+ (614) CHANEL’s WORLD
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In a music world where genre-blending reigns, Chanel Loren has carved a path with her fresh take on alternative R&B infused with jazz, soul, and diverse influences. Originally from London and now based in Australia, Chanel’s work captures a nuanced journey of cultural contrast and self-discovery, themes vividly explored in her EP, ‘BETWEEN2WORLDS’.
In a thoughtful chit-chat with 614, Chanel discusses the evolving digital landscape, the pressures of social media and her desire to grow a loyal fanbase over chasing viral success. As Chanel looks ahead, her artistry remains rooted in bold experimentation and a deep commitment to creating music that’s unapologetically her own.
Joining the Zoom call, she apologises for her raspy voice. A particularly bad strain of the flu has been tearing through Sydney’s unsuspecting citizens. I notice her tuxedo cat lingering in the background and the room is brightly lit with the morning sun, giving Chanel’s skin a soft glow. There’s a slight connection delay but the conversation still flows like two old friends having a yap on the living room couch.
Adidas Original top, Stylist’s own net top
Nonye: What are you listening to right now and what's your on your rotation?
Chanel: I have a couple of artists. I have one album on rotation, which is ‘Why Lawd’ by NxWorries. I love Anderson Paak, KnowLedge, Flo Milli – I really enjoyed this album of hers [Fine Ho, Stay]. Ari Lennox. I just love Ari. Then I listen to Destin Conrad a lot. Summer Walker. I would say I'm actually a Summer Walker fan, but I don't claim it, but if I actually deep it, I feel like I really am a fan.
Nonye: [Laughs]
Chanel: I'm really into Flo Milli. Like I've always been.
Nonye: Are you on Instagram or TikTok more?
Chanel: I'm an Instagram person. I'm forced to use TikTok.
Nonye: [Laughs].
Chanel: I don't mind using TikTok because I actually use that more to talk to my friends. But I don't want to post. I actually don't want to be a part of that universe. Like, why can't I just make a post and go? Now I have to think of a caption, then a caption on top of the video. Like, that's too much. It's too much!
Nonye: It's a lot. It's too much thought.
Chanel: It's a lot of trial and error. But then, now it's my life. Now it's my livelihood. This is my career. I'm trying to promote my music and then there's, like, other artists trying to promote their music too. So then, I feel like the audience becomes numb to new musicians on social media, personally. Or maybe I've just become numb to it because that's just the environment I'm in. I just want to laugh and send memes to my friends. Like that's how I use social media. There are pros to using social media, but the pros, sometimes are a bit heavy, in the worst way.
Nonye: There seems to be an expectation of being carefree and real on there, but at the same time, you have to curate that as well. It's like a fake-realness, if that makes sense.
Chanel: It’s so fake. Yeah, I think that's why I don’t like it. Everyone will be like, “I hate Instagram, it's fake.” And it's like, “But we all know it's fake.” We all know we're just posting a highlight of our lives. And then you just keep it pushing. TikTok is fake. “Like, oh, I'm being real”, when you're not. I don't want to post a video of me with no makeup to prove that I'm relatable. I don't want to do that. It's just weird. I don't like it. I hate the concept.
Nonye: Preach.
Chris Doad bikini, skirt, pink tank and Stylist’s white tank
Nonye: How do you think the future digital landscape of music and its promotion will look? Is it something that you're seeing right now? And do you feel like you need to adapt in some way?
Chanel: I definitely need to adapt to it. As much as I don't like it, I feel like the audience is looking for authenticity, which every day I realise doesn't exist. Being authentic is a fake word, especially in the entertainment industry. Nothing's authentically done [laughs]. So even if someone went viral, they could have been posting that video 3-4 times before that video went viral.
I wouldn't mind one viral video, but I definitely want to grow a fanbase more. I think a fanbase is more impactful than viral moments. I feel like social media–which might be a good thing–but it's making everyone in the middle. There isn't a hierarchy anymore. Even well-known, famous, established artists have to do what struggling, trying-to-breakthrough artists have to do. Which is humbling in both ways for an artist trying for a breakthrough.
Nonye: Absolutely.
Chanel: I think it's changing into everyone using it as a marketing tool. And it's cheaper. It's a free [way to] market yourself.
Nonye: Do you think virality shortens the lifespan of an artist?
Chanel: I think when an artist is chasing to be viral, you've already lost. Because the algorithm is very weird and sometimes it just boosts your video and sometimes it doesn't.
And I believe in actual growth. Every post should grow or bring some sort of exposure or awareness to what I'm doing. If I feel like I've gotten newer people commenting and a couple of more followers that I don't know, then I feel like I'm doing it right.
Whereas Instagram, because it's harder to build a following, once you have that, it’s quite consistent. I know that I will get this amount of engagement every time I make a post. TikTok, sometimes I get 20 views and I'll be doing everything they told me!
