The double standards that Black women often face in the music industry receive a double examination on Rachel Chinouriri and Cat Burns‘ new collaboration “Even.” The record calls into question the additional obstacles both artists have encountered while navigating their careers as indie and pop singer-songwriters coming out of the U.K. — and how those same barriers remain in place for non-white people across every industry.
“‘Even’ is about the injustice Black and POC people feel with identity in a world that can treat them foreign. Sometimes it feels like no matter what we do to fit in, we have to work twice as hard to take one step forward,” Chinouriri shared in a statement. “The limitations that Black people have had to go through are something every Black person has to accept at some point but this song questions how far we need to take it and it questions why these things happen to us.”
Burns added: “I felt honoured when Rachel asked me to jump on this beautiful song, it felt real and authentic because we genuinely have supported each other since we were in school together! I hope people listen to our hearts with this one and understand our experience even more.” Chinouriri and Burns attended the BRIT School together, joining a roster of alumni that includes Amy Winehouse, Raye, Adele, FKA Twigs, Olivia Dean, Imogen Heap, and more.
“We talk the same, dress for fame/Why does no one else believe in/Us the same? Never change/Guess they never played us even,” Chinouriri sings on “Even.” On a later verse, Burns adds: “Wish I didn’t have to climb twice as high/For them to see me, isn’t it crazy/That if I raise my voice or speak my mind/That I risk everything being taken from me?”
“Even” arrives on the heels of an accompanying podcast in which Chinouriri and Burns share stories about the same experiences they reference on the song. “I joined forces with @Cat Burns to create a podcast to dive deeper into our personal experiences and what it’s like to make music as black women in the UK indie and pop music scene, joined by some more special friends along the way,” Chinouriri shared on TikTok last week.
Earlier this year, Chinouriri spoke to Rolling Stone about being a key figure in a wave of Black women, particularly those emerging from the U.K., who are carving out their own lane in pop music without sacrificing elements of their identity.
“There’s a scale of talent which you are allowed to have if you are white and still be successful, whereas for Black people, that scale is … you need to be the best singer on the planet, pitch-perfect, dance, look good, have long hair,” Chinouriri shared at the time. “I like singing my little songs on my guitar. I can’t belt. I can just about sing loudly. I like hair clips. I’m not that good at my own hair. My natural hair isn’t that long. I’m not very good at makeup. However, those can’t be the only factors that people respect me as a musician for, and I think human connection is the biggest thing.”