Soy Artista: Bringing that Chï
Growing up surrounded by a family of musicians, Chyona Edwards was bound to follow in her family’s footsteps. Edwards wrote her first song when she was six, but it wasn’t till the age of 23 that she focused all her energy into becoming the artist known as Chï.
“Since my whole family has been into music I have always had it around and been into it. Music at this point is a part of me,” Edwards said. “It is all I do and all I really want to do, and I have been doing it my whole life. I can’t honestly think of doing anything else as my main career and dream.”
When settling on her stage name Chï, she wanted to honor a family nickname and reference the word “chi” which also means energy. Edwards lives by her motto “bringing that energy” which has become her central approach to creating music. For Edwards, this means fiercely owning every ounce of herself, all the tears, dreams and realness. In moments when she feels nervous about being so open with her feelings, she always finds a way back to that motto.
Edwards studied music and acting in San Francisco at the Academy of Art University before moving to Eureka in 2021 where she decided to take her music seriously. When thinking about the kind of world she wanted listeners to enter with her music, she wanted to create a soft dreamlike energy while also writing about her deeper personal thoughts.
In 2023 she released her first song on various streaming platforms called “Bedroom Palace”. With dreamy instrumentals and lively lyrics, her first song laid the foundation for the unapologetic spirit she exudes in her sound today.
“It’s my first song so I always call it my baby,” Edwards said. “I honestly felt like I was putting a very sensitive part of myself out there, I’m just being very open and vulnerable which is not something I really like to do. I felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone when I made that song and released it.”
As she stepped into the music realm, Edwards was confronted with fears she had to overcome. Edwards quickly understood the relationship between music and vulnerability when she decided to release her music. Edwards wholeheartedly wants to embrace being an emotional person who channels what she describes as “soft girl energy”. By leaving her comfort zone, she truly found her own voice and the voice she hopes to be for others.
“I hope to be a voice for all the soft girls out there that don’t have a voice and the soft girls of color. People who look tough but are actually soft, I want to give a voice to them,” Edwards said. “There’s so many people who need that help or want that help, who want to express themselves but can’t because people think they are tough and expect them to just suck it up.”
In her song “Part of Black History”, the dreamy piano ballad is met with the opening lines, “My skin is a big part of me and baby I’m a big part of black history”. The song highlights the existence of people of color in America and her own experience. Proudly claiming her story with these lyrics, Edwards discovered empowerment in her racial identity and the inspiration to share that pride with others.
“That is by far my most vulnerable song. I sing about my race and how I am proud of who I am no matter what happens. That song is very important especially now with all the stuff going on in the media and politics,” Edwards said. “That song gives me a way to express myself and to show that I am not ashamed of who I am. I am proud of where I come from and where my ancestors come from.”
Following her heart as an artist, Edwards is constantly finding new ways to express herself in her music. As she grows in her life, Edwards hopes those who can see themselves in her music can do the same alongside her.
“I hope to inspire other girls,” Edwards said. “Especially girls that look like me, to go out there and chase their dreams and to not be afraid to express yourself and your emotions.”
For music and to follow Chï:
Spotify: Chï
Instagram: @musicbychyona