Nonye: [Laughs] It’s like gambling.
Chanel: Yeah, it really is. You're literally gambling [laughs].
Nonye: Exactly. And I think you become a victim of the algorithm, which is sad.
Chanel: I refuse to be a victim! [Laughs].
“I think when an artist is chasing to be viral, you’ve already lost.”
Chris Doad hat, Bridget Matison dress, Adidas Original top, Stylist’s own net top
Nonye: Along the theme of your latest EP, ‘BETWEEN2WORLDS’, do you feel like you're stuck between two worlds?
Chanel: It's weird because I feel I've never fitted in, in some way, shape or form. But the most prominent way is being in two different countries. I don't even live in London anymore, but it’s the fact that I'm still claiming that I live there [laughs]. I feel like my spirit and my soul aren't in this country, but I'm physically here. So it's a bit hard to process that sometimes.
Especially because my music isn't the standard RnB…I feel like I've always kind of not fitted in sonically as well. It's been hard finding producers or explaining to people what I want. I hate people saying, “What's your reference?” or “What's in your head?” I don't fucking know. Let's just create. [Laughs] I'm so over people asking me things about my sound. I don't know what my sound is…I just make things that resonate with me.
Nonye: Is being between two worlds an advantage or a disadvantage?
Chanel: Both. The advantage is that because I didn't live in London for most of my life, I could experience a different lifestyle and culture. It allowed me to pay attention to things and the similarities between things and people, which has helped me with my songwriting.
But sometimes this feels like a disadvantage because I am an outsider of some sort and don't feel like I have the stability of 'home'. My EP explores my experience of being stuck between the two worlds [of Sydney and London].
Nonye: What excites you about the new EP?
Chanel: I'm really excited to perform the new songs and add it to my setlist a bit more. I love performing. I think that's my favourite part of the job. Sometimes it's a bit tiresome, but it's nice. That's when I like to interact with the audience and form a connection with people. I'm a people person.
Nonye: Yeah, that's exciting!
Nonye: So how was the experience working with the producers on this project?
Chanel: It was good. I feel like this EP was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, which sounds so dramatic. There was a lot of push and pull and with this project, [which] I didn't enjoy much. I really enjoyed writing ‘Ring Ring’ with JUJO. And funny enough, your brother was meant to have a session with him but he couldn't. So then I had the session. So shoutout to B Wise [laughs].
Nonye: Oh, my gosh. Thank goodness. The stars aligned! He was probably having car troubles or something [laughs].
Chanel: Yeah, I think that session was fun because it was spontaneous…It was fun because the energy I got [from JUJO] was I have to kind of rap on this beat. I've never rapped before. So I really enjoyed that session because it showed me that I limit myself as a creative in general. And I enjoy writing with Cyrus. I did ‘Carelessly Doomed’ and ‘Ebony’ with him, but those songs are very personal. So I didn't really enjoy it at the time because I don't like being vulnerable. I had to be vulnerable in parts that I felt like I wasn't ready to be vulnerable in. But now that I've done the song, I feel relieved.
I didn't think that I would write personal songs. How I imagine myself as an artist, I thought I would just make hits. As I grew into a person and started creating, I realised I write from my personal point of view or what inspires me. And so I think it was just more of being like “Damn, I'm not who I thought I was. I'm probably even better than I thought I was going to be.”
Bridget Matison dress, Adidas Original top, Stylist’s own net top
Nonye: So how do you feel now that you're on the other side of that?
Chanel: I feel like I need a big break, to be honest. But I do feel relieved. I feel proud of myself, most of all. I feel very proud of myself.
And I kind of feel hopeful and optimistic because this is just the beginning. I've only learnt maybe 2% of myself with this EP and so now that I realise that making the EP is trial and error, I'm excited to do trial and error for the next one. You know? Like figuring that out. Yeah, I'm excited for the next one.
Nonye: Keep us on our toes.
Nonye: OK, in a song that's not yours, do you listen to the melody or the lyrics first?
Chanel: Melody first, then I'll go back if the lyrics are good and they catch my attention. It's a mix of both. I listen to the lyrics to just like get the concept of the song, but I do focus on the melody more.
Nonye: Completely agree. What's your go-to form of self-expression?
Chanel: Is talking something? I think I talk a lot. I rant a lot. People say I'm complaining. I think I'm just expressing myself. So I think talking is mine.
Nonye: Love, love, love. And they say people who rant and complain live longer anyway, so you're doing yourself a favour [laughs].
Chanel: I'm just expressing what everyone else is feeling, I just need to release that energy out of my body.
Nonye: You're a woman of words, I love that.
Chris Doad hat, Adidas Original top, Stylist’s own net top
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