There’s a captivating lyric on Chiiild’s new album that states, “Everybody out here on the same thing, we’re just out here levitating.” Commenting on the at-times “carbon copy” nature of the industry with its formulaic chord sequences, homogeneous melodies, and all–Chiiild expresses his desire for total experimentation and unconventional thinking in music and elsewhere in this track, “Bon Voyage.” 

“In the creative world, we’re supposed to celebrate creativity and what we end up celebrating a lot of the time is just carbon copies of other things–and that’s my enemy,” Chiiild shares on zoom. “So the single is my reaction where I’m saying, ‘You guys can do whatever you’re doing. We’re just over here on our own wave, having a good time. Join us if you will.’”

In many ways, “Bon Voyage” blows the foghorn and marks the start of Chiiild’s own expedition. It’s the first single the musician released from his highly anticipated album, Better Luck In The Next Life, which is out today via Avant Garden/4th & Broadway (Def Jam Recordings, Inc.). And as it’s the first song to kick off the project, its lyrics are especially telling, almost serving as a mission statement of sorts–both for the artist and his album. With every percussive beat and intoxicating lyric, we are pulled closer onboard and encouraged to set sail, not necessarily towards a specific destination, but just for the ride. 

“With this album, we’re continuing to experiment,” Chiiild elaborates. “None of it is saying, ‘This is what I want to do and I’m going to carve it up all perfectly.’ Instead, it’s like, ‘I’m also a fan of what we’re doing. I’m a passenger, and I use my ears to create.’ I’m just sharing what I think is really cool.”

Weaving in orchestral elements and trip-hop influences with Chiiild’s classic lyricism, the resulting twelve tracks tell a rich, storied tale. Better Luck In The Next Life narrates the story of the musician up to this point, entwining all of the artist’s personal experiences with his musical influences to create one harmonious, well-rounded project. At the core, the album is an open and honest conversation as much as it’s a personal exploration. 

When it came down to choosing an album name, Chiiild says there were a few factors that went into the decision, but it ultimately came down to phonetics. “Better Luck In The Next Life sounded as dramatic as I think I can be sometimes,” he laughs. “It’s really about that moment where you open up and you tell your honesty. I think there’s this thing that happens once you’re open and you’re vulnerable, and people either lean in or it changes your relationship.” 

The album also sees features from Chiiild’s closest friends and previous collaborators. Among them include Alina Baraz, Charlotte Cardin, Caitlyn Scarlett, and Lucky Daye. The album is self-produced with help from D’Mile, Billboard, Mick Coogan, Scott Dittrich, and Jean Baptiste–many of whom he worked with on his critically acclaimed debut album, Hope For Sale. And for fans of that project, you’ll be glad to hear that Better Luck In The Next Life preserves many of the same elements that made us fall in love with the artist’s music in the first place. Here, soulful, R&B-backed beats and lo-fi sequencing remain throughlines through his work. But now, they’re elevated, being paired with more vulnerable, personal anecdotes to make an even bolder statement.

“I’ve always been very shy to put myself out there because I always want the music to do what it does,” Chiiild reflects on his music from back then. “But now, I understand what I represent. I’m just trying to tell more and more personal stories.”

And as much as you can appreciate his latest project in your own room with some good noise-cancelling headphones, we’d have to argue the best listening experience is live. This spring, he’ll be taking his expanded body of work on the road, visiting 23 cities across North America. Over the next few months, Chiiild will stop at major cities like New York, Los Angeles and his hometown of Montreal. To see if he’s playing in a city near you, click here. 

For more on Chiiild’s latest creative endeavor, we sat down with the artist to ask a few questions. Read below for his creative process, inspirations, and earliest memories of music. 

VMAN: Congrats on the new album, Better Luck In The Next Life! 

CHIIILD: Thank you. 

VMAN: It’s beautiful. I’m curious about how this project started. And how long has it been in the making? 

C: So I basically jumped right into making more music after releasing Hope For Sale. I just had this idea of making an album that was really personal. But also this like idea of trying to bring the trip-hop elements back–these things that I felt were missing in the soundscape in the world. So that was the thing that really fueled me.

VMAN: Oh, I see. That’s very cool. Can you also bring us into the studio–how do songs usually start with you? Lyrics first or sounds? 

C: I usually start digging for interesting sounds. A lot of what is going to be [on the album] is dictated by what I decided to color with it. So I’m messing around with weird, vintage synths or just recording random noises–things that inspire me at a later date when I have a story to tell. Melody kind of goes hand in hand with that stage. 

VMAN: And do you like to be alone in the studio? Do you like to work collaboratively with other people? 

C: I usually like one other person in the room, like someone I’m a fan of or someone that I just love to hang out with. You know, a lot of that initial stage is just about being there and having a good time. 

VMAN: Yeah, just vibing and having fun. Setting those high vibrations for the album. I love that. And what’s the significance behind the title, Better Luck In The Next Life?

C: Better Luck In The Next Life sounded as dramatic as I think I can be sometimes. It’s really about that moment where you open up and you tell your honesty. I think there’s this thing that happens once you’re open and you’re vulnerable, and people either lean in or it changes your relationship. 

VMAN: Yeah, it’s a scary brink to be on. I listened to a few songs on the album that your team shared, and the first one really drew me into the whole project. At the beginning, it sounds like spaceships are descending and you’re on a different planet or something. But as you keep listening to the other tracks, the sounds aren’t there. What was the intention behind these space noises?  

C: Basically, the opening song is like the theme song. I wanted it to feel like an autobiographical album. Here’s the theme song, this is the story of my journey until this point. And as I said, it’s as dramatic as I can be at times, which I thought was really represented well. It also felt very classical, which represents my upbringing. It was very cinematic in that in that way. And yeah, it has these little scratches that exist in trip-hop music or–I don’t know what it’d be called, maybe new metal. It’s just all the little pieces that I feel define who I am. 

VMAN: Yeah that’s a good way to put it. It’s like all these little pieces that when seen together form your artistry. I also wanted to talk about your earliest memories of making music. Do you remember the first time you fell in love with music and wanted to make it? 

C: What I enjoyed about music is that it brought people together from different neighborhoods. It was the thing that allowed me to connect with other people in a fun, uninhibited way. 

VMAN: Totally. What were some of the musicians you were listening to in the beginning? 

C: It really depended on which group I was with [laughs]. There was a group of us that would just study R&B because we just loved it so much. There was this friend that I had that moved from Florida to Montreal, and she was just constantly playing demos from this writer and that writer and we would just live in that space. And then I’d go skating with my friends and we would just be obsessed with Linkin Park. So it was interesting to be in between those two worlds.

VMAN: Yeah that makes sense. And for your cover art–how did you land on this one? 

C: I think this photo communicated the journey and it felt like it was leading to nowhere. It felt like you were kind of on Mars. My posture is giving a little defeated, tired. But also, it wasn’t a photo that we set up. This was a photo we found that just perfectly encapsulated the energy of the album. 

VMAN: Oh, that’s so special. Why did you choose “Bon Voyage” to kick off and announce the whole project? What was it about this specific song that you liked?

C: I just liked the lyric and the conversation. There’s a line that says, “Everybody out here on the same thing, we’re just out here levitating.” A major part of what fuels me is the fact that I’m just in this world. In the creative world, we’re supposed to celebrate creativity and what we end up celebrating a lot of the time is just carbon copies of other things–and that’s my enemy. So the single is my reaction where I’m saying, “You guys can do whatever you’re doing. We’re just over here on our own wave, having a good time. Join us if you will.”

VMAN: I love that. Like you’re carving out your own path and seeing what happens. Few more questions for you–the first being, what do you think has changed (sonically, aesthetically or personally) since your debut album, Hope for Sale in 2021? 

C: I think I understand myself a bit better. Part of being an artist is soul-searching and learning to accept yourself. I’ve always been very shy to put myself out there because I always want the music to do what it does. But now, I understand what I represent. I’m just trying to tell more and more personal stories. I feel like I have a sound that is easy to distinguish, so I want to further that thing that we started with, “Count Me Out.”

VMAN: And if there could be one message for this album, what would it be? 

C: With this album, we’re continuing to experiment. I’m just looking to inspire–none of it is intentional. None of it is saying, “This is what I want to do and I’m going to carve it up all perfectly.” Instead, it’s like, “I’m also a fan of what we’re doing. I’m a passenger, and I use my ears to create.” I’m just sharing what I think is really cool. All the things that inspire me are the things that I’m putting out.

VMAN: That’s great to hear. Is there anything else you want to add before we go? 

C: I would say this is something that you have to experience live. I’m looking forward to meeting everybody and sharing it with all the cities I’m visiting. That’s the most important thing for me.