A New Sonic North Star
Last spring, Toronto singer-songwriter Chxrry found herself at a creative crossroads. While working on her latest project in Los Angeles, she realized that despite having two singles already in circulation, the core of her artistic identity remained elusive. “There was just something missing,” she reflects. “I haven’t told the listeners who I am.”
The turning point arrived when she returned to the studio with producer Believve. Together, they crafted “Main Character,” a track defined by its brawny, slow-moving nocturne aesthetic, featuring muted 808s and a swirling synth atmosphere. For Chxrry, the song was a revelation. “I was screaming, like, ‘This is gonna fuck the city up,'” she recalls. “I never know anything, but with this one? I knew.”
The Making of U, Me & My Ego
The success of “Main Character” served as a catalyst, prompting Chxrry to scrap her previous work and start fresh. The resulting album, U, Me & My Ego, is a bold exploration of sound that blends 1980s-inspired synthpop with the stadium-ready energy of modern rage rap. Recorded in the intimate confines of Believve’s home studio, the project marks a significant departure from her 2023 EP, Siren.
“We picked the best of each sound we wanted to explore,” Chxrry explains. “What’s the best pop song? What’s the most amazing ballad we’ve written? And then storytelling and identity: what’s gonna be the most me? Albums serve different purposes, so I wanted this album to strictly be about identity.”
Defining Her Own Narrative
Born Lydia Habtemariam to Ethiopian immigrants in Scarborough, Chxrry’s musical journey has been anything but conventional. Despite her upbringing in a music-loving household, a career in the industry wasn’t initially part of the plan. After a brief stint at York University, a viral moment on Instagram in 2018 propelled her into a deal with XO Records. Throughout her development, she has maintained a clear vision, even when it meant taking risks with her sound.
The album’s title, U, Me & My Ego, serves as a thematic anchor. “When I was done writing the songs and breaking everything down, they were either about ‘you,’ a guy, or ‘me,’ Lydia, or ego, which is just Chxrry,” she says. “I have a really big ego: I think I’m just the best bitch on earth. I wanted to show that there’s no shame in having a big ego, and I wanted to romanticize it because it’s so taboo.”
With this record, Chxrry is not just showcasing her vocal range; she is asserting her autonomy as a songwriter. By prioritizing honesty over commercial trends, she has created a body of work that feels deeply personal and unapologetically bold.
