The creative force known as Chiiild crafts beautiful and thought-provoking hymns that transcend genre, while still retaining the integrity of Soul, Jazz, and R&B.

Chiiild is helmed by Yonatan Ayal, born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. His relationship with music happened early, as his parents emigrated from Ethiopia to Montreal during the height of war and his father aimed to instill music into him from the time he could walk and talk. “I think he wanted to live vicariously through me with my appreciation for music,” Chiiild explains. “So at three years old I started music, which kind of became the thing that defined my whole life.” He entered into a private school with a renowned music program, taking extra piano lessons before and after class. “I remember starting before my hands could even press down on the keys,” he continues. His curiosity for the world transcended even music, as the young wunderkind experienced everything from figure skating to karate to theater. Musically, he was classically trained, balancing his time with an Ethiopian music teacher who also taught him traditional music. As a later student of Toronto’s renowned Royal Conservatory of Music, Chiiild’s relationship with music intensified—with an understanding and appreciation for instrumentation.

Gradually, Chiiild honed his craft as a producer. At 18, he produced his first track, which won a competition on Canada’s Mix 96 radio station (now known as VirginRadio). “I was right out of high school,” he recalls. From there, he spent the next few years working with local artists and catching whatever studio time was thrown his way. He traveled to and from Los Angeles, producing as xSDTRK and working with artists like Usher, Lucky Daye, Jack Ü, and Chloe x Halle, among many others. He was known for bending genres seamlessly, while crafting the soundscapes that helped other artists tell their stories. Eventually, he hit his own creative wall.

“I had all these different ideas, and I needed a creative outlet,” he expresses. He turned toward singing, adopting the name Chiiild and working with fellow producer Pierre-Luc Rioux. In early 2020, Chiiild released his debut EP Synthetic Soul, clocking in at over 12 million streams to date and featured single “Pirouette” that was awarded Song of the Year at the We The Beat Awards. He followed with his debut album Hope For Sale in 2021, which earned a Hi-Fidelity Award at the Prism Prize and a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year. To date, Hope For Sale has garnered over 70 million streams. With a sold out U.S. headlining tour, sharing stages alongside acts like Leon Bridges, and touching festivals like Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, and Life Is Beautiful, Chiiild recently released his sophomore album, Better Luck In The Next Life.

As an artist influenced by everyone from Pink Floyd to Sam Cooke, Chiiild has a knack for melding sounds and coupling them with songwriting that is rooted in both storytelling and social commentary. Better Luck Next Life is a culmination of Chiiild’s influences and experiences, mixed with a graduated level of experimentation. “I’m trying to create from a space of like, ‘How creative can I be? What’s the coolest thing that I can possibly do right now?’” he explains. “And I was just attacking everything from that point of view, like ‘What feels like it’s missing in the world, and what do I want to hear? What’s the most the wildest thing I can get away with?’” The project is a continuation of Chiiild’s evolution. “I am no longer a producer, alone, making beats,” he says. “Now I am outside speaking to people.”

The first single off Better Luck Next Life was the smoothly Psychedelic “Bon Voyage,” a track that was both poignant symbolic. “Bon Voyage means ‘have a good trip,’ so it speaks to the trippiness of the music,” he explains. The title track continues in the Psychedelic direction, while other songs like “Good for Now” with Lucky Daye and “Antidote” showcase Chiiild’s skillful love of Soul. While the project discusses the concept of closure, it’s also symbolic in the understanding that every ending signals a new beginning. “I want everyone to understand that there’s never actually an end,” he says with sincerity. “You can always start over.”

At the heart of it, Better Luck Next Life matches passion with energy from an artist who isn’t afraid to take risks in his sound and evolve with every lyric and note. “This is my Molotov Cocktail,” he says matter of factly. “This is unapologetically who I am, so let’s see what you think.”