Rachel Chinouriri I think I spoke too soon
Released Oct 16, 2026 Parlophone UK
Established consensus 5 professional reviews Updated Oct 18, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
Rachel Chinouriri's I think I spoke too soon turns the dancefloor into a place to air the doubts, sorrows, and contradictions of young adulthood.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Broken chair
4 critic mentions
“The likes of the jaunty and danceable ‘Broken Chair’ and breathy ‘Make Believe’, though, see her more interested in pop transcendence.” — Rolling Stone UK
I’m a star
3 critic mentions
“what makes it a true Rachel Chinouriri original is her heavily-accented, delightfully delusional presence.” — Pitchfork
Make believe
2 critic mentions
“in “Make believe”, another standout tune, she asks bluntly, “Am I banging a loser? Is it too late for the future?” — The Line of Best Fit
Full critic consensus
Rachel Chinouriri's I think I spoke too soon turns the dancefloor into a place to air the doubts, sorrows, and contradictions of young adulthood. Across five professional reviews, it earns a 76.6/100 consensus score: a warmly received, characterful record whose brightest pop moments often carry a sting of emotional realism.
Critics describe a sonic palette that moves between synth-pop, pop-rock, and danceable, sometimes dissonant textures. That contrast gives the songs their charge: party-ready beats and buoyant hooks sit alongside loneliness, dissatisfaction, and the distance between where Chinouriri is and where she wants to be. The record’s strongest thread is its portrait of fluctuating twenties, where club culture can offer release without erasing the feelings brought onto the dancefloor. Reviewers also praise her willingness to embrace artistic change and let her personality shape the sound.
“Broken chair” is the clearest consensus standout, praised for poignant storytelling and for shifting between peppy dance-pop and exposed emotion. “I’m a star” makes Chinouriri’s charisma and rock-frontwoman energy central, while “AAAHHH!!!” turns anguish into an exuberant, handclap-driven rush. “Make believe” adds a more bruising edge, pairing painful questions with distorted bass. Across these highlights, critics find an artist who can make public messiness vivid without sanding away its awkwardness. Some emphasize the album’s cohesive dance-pop palette; others are most taken by its goofy melodrama and emotional candor. The critical consensus suggests a rewarding, appealingly restless listen, with its best songs finding freedom in the tension between celebration and sorrow.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
One song away from crying
Pretty girls
Baby steps
Favourite desperation
I’m a star
AAAHHH!!!
Broken chair
Shiver
Make believe
Parasite
The good fight
Crash this car
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Rachel Chinouriri eases the listener into her fresh new sound on the best tracks from I think I spoke too soon, with “One song away from crying” pairing bright synths with a crying-in-the-club energy. The party girl anthem “Pretty girls” and groovy “Baby steps” keep the dancefloor antics going, while “Broken chair” is where her storytelling is at its most poignant. Ending with the emotive “Crash this car”, the album captures the fluctuating feeling of being in your twenties.
Key Points
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“Broken chair” stands out for its poignant storytelling and catchy, vulnerable reflection on party culture.
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The album's core strength is its blend of indie-rock, dance, synth-pop, and disco, grounded in vivid accounts of life in your twenties.
Themes
Critic's Take
Rachel Chinouriri sticks to a consistent palette of synth-pop, pop-rock, and what lies in between, with elements of dissonance providing the dreamlike touch that sets I think I spoke too soon apart. The best tracks on I think I spoke too soon are the bittersweet party songs, from “One song away from crying” setting the tone atop ‘80s dance beats to “Pretty girls” delivering another dose of sweetness and sorrow. “AAAHHH!!!” uses catchy handclaps to create a cheerful contrast with anguished lyrics, while “Make believe” bluntly asks painful questions over hefty rumbles of distorted bass. Album highlight “Broken chair” is especially affecting, oscillating between stripped-down vocals and peppy dance-pop as the misery bubbles deep within.
Key Points
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“Broken chair” is the album highlight, its affecting vocals and shifts into peppy dance-pop giving loneliness a vivid, unsettled shape.
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The album’s synth-pop and pop-rock palette pairs bittersweet party songs with doubt, sorrow, toxic romance, and social anxiety.
Themes
Ro
Critic's Take
Rachel Chinouriri is fast becoming your favourite pop star’s favourite pop star, and the best songs on I think I spoke too soon make clear why. On “One song away from crying”, she’s “never looked better and never felt worse”, a push-and-pull that defines the album. When the crunchy guitars burst out of “I’m a star”, she remains a magnetic frontwoman for a rockin’ band. The jaunty, danceable “Broken chair” and breathy “Make believe” are more interested in pop transcendence, making for a fascinating portrait of an artist in flux.
Key Points
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“I’m a star” stands out for the crunchy guitars and Chinouriri’s magnetic presence as a frontwoman.
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The album’s core strength is its portrait of growth and artistic change, balancing rock guitars with pop transcendence.
Themes
Critic's Take
Rachel Chinouriri finds a sweet spot where goofy melodrama and emotional realism meet on I think I spoke too soon. The best songs on I think I spoke too soon arrive when she lets her natural charisma run loose: “Favourite desperation” turns a crush into some of her finest meta-narration, while “Broken chair” zips through the costs of public messiness. On “I’m a star,” she amps up her charm, all jangly opalescence and delightfully delusional presence. “AAAHHH!!!” is fun to hear her ham it up on, and she thrives at the meeting of goofy melodrama and emotional realism.
Key Points
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“I’m a star” stands out for its jangly opalescence and Chinouriri’s delightfully delusional presence.
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The album’s sleek pop finds its sweet spot in goofy melodrama and emotional realism.