Chxrry22 is walking through the busy streets of New York City on the eve of the release of her Siren EP.
Though she admits she’s exhausted from her “last-minute” flight from Los Angeles to the Big Apple earlier in the morning, there’s a sense of excitement about her second EP arriving in the coming hours.
Siren, out now on The Weeknd’s XO Records/Republic Records, is the follow-up to Chxrry22’s debut EP, The Other Side, released in September 2022. She began working on her second project a few months after issuing The Other Side.
“When I first started making this project, I started in December,” Chxrry22 tells Rated R&B over the phone, ironically with sirens wailing in the background. The brief time in between projects allowed her to take notes on how she wanted to proceed going forward.
“I had like three months in between to listen to it and to live with it,” she says. “That was the first body of work I ever put out. I was really new so I didn’t know much about how things translate in real life. So having to live with The Other Side, there were many things after that I was like, ‘Oh, next time I’m not going to do this,’ and ‘I’m not going to do that.’ I want to sound more powerful.”
Among her list of do’s for Siren was to lean more into her confident side and experiment more with her vocals. “I wanted to sound more present [and] more dominant,” she asserts. “I didn’t want to hide behind reverb anymore or anything like that. I just wanted it to be crystal clear.”
Siren consists of seven enthralling tracks, including the previously shared “More” and “Never Had This” featuring Vory. It also features a guest appearance from rapper Offset.
In Rated R&B’s interview with Chxrry22, the rising star talks more about Siren, her upcoming stadium tour dates with The Weeknd, her forthcoming debut album and more.
How would you compare your mindset going into The Other Side vs Siren?
I didn’t even have a mindset for The Other Side. I was like, “God, I hope this works.” With The Other Side, I was definitely more unsure and more hungry. I think you could hear that in songs like “The Other Side,” where I’m talking about: “You never know where you’ll be in five years.” I was really manifesting [and] talking myself down the ledge because, at the time, I didn’t believe half the things I was singing about.
I didn’t have that confidence. Now, I do because I’ve seen the growth. I see some results. I know what my fans want out of me. I know what they think of me. I want to put that in my music and get closer to them. Making Siren was a lot easier and fun because I got to be myself and tell all the fun stories that I wanted to tell without the pressure of, “Am I gonna make it?” (laughs).
I feel like once you’re in the door and you have somewhat of a fan base, it feels good to know somebody’s waiting on something from you. Honestly, my fan pages keep me going. They talk to me every day. They update me on things that I don’t even see. They’ll post my accomplishments. It makes you feel like, “Oh, okay, somebody’s watching and somebody’s waiting.”
What’s the inspiration behind the title Siren?
Originally, I didn’t name it Siren. I had a different name, which I won’t disclose because I might use it in the future. It was a very dominant and powerful name. I was talking to my friend and describing myself. I was like, “I just have siren energy.” Then I was just thinking on it like, “I need to name this project Siren because there’s so many women and people in general that fit the description of what a siren is.” I think it’s a cool way to tie it all in and put a name to this type of energy.
Sirens are known for their enchanting voices. How intentional were you with incorporating the sense of allurement into this project?
Very intentional. I feel like my perspective, my ways of writing, and the way I approach music is very much due to my upbringing. I was raised by three men in one household. I had to figure out how to get my point across or how to get my way without being too aggressive. I feel like that’s carried me through my adult life and my teen years. The way I write is based on that and a lot of my experiences.
I think there’s a misconception that sirens are very manipulative and that they use their beauty to get what they want. It’s almost like a negative thing, but I feel it’s a very smart way to get what you want out of life. I don’t think it’s just about beauty. I think it’s about the way you carry yourself and saying things the right way to get the result that you want.
This project contains features unlike your debut EP. How did you determine what artists you wanted to invite to your creative realm?
Good question. Well, with Vory, I’m just a fan. I think his pen and his voice [are] incredible. I knew we were going to do something because we were talking about it for a while. I think both of our schedules were just very busy. We would send each other things, but it was never right. When I posted that snippet on Instagram, my cousin randomly DM’d it to him. He saw it, and he texted me: “This is the one I want to get on.” I sent him the song, and he sent me his verse back in like two hours. We mastered it, did the video, and that was that.
With Offset, I spent a lot of my early years developing in Atlanta. A lot of my musical memories are tied to Atlanta. A lot of the people I know are from Atlanta. My current boyfriend is from Atlanta. When I wrote [“Favorite Girl”], I knew I wanted it to [feature] an artist from Atlanta. I think Offset has a very dominant voice and his delivery just cuts through. I knew he would be the perfect person for it. I was very sure I wanted those two.
You open Siren with “Ride 4 Me.” What’s the inspiration behind that song?
