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If indulgence and pleasure ignite your senses, prepare to be serenaded. Coining the genre “R&Bossanova,” Chloe Bodur makes hypnotic music that will return your body to its most primal state. 

Hailing from North West London, songwriter, singer, and producer Bodur is a siren in the flesh. It’s easy to get lost in her stare, