Australian artist Chymes is a force to be reckoned with in the dark pop world. “Contrasting [her] softer vocal sound with moody production but still somewhat keep[ing] an ethereal lightness to it,” Chymes’ music is simply one of a kind, and we’re sure her individuality will lead to HUGE success in the near future.
The budding songstress released her new song “I Think I Made You Up” today (December 9th), and it puts a lighthearted, humorous twist on your typical breakup anthem. While Chymes is known for her unique musical style, “I Think I Made You Up” is somewhat different that her typical tracks.
Chymes’ music is known to very intense, however, this new single references “the moment you figure out that this person you were with wasn’t actually perfect and you made it all up in your head.” It’s all about letting go and being able to laugh at yourself after a relationship that was anything but perfect, ultimately creating a much more “fun and laid back” vibe than some of her other songs.
Whether she’s working on more music like “I Think I Made You Up” or reverting back to her usual style, we can’t wait to see what else Chymes has in store! Until then, it’s obvious that we will have her hot new single on repeat until further notice.
Read our full Q&A with Chymes below to learn more about her and her music, including her new single “I Think I Made You Up.” Let us know what you think of the track by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can connect with Chymes and stay tuned on any upcoming projects by giving her a follow on Instagram at @chymesmusic and TikTok @iamchymes.
Celeb Secrets: For people who may not know you yet, can you explain your musical style and a little bit about who you are as an artist?
Chymes: “Well, my name is Chymes. I’m a dark pop artist from Sydney, Australia and I usually like to describe my sound as somewhere between BANKS and Selena Gomez (two queens). I love to situate my music somewhere between light and playful and dark and moody. I really enjoy contrasting my softer vocal sound with moody production but still somewhat keep an ethereal lightness to it.”
CS: Your single “Monster” came out in October, and we are seriously obsessed! Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind the track?
Chymes: “I’m so happy you like it, thank you! The story is one I like to explore a lot, which is toxicity and gaslighting in a relationship. This song, however, I wanted it to feel a little more playful than some of my previous tracks that have a similar concept, like ‘Gasoline‘ for example. I had a lot of fun writing this track, playing with the idea that we’ve all got a little bit of psycho in us. I just want people to have fun listening to it, indulge in their crazy thoughts for a few minutes. It’s just a song to feel silly and crazy to!”
CS: Aside from “Monster,” your next single “I Think I Made You Up” came out TODAY (December 9th)! Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind this track, as well?
Chymes: “I loooove this song! When you break up and finally realize that they actually suck, you play this song. ‘I Think I Made You Up’ is about the moment you figure out that this person you were with wasn’t actually perfect and you made it all up in your head. Sometimes it’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking the person we’re dating is so amazing and great and everything you ever wanted, but you’re actually just ignoring all the bad s**t and trying so hard to just focus on the good. ‘I Think I Made You Up’ is fun and laid back, not overly serious, and just a moment to laugh at yourself for being dumb and being glad you broke it off because, well, they suck lol.”
CS: How does “I Think I Made You Up” compare to singles that you’ve put out in the past?
Chymes: “I think a few of my recent songs this year have been moments of realization, or moments where I’ve learned to let things go, not take things so seriously or just laugh at myself. ‘I Think I Made You Up’ kind of fits into that I think. It’s technically about a breakup, about someone who was awful and toxic, but it has a fun lightness to it. It’s a song about letting it go and laughing at myself, and I learned a lesson, you know what I mean?”
CS: What stories do you want to tell through your songs in the future, and what message do you want fans to take away from your music?
Chymes: “I don’t know honestly! I don’t usually have a super specific plan for my lyrics when planning into future projects, and I don’t really write for anyone but myself. Of course I keep my fans in mind when I’m creating though.”
CS: What does the process look like when you create a song? Are there any quirks to your method?
Chymes: “I wouldn’t say I have quirks, maybe I do but I’m unaware! Usually I like to come to a writing session with a concept or a few lyric ideas, and also a ‘song starter’ which is usually a bassline or chords. I like to be prepared because writing sessions can really be hit or miss sometimes, so I like to bring something to at least drive the session a little bit. In terms of finishing the song, I most often finish the melody and lyrics in a session and the production usually takes a few more sessions to finish and get perfect.”
CS: Who/What are some of your musical inspirations either artist-wise or in your personal life?
Chymes: “I’m always inspired by my “peers” in the industry, but in terms of big artists it’s definitely BANKS and Selena Gomez (I always say Selena raised me! I grew up on her music). Lately I’m really inspired by artist Lolo Zouaï, I think she’s so cool. I love her delicate, soft vocal technique and her edgy production. Her recent album PLAYGIRL is so good! I’m also inspired by K-Pop (who isn’t right now?) specifically because of the creativity in the production and the energy. You can’t beat it, honestly!”
CS: Who is your dream collaboration?
Chymes: “Oh gosh, this question always stumps me. I know I’m bringing her up again lol but Selena! I’m a fan, can you tell?”
CS: Can we expect an album in the near future?
Chymes: “It’s definitely a dream of mine, but right now EPs are way more manageable, and I also feel like I switch up on myself so fast. Like, I grow out of my music, develop, change as a person and I often no longer know the girl I was when I wrote a certain body of work. If I write an album, I’d have to write it really fast to encapsulate the period of life I’m in at the time before I grow out of it haha!”
CS: You are known for being very active on TikTok, and even teasing some new music! How do you think TikTok has contributed to your career, in particular?
Chymes: “Tiktok is an awesome platform to reach new people and grow an audience that gets you. It’s definitely an ever-changing beast to tackle, and it can be really frustrating, but it also has so many good aspects. It’s never been so easy to digest content and find new hobbies, artists, music etc.”
CS: How do you think TikTok is impacting the music industry as a whole?
Chymes: “That’s such a big question! I could go on and on about it, but to sum it up, you can’t exist as an artist without it!”
CS: Do you have any goals for yourself in 2023 career-wise?
Chymes: “I’d love to do shows overseas outside of Australia! A big goal is to play in the US and UK, also to hopefully reach 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.”
CS: Lastly, since we are Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets about either yourself or your music that fans might not know?
Chymes: “Oh, so many secrets! If I tell them they wouldn’t be a secret anymore lol, #selfpreservation. Maybe one, which I don’t really think is a secret, is that even though my music is a bit dark, moody and bad-b***h-esque, I’m actually a big baby. I’m very sensitive, I love to love people and I want everyone to be happy and feel loved. I’m very emotional in the sense that I feel everything so deeply, and not just my own emotions or experiences, it’s everyone else’s too.”
