave and he took me to his house and I just told him how I felt. He just started playing the guitar and drums and I started writing about how I felt and in that moment I realized the UK truly is my home.”
She added, “Despite how alienated I've felt at times because of my race, battles and experiences, in that moment I realized where I enjoyed being was around my friends and loved ones in London. I was writing this in the hills and I felt like no matter how beautiful of a home I was in, in the LA hills, I stuck out like a sore thumb and that was the beginning of the end of this album... a project I started with a song about how I wanted to find my home.” -
The accompanying music video was directed by Jake Erland.
Rachel Chinourir said of the video, “I always grew up wondering if I'd ever see black girls making music videos like Lily Allen, or Kate Nash, or seeing black women in bands who made music like Coldplay, so in a way this video pays homage to videos like “Lily Allen - LDN” and “Coldplay - scientist”. My nostalgia of seeing people walking around LDN / England made me want to do it. I've made it back home and I guess it's a celebration, maybe bittersweet but at least I'm back where I belong...” - source : BBC Radio 1
