From Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter to Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Music,” 2024 has been a watershed 12 months for Black artists excelling critically and commercially in genres which have historically tried to field Black artists out regardless of having a storied historical past of Black innovators. Conversations concerning the blurring of style strains have dominated the music trade for years, and it’s a sentiment that Grammy-nominated singer-producer Chlöe Bailey is extremely intimate with.
“Any music I do will simply and shortly be categorized as R&B as a result of I’m a Black girl,” she instructed Nylon in her cowl story. “If somebody who didn’t have my pores and skin tone made the identical music, it could be within the pop classes. That’s simply the way in which it’s at all times been in life.”
As part of the Chloe x Halle duo — which incorporates her Little Mermaid-starring youthful sister Halle Bailey — Chlöe usually traversed genres. On the duo’s two Billboard 200-charting Grammy-nominated studio LPs, 2018’s The Children Are Alright (No. 139) and 2020’s Ungodly Hour (No. 16), the sisters dabbled in soul, electronica, home, hip-hop, different rock, up to date pop, R&B and extra. Chloe’s debut solo LP, In Items, featured an identical amalgamation of sounds, which helped her attain No. 119 on the all-genre albums chart. Regardless of releasing a number of pop-facing tunes, together with April’s “Boy Bye,” Chlöe’s awards and chart success have primarily come within the R&B area. Of her 5 profession Grammy nods, only one got here from outdoors of the R&B classes — her 2018 greatest new artist nod as one-half of Chloe x Halle.
In her Nylon interview, the “Have Mercy” singer named Whitney Houston and Beyoncé as two artists she appears to for inspiration concerning standing agency in style experimentation, particularly lauding the latter artist’s newest smash album. “That’s why I used to be actually happy with Beyoncé doing Cowboy Carter,” she mentioned, “as a result of Black folks originated nation music. It’s simply exhibiting that potentialities are countless.”
The “Deal with Me” singer additionally finds solace in figuring out that her work is usually forward of the curve. “What I type of love about my artwork is that it sneaks up on you,” she defined. “When In Items got here out, not many individuals actually obtained it. However now a 12 months later, persons are like, ‘Oh, it’s genius! It’s stunning! It’s superb!’ And if you consider it, that’s the way it has been with me and my sister’s earlier work as effectively. Nobody ever will get it when it first comes out.”
Chlöe is presently gearing up for the discharge of Bother In Paradise, her sophomore solo studio album, which is slated to drop “later this summer time.” The “Shock” singer has launched a pair of singles this 12 months — “Boy Bye” and the moody R&B banger “FYS” — and she or he additionally used her Nylon interview to substantiate a number of the album’s collaborators, together with Halle, Jeremih and Anderson .Paak. In Items — which she supported with 25-date North American and European tour — featured collaborations with Chris Brown, Missy Elliott and Future.
Chlöe made her official solo debut with 2021’s “Have Mercy,” a booty-praising hit that reached No. 28 on the Billboard Sizzling 100. To this point, Chlöe has wracked up 4 Sizzling 100 hits, together with “Deal with Me” (No. 81), “You & Me” (No. 72, with Gunna) and the 2023 Amazon Music unique “Winter Wonderland” (No. 63).
See her cowl and images for Nylon beneath:
