Rachel Chinouriri, Croydon singer-songwriter is preparing to follow up a debut album that drew high-profile support, having navigated a childhood marked by racist bullying and later industry pigeonholing. The artist has described how those early experiences informed both her public persona and creative choices, and she says recent work reflects a clearer sense of identity.
In October 2017 Chinouriri experienced her first major performance-related panic attack while opening for Celeste at the members’ club Laylow in London. Faced with a sudden breakdown backstage, her manager suggested she leave, but she chose to perform despite feeling overwhelmed, later describing the set as delivered “half crying.” The incident marked an early professional milestone in which anxiety and resilience intersected for the singer-songwriter.
Chinouriri has traced performance anxiety back to her time at the Brit School, the performing-arts institution known for alumni such as Adele and Amy Winehouse. She has recalled that her first time singing for classmates ended in sobs, an experience that embedded both acute embarrassment and a determination to keep performing. Those formative moments, she says, helped recalibrate expectations about what could go wrong onstage and demonstrated that many feared outcomes did not materialise.
Across interviews and public statements, Chinouriri has described a process of learning to separate industry pressures from personal artistic priorities. She has acknowledged episodes of being pigeonholed as she established her musical voice, but also credited sustained support from peers and advocates for helping her advance creatively. The forthcoming material follows a debut that earned mainstream attention, and Chinouriri frames the new phase of her career as one in which she has greater clarity about her work and self-presentation.
