Alternative-pop artist Chymes shares her captivating debut EP, ‘Hell & Divine’, packed with assertive beats layered with her signature ethereal vocals. Chymes has also revealed “Never Win”, one of the EP’s most intriguing offering that addresses engendered power struggles, as told from the perspective of a controlling, manipulative man. ‘Hell & Divine’ finds Chymes at her most daring and expressive yet, embracing the metaphor of stepping outside of oneself.
The EP is an energizing whirl of power struggles and finding one’s voice, “All I knew was that music helped me express myself,” says Chymes who grew up writing songs on her guitar. It was not until she met producer Cameron Taylor that everything fell into place. Chymes adds, “Writing this EP felt very transformational for me. I was in the darkest place I think I’ve ever been in but was writing the best music I’ve ever written. It was such an interesting experience to look back on because whilst I was so unwell mentally, I felt so open writing my lyrics and free to explore what sounds I liked and inspired me. I had written 5 out of the 6 songs with one writer and we spent a lot of time together so it was a safe environment to be raw and honest, which I think is so integral in making good music.”
Chymes elaborates, “‘Hell & Divine’ explores different power dynamics in relationships I’ve had and struggled with, along with the internal relationship with myself. I also explored different ways of writing concepts and “Never Win” is a good example; I wrote it from the perspective of a controlling, self-indulging, narcissistic person in a relationship, which was a lot of fun to explore.”
With pitch-perfect vocals and expanding from-the-heart songwriting into transcendent soundscapes, Chymes has earned an ever-growing fan base. A life-changing moment for Chymes was when Jungkook—a member of the popular K-POP group BTS—tweeted out a link to her song, “Dreaming”. Overnight, she had won over thousands of doting new fans from across the world.
Chymes has been steadily building her audience in Asia. Currently, her Top 10 countries based on streaming worldwide include Indonesia, Philippines, India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
