BINA. Comes to Terms with Herself on New EP ‘Chaos Is Her Name’ (Review)

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BINA. is a rising star in the indie-soul scene, and for good reason. Now, the South London musician has dropped her third EP, ‘Chaos Is Her Name‘. This reflects on the three years since her last project, ‘This Is Not a Film‘. That time has also seen her work with the likes of KAM-BU and Lex Amor, whilst modelling for London Fashion Week.

This release sees her work alongside producer Subculture, a name who has worked with some of the biggest upcoming UK female talents. These names include Nao, Joy Crookes, and Rachel Chinouriri, and here, the producer gets it right again. On the songwriting side, Sabrina Obiago works alongside her producer, as well as other names including her featured guests.

‘Chaos Is Her Name‘ sees BINA. explore her insecurities and overcoming them as the project goes along. The opener, ‘Orange (Mania)‘, fits the feeling of uncertainty with the eerie sound created by the harp and warped synths. Moreover, it is almost whimsical in nature as she repeats, “Tip-toe, tip-toe / Creep, creep, creep.”. Following this, she expresses these feelings of panic and being in a dilemma, setting up the project well.

This is followed by the single ‘Self Assured‘. It mesmerises you with its synthy production, blending R’n’B and pop. It’s a tale of being convinced to come out, even though you don’t want to, and being in your own head on the night. Furthermore, her thoughts are delivered through an angelic, yet passive tone. It is as if this is a common feeling for herself. Even at the end, as she seductively delivers, “Tell me do you want that? I’m already with it if you’re on that.”, you wonder if it’s her who needs to be asked.

‘Sleepless‘ sees her combine with Essence Martins and Leonie Biney, who all blend well together. They sound angelic over this moody, soulful number, and everyone understood the assignment. The ethereal background vocals and use of percussion set the mood, as they open up about their issues. Obiago delves into not opening up about her feelings and the worry of how others will react. However, by the end, there is a realisation that things will work out. It’s a very real and relatable track on the pressure of mental health issues and the concern of how you’ll come across.

In the next song, ‘Bossy‘, we begin to see the recovery process. Immediately, we hear this with her more confident delivery. This feels like the opposite of ‘Self Assured‘, as she is now very much feeling in the mood for a night out. I do love how the drums and guitar create this impactful, soulful rhythm, making for a late-night jam. While some doubt creeps in towards the end, the healing process has begun.

The latest single ‘Precious‘, takes things in a more chilled-out direction, that nicely implements the bass guitar. This does feel like the ‘big’ single of the EP. Highlighting this is the anthemic chorus, that is certainly going to be chanted out on tour. In particular, she flexes her vocals towards the end by hitting those high notes, showing her vocal diversity. The lyrics come to terms with a relationship in the dying embers, as she wishes it was like it was before. The ending voice note reflects on the fact you cannot always be independent, highlighting that companionship and friendship are important in your happiness.

Another single, ‘Dopamine‘ takes an interesting look at how people look at you during your come-up. The percussion and guitar set out the instrumental, allowing you to focus on the words. In particular, BINA. shines for showing that vocal flexibility as she hits you with sing-rapping on verse 2, before going back to the more angelic stuff. The storytelling remains great, and she nicely takes on a topic that reflects on the insecurities about how others may perceive her. The line, “You owe us all your time.” hits, as it goes back to fans and maybe those closest to her treating her differently. With artists, the human aspect is sometimes removed in favour of the product. It leads to people neglecting the person and their mental health. This is a great way of showing how talented a songwriter Obiago is.

Finally, we conclude with ‘Inside Out‘, which isn’t a happy-ever-after, but a sign of better days. In addition, 9DAYS brings distinct vocals to the table and matches the discussion about realising your self-worth. Despite being, “Still yet to meet myself,”, BINA. now knows her value as a human being and is in a healthier place. As the track goes on, her vocals become louder and more commanding, highlighting that growth. This is a person who has gone on a journey and is now in a much better place. Also, to top it off, the choir vocals in the background are lovely and help conclude this nicely.

This is a really insightful and musically terrific journey into the mind of BINA. Not only is she a vivid storyteller, but she sounds great and so does the production. If I really nitpick, I feel the intro could have been developed a bit more, but this is a fantastic project. As someone who has struggled with their own mental health issues, this project was real and did that topic justice. In conclusion, I can’t wait to see what this talented future star has to say next.

Rating: 9/10

BINA. is on Instagram, X, and TikTok. Read more reviews here and stream the EP below.

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