CHEL is debuting “My Name,” an anthem that celebrates self-confidence, exclusively on Billboard today (Nov. 8).
With “My Name,” the St. Louis, Mo. native tackles the haters and critics that have bashed her for most of her life, by taking ownership of her name and all of the confidence that comes along with it. “I spent most of my life killing myself over what people thought of me,” CHEL tells Billboard. “I listened as people used my name as their punch line. At some point in my life, I decided to take back control and to own who I am.”
“My Name” is CHEL’s attempt to do just that. With its snappy piano-backed beat and unapologetic vocals, CHEL embraces things like the shape of her body, and the fact that she doesn’t wash her hair every day. She shows off an impressive vocal range, sliding effortlessly from a high and clear pitch to the song’s belting chorus as she sings, “If my name is what you’re saying/ I guess I’m doing something right.”
“A name is one of the most valuable things a person owns,” CHEL adds. “I realized that if people were talking about me, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
The singer first made waves with her single “That Fire,” earning herself a significant fan following on social media. CHEL has since opened for artists like Jason Derulo and Nelly on their tours.
With the release of “My Name,” CHEL is working towards a new era of expressing confidence and self-love in her music. “I realized that if I am happy with myself, eventually other people will learn to be happy as well and if they can’t…well, I just don’t care,” she shrugs.
Get a first listen of “My Name” below.