TORONTO’S RISING SUPERSTAR: CHXRRY TALKS EVOLUTION, CREATIVE CONTROL AND MOVING WITH PURPOSE [2026]
Chxrry is entering a phase defined less by noise and more by direction. The Toronto-based artist is on a steady run right now, letting growth happen in real time while staying grounded in her creative instincts. As her presence continues to build, she’s choosing intention over urgency, a choice that’s becoming central to her sound and storytelling. In our interview, we unpack the moments, mindsets, and motivations shaping her evolution.
Raised in Scarborough, her musical DNA is a sophisticated blend of Soul, R&B, and Pop, delivered with a self-assuredness that borders on the “delusional”—a trait she credits for drawing people toward her vision early on. From the raw, unfiltered depression that birthed her project The Other Side to her current status as one of Toronto’s most compelling exports, Chxrry remains beautifully unsettled, viewing her career not as a destination with a peak, but as a perpetual work in progress. In our interview, we unpack the moments, mindsets, and motivations shaping her evolution.
Chxrry interview: Where did you grow up, and how would you describe the genre or sound you feel most connected to as an artist?
I’m a singer/songwriter born and raised in Scarborough, Toronto. As for my sound, I feel most connected to Soul music with blends R&B and Pop.
You’ve been steadily building your sound and presence over time. How would you describe your journey as an artist up to this point?
I feel like most would say it’s been quick, but for me it feels like I’ve been working at this my whole life. So I don’t know if there’s really a journey. It never feels done. I never feel like there’s a peak. There are moments where I’m like, “oh, that was really cool,” but I always feel incomplete.
Early on, what made you realise music was something you wanted to pursue seriously, not just creatively but professionally?
When I realised people became interested in me as a person because I had something rare that most people don’t have. But you know what it is? I think people really are drawn to people who believe in themselves a lot, and who are a little bit delusional about their dreams and their talents. And so I realised that early on. So it was just a way for me to make friends. People were just interested in me because I could sing, and so I was like, ‘I claimed it!’ And so I think those two together went hand in hand.
Your project ‘The Other Side’ felt like a pivotal moment in your career. What did that era represent for you, and the things you’ve discovered about yourself?
It’s so funny that it’s pivotal now because back then it was like, “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing” [laughs]. I really didn’t know what I was doing. I was just young, dating a really awful human being, you know? And I was really sad and depressed and really alone. And then I made that project and I was like, ‘I gotta fucking make it!’
But we didn’t know what was gonna happen or what was gonna come from it. I think projects like that, where you really have no intention behind it, you’re just throwing paint at the wall, usually end up paying off later on because they’re the more honest ones that you didn’t really try. You just feel like, ‘This is how I feel.’
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This interview is part of our long-form content series, now hosted exclusively on our Substack. To read the full conversation with Chxrry and gain access to our archive of deep-dives into the architects of Hip Hop and global culture, head over to the Viper Substack.
[READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE]
Interview by Nickeeba Archer
