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Chxrry22 at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW held at the The Four Seasons on March 14, 2024, in Austin, Texas
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Key Takeaways:
- As XO Records’ first female artist, Chxrry is helping redefine the label’s R&B sound.
- Her music explores themes of heartbreak, power and identity with a Toronto edge.
- The list spans her early singles to recent drops, showing her growth and versatility.
R&B’s future is in good hands — at least as long as Chxrry is around. The Toronto native, who first introduced herself with 2022’s “The Falls,” is an exciting artist to keep tabs on, whether she’s delivering empowering anthems or sultry love stories.
As the first lady of The Weeknd’s XO Records, Chxrry dropped her debut EP, The Other Side, alongside choice cuts like “Call Me” and “Wasteland.” On her sophomore effort, Siren, she expanded that world with guest appearances from Offset and Vory, both of whom complemented her sound better than expected. In the lead-up to her debut album, Chxrry reassured listeners she wasn’t going anywhere with releases like “Main Character,” “Groupie,” and of course, her scene-stealing moment on The Weeknd’s “Reflections Laughing.”
Judging by the songs she’s given to us so far, the “More” singer clearly has no shortage of bops waiting in the vault. Ahead, Rap-Up rounded up 12 songs to help introduce you to Chxrry.
1. “The Falls”
We can’t imagine a better introduction to Chxrry than “The Falls.” On her debut single, the singer reflects on something she did in the “spur of the moment” after “he was sayin’ all the right things.” Now, she’s stuck regretting those choices, though her pride won’t let her say sorry. As Chxrry sings, “He had me in Niagara Falls missin’ all your calls / We was in the moment losing all control.”
2. “Main Character”
Just like the title promises, Chxrry brought pure main character energy on “Main Character,” accompanied by a music video directed by none other than Mowalola. Every R&B star has some version of a self-empowerment anthem that makes them feel unstoppable, and with this Chlöe- and Kylie Jenner-approved track, Chxrry proved beyond a doubt that she’s that girl.
3. “Favorite Girl” with Offset
One of the “more vulnerable” moments on Siren, “Favorite Girl” finds Chxrry stepping into the shoes — or stilettos, so to speak — of a dancer at a club. “All these other girls in your face / And I’m hopin’ I can take you away,” she sings after name-dropping Atlanta’s Magic City. It only makes sense that Offset comes through with a guest verse about locking eyes across the room and splurging on Jimmy Choos. Public opinion aside, the “Clout” rapper showed up and showed out here.
4. “Worlds Away”
“Hundred miles away, I’m losing my mind / I should take a train, but I would take a while / I could take a plane, but I ran out of miles,” Chxrry confesses on “Worlds Away,” a fitting title for a song that captures the emotional whiplash of navigating a long-distance relationship. Helping bring those emotions to life is Camper, whose résumé includes work with Victoria Monét, H.E.R. and a long list of R&B favorites.
5. “Poppin Out (Mistakes)”
Chxrry was preaching to the choir on “Poppin Out (Mistakes)” when she declares, “Being a heartbroke b**ch is outta style.” The Toronto native moves like a seasoned player: Get noticed, get paid and get gone. That’s the basic order of operations on the Believve-produced cut, which doubles as her rebuttal to being “young, pretty and pissed off.”
6. “The Other Side”
Serving as the title track to her debut EP, “The Other Side” grapples with duality while unapologetically dragging her ex along the way. Adding to the post-breakup canon, she croons about him watching her “dreams come to life,” before admitting he probably should’ve treated her better. There’s no spinning the block, though, and Chxrry makes abundantly clear in the latter half of the song: “Wishin’ you knew what you know now / Don’t try comin’ back around.”
7. “Wasteland”
Chxrry empowered the girlies once again with “Wasteland,” on which she saluted the beautiful women of Toronto and the “wastemen” they’ve had to put up with. “Oh, now I’m not a b**ch no more? / Now it’s all X and O?” she sings, seemingly as a nod to The Weeknd’s XO Records. They say some of the best songs don’t last long enough, and with “Wasteland,” we definitely would’ve welcomed an extra verse or two.
8. “Never Had This” with Vory
A leftover cut that didn’t make 2022’s The Other Side, we were glad “Never Had This” still found a home on Siren, complete with a guest verse from Vory. Throughout the track, Chxrry declares that her special someone should “treat this moment like it costs you a billion dollars,” since she “ain’t average.” Offering a much-needed male perspective, Vory later takes the helm in the second verse, where he insists her prowess in bed is deserving of an “Emmy or Grammy.”
9. “Call Me”
Call Chxrry at the right time, and she just might pick up (or who knows, maybe even pull up). A fun bop from The Other Side, “Call Me” sees the songstress tossing the whole idea of 21 questions aside in favor of having a good time. In any case, we needed an up-tempo, carefree moment amid all the heartbreak and emotion she explores elsewhere on the EP. Chxrry’s vocals and Sensei Bueno’s production complement each other wonderfully here.
10. “Groupie”
To her fans, Chxrry is a full-blown superstar. For the person she’s in love with, she’s the girl who’ll give it up gladly. Described as a “conceptual portrayal of the intoxicating and irrational obsession that hits when you first like someone,” per a press release, the R&B singer’s “Groupie” shows that there isn’t much she wouldn’t do for some love and affection.
11. “Granted”
To the man who took Chxrry’s love for granted, shame on you, but also thank you for inspiring the closer on Siren. “I know that you got h**s / I got h**s too / We’re just playing roles like we s’posed to, right?” she opens the two-part song, before dragging her ex for getting “too comfy” despite knowing how many other men want her. It’s such a satisfying — and near-perfect — way to wrap up her sophomore EP.
12. “Just Like Me”
Chxrry cheekily confesses, “I look to keep it clean, white tee / But I like to do my dirt low-key” on “Just Like Me,” her first release of 2025. Paired with a 2000s-inspired music video, the songstress brought plenty of energy over a thumping bassline and glitchy claps courtesy of Believve.