CHXRL closes one chapter as he steps into another with newest EP hopeless&romantic
CHXRL is stepping into a new era of his musical career. His EP offering, releasing tomorrow, titled hopeless&romantic is said to mark the end of an era of his high school life while also transitioning into a new era, especially in music.
This body of work follows his debut album release in 2020, titled Autumn, that he said was the big beginning of his musical career, his first child and a project that laid the necessary foundation for his music.
hopeless&romantic, made up of five songs, features music that dates back to 2021, and this style of release became his chosen format because these songs, he said, are perfect in closing off this chapter of his life – post high school – while he prepares for the next.
“The title is not about the romantic sense of a relationship but romanticizing nostalgia. It’s such an oxymoron with the two words being two complete opposites. This is about looking back at my high school days on how I was such a hopeless romantic and reminiscing about those times. All the bad and good mixed in one. This album rounds up those times while also preparing me for the new transition into the new era of life that everyone has gone through,” said the South African Pop singer/songwriter and producer.
“These songs capture this transition and that part of my life so perfectly, so an EP made sense. I didn’t want to force it by trying to add more tracks plus these were perfect together. I felt that it was good to give people a little quaint succinct intro to my music, easing them into who I am while also sharing the many stories I have. “
“Mostly these songs felt so pure to the message that I wanted to give,” he said.
CHXRL, real name Charl du Toit, shares how he took refuge in music during the low times of his life. He aims for his music to do exactly that for someone else, to resonate with someone at his most authentic self as he pours himself into music while also validating anyone of their internal struggles.
“It’s such a beautiful thing to be able to do because it’s such a hard thing to talk about (internal struggles). With this project, I really hope it finds the people that are going through a hard time and show them that they are not the only ones but that there are hundreds of people. I hope they all find each other through hopeless&romantic,” he said.
Music happened by chance for the muso, when he prepped and sang a happy birthday song for his mother at just 10-years-old. That “mistake” led him to a destiny of music that he said is his calling.
Music remains an important tool of expression for CHXRL, adding that this particular body of work marks as his coming of age project. Leaving the old behind while he ventures into his new musical self.
“I also hope that locally, this project gets people to post what Covid has done to us. I got to perform for the first time last month So I hope this project opens a new door for pop music in South Africa, a new platform for pop centric but that has deep messaging to it – which is what I want to show people. As much as we as human beings have improved in dealing and talking about our emotions, I feel after lockdown our wall went up again. So I hope this project encourages conversation and going back to regular life,” he said.
The EP drop will also be accompanied by a music video drop.
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