Rachel Chinouriri And Cat Burns Just Want To Be ‘Even’ In The Music Industry

This duo have been supporting each other's careers since the beginning, after attending BRIT school in London together and they’re now joining forces to shed light on the struggles in their musical journeys. Rachel Chinouriri and Cat Burns are rising UK indie and pop singer-songwriters who began to find their fan bases online from their viral videos. 

They’ve since both released their debut albums this year and are following on strongly with new track ‘Even’ which criticises the industry for the hurdles black women in music have to face. Accompanied by a new joint podcast, they discuss their experiences in more depth. 

Cat and Rachel do not shy away from tough topics, tackling the injustice that many black artists will relate to, the matter of being constantly behind their peers within the same field needs to be discussed. Rachel even shared in their first episode of their podcast that it was incredibly difficult for her to break out as an indie artist purely because she was being branded as R&B immediately.

From the first note, ’Even’ is impactful, with an ethereal production and gentle guitar strums, a special atmosphere is born. Rachel Chinouriri’s soulful vocals blend seamlessly with Cat’s passionate delivery creating a dreamy and heartfelt sound. Both of their talents are truly highlighted in this track whilst simultaneously complimenting each other to show their genuine connection and unity. 

Lyrically the song is very emotional and vulnerable as it discusses with maturity the reality of being a black artist, which often means being overlooked. The two sing together in the chorus “We talk the same, dress for fame / Why does no one else believe in / Us the same? Never change / Guess they never played us even” focusing on how they’re treated differently in music for being a person of colour. Using the adverb “never” in this context pinpoints just how much they never had a chance against other artists. Throughout the verses there’s a sense of heightened concern in regards to how they behave. For instance the lines “if I raise my voice or speak / my mind / That I risk everything being / taken from me?” emphasising the idea that speaking up about their struggles will result in them being shunned from the industry. 

Instead the pair are drawing attention to the inequality they are consistently trying to overcome with such fearlessness. They’re setting an incredible example not only for their own communities but for other performers. Overall ‘Even’ is a beautiful addition to both of their discographies and is a song that remains with the listener even after it has ended.

You’ll be sure to see more of these two as they both set off on their own headlining tours, Cat sets off around Europe this month and Rachel’s UK tour is due to begin in November, before she supports Sabrina Carpenter on her Europe leg of the Short n’ Sweet Tour next year. 

Emma Turner

@ems.lens3

Image: ‘Even (with Cat Burns)’ Official Single Cover