“Ride 4 Me” is like a performance song. I really wanted a crowd song — like bringing energy. The chorus is definitely like a love letter to my fans and something that we can say back and forth to each other when I’m on stage.
“Do It” is more upbeat and takes us to the dancefloor. It doesn’t sound like anything you’ve released thus far. What was your intention with this track?
When I first started the project, I didn’t know I was going to go on a stadium tour. That was never even a thought to me. But I went in like, “I really want big records. I want songs that’ll translate in clubs and in different parties.” I was in Italy, and my friend sent me this song and we just kept listening to it. In Europe, it is different; the music they listen to there is very pop and very house. I was like, “Damn, I don’t even have one song that I can have fun to.” I just wanted an international song that, when I’m away, I could listen to and that I can have fun to.
I never want my fans to know what I’m going to do next or what my project’s going to sound like. I don’t want to feel limited or for them to put this idea of me in their heads of like, “Oh, she just does R&B,” or, “She only does slow music.” I want to do everything. To me, this was my opportunity to start early and show them I love all types of music. “Do It” was just fire. We kept listening to it. When I cut it and we produced it, I was like, “This has to go on the project.”
Let’s circle back to “Favorite Girl” featuring Offset. How did that song come about?
When I heard the melodies for “Favorite Girl,” I immediately had the song in my head; that’s how it is with me. That’s how you know it’s a good song when you hear the beat, and you immediately hear the whole song in your head. I have this fascination with dancers. I feel like there’s something very enchanting and charming [about them]. I wanted to make a song telling a story about a dancer in a club and being somebody’s favorite. To me, it’s the most siren of all the songs. It sets the tone of what a siren is.
What was your creative intention for the Siren cover art?
I was in a studio in New York. I don’t remember the name, but I walked in and saw this picture. It was huge, and it was this girl lying down for a Playboy cover. Her hair was really long [and] covered in her body. I looked at my boyfriend and was like, “That has to be my album cover one day or cover for something I do.” I took a picture of it, and I sent it to my manager. I was like, “Keep this in your phone.” When it came time to do the cover and we had a creative meeting, I was like, “I think this is what I want to do.” Everybody was like, “This is fire. Do it.”
My friend [Alexandra Alva] shot it, and it turned out perfect. It became my own interpretation because, like I said, I don’t think I had the name Siren at that time. I was just going off of the picture and my own taste. It just happened to be long mermaid hair, like a siren, and it all tied together. This project is really me. Everything is really me. I don’t have an A&R [or] a big creative team. It’s just very much my taste and my story. I think the cover is another representation of, “Oh, that’s some Chxrry sh*t,” because it’s very me.
What message do you want to leave to fans after listening to Siren?
I want them to feel like: “I want to be this girl’s friend” and “I feel like my best self when I listen to this person. I feel like I could do anything and be anybody I want to be.” This project wasn’t to be sad. I didn’t want it to be super emotional. I wanted it to be a declaration of confidence, dominance and fun. I want people to have a good time with it. In the album, we’ll dive into stories and sad stuff.
What can you tell us about your upcoming stadium tour stops in Australia with The Weeknd?
Well, my set list is fire! It’s so large and dramatic. This is a project that when people see it live, they’ll really connect to it and it’s really going to make a lot more sense. But, I feel excited. I’m trying not to have imposter syndrome anymore, where I’m like, “Well, why me?” And it’s like, “Bitch, because you’re fire!” I think I’m stepping into the role of like, “Okay, I work my ass off. I do everything myself. I deserve to be here.” I want to keep working hard and being the best artist ever.
You mentioned your debut album. Have you started working on it?
I’ve started making some songs. There’s definitely songs from the past that I know are very fitting for an album. I don’t have a name yet. That usually comes later in the process. But I know that I’m going to be a lot more vulnerable on this album and just more hits. My songwriting is evolving. I’m working with more artists now. I think when you do a lot of things yourself, you forget there’s a world of people out there [who] want to work with you. I’m definitely tapping in with more artists and just building.
Stream Chxrry22’s Siren EP below.
Chxrry22’s Australia/New Zealand Tour Dates
Nov 20 — Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium
Nov 21 — Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium
Nov 24 — Sydney, Australia @ Accor
Nov 25 — Sydney, Australia @ Accor
Nov 27 — Sydney, Australia @ Accor
Dec 1 — Melbourne, Australia @ Marvel Stadium
Dec 4 — Melbourne, Australia @ Marvel Stadium
Dec 5 — Melbourne, Australia @ Marvel Stadium
Dec 8 — Auckland, New Zealand @ Eden Park
Dec 9 — Auckland, New Zealand @ Eden Park