Chiiild

Montreal-based collective Chiiild fuse R&B's intense emotional drive with groove-oriented indie rock and layered electronic textures, creating the style they call "synthetic soul." The group started performing live and putting out music in 2019 before releasing an EP the next year, followed by the arrival of their debut full-length, Hope for Sale, in 2021.

Producer and musician Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal guides the project, which made its initial mark when it appeared as a guest on British singer/songwriter Daley's 2017 song "Careless." While developing their own material, the members also handled production duties alongside artists such as Usher and Diplo. Their debut single, "Count Me Out," surfaced in summer 2019 as a hazy blend of Tame Impala-styled psychedelia, R&B falsetto vocals, silky strings, and alien synth eruptions. The follow-up, "Back to Life," included singer/poet/activist Shungudzo, and both tracks featured on the 2020 EP Synthetic Soul. Hope for Sale, issued in July 2021 through Island's Avant Garden imprint, highlighted widely streamed cuts including "Awake" and "Sleepwalking." Two more singles, "Bon Voyage" and "You Get Me (A Final Word)," surfaced the year after.