Who will perform at iHeart’s Jingle Ball Village, get mentored by Grammy Winners and Win $10,000? You decide!
chidera.
About chidera.
A Chicago-based artist who uses music to make sense of the world around him. Blending melodies with genre-bending sounds and introspective songwriting, he turns everyday moments, relationships, and complicated emotions into music that feels like home
Performances & Content from chidera.
Put Yourself Together Live
Trust (Try Again)
Naurchi
Learn More About chidera.
What makes you the Next Music Star?
When I started making music, I didn’t have a studio or expensive equipment. I had a phone and ideas I wanted to hear outside my own head. Watching artists like Steve Lacy showed me I didn’t need the perfect setup to create. I could experiment with what I had and figure things out along the way. Music became a way to process experiences I couldn’t always explain. Sometimes a lyric, a chord, or even silence can say what I can’t. My sound pulls from R&B, soul, hip-hop, jazz, funk, and alternative music. I’m drawn to artists who take risks and make music that feels like them, even when it doesn’t fit one category. As a songwriter and producer, I like bringing different sounds together without losing what makes them distinct. I want to make music that feels honest to my experiences, even when they’re messy or hard to explain. I’m still figuring out what my sound can be, and I want the freedom to experiment, take risks, and make things I haven’t heard before.
Who are your biggest music inspirations and dream collaborators?
Steve Lacy, Moses Sumney, and Lauryn Hill are some of my biggest inspirations and dream collaborators. I admire how they experiment, embrace vulnerability, and stay true to themselves. Steve reminds me to hold onto my whimsy and not take myself so seriously that I lose the joy of creating. Moses inspires me to embrace the unconventional and make music that doesn’t need to be understood by everyone. Lauryn Hill’s *MTV Unplugged* especially resonates with me because of how raw and exposed it feels. I admire her persistence in expressing herself despite the controversy and criticism surrounding her. I’d love to collaborate with all three because I think creating alongside artists who challenge conventions and approach music so honestly would push me in ways I can’t predict. I want to keep making music that feels true to me and leaves room for people to find their own meaning in it.
Participation supports Musicians On Call, a 501(c)(3) charity, which brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients, families and caregivers in healthcare environments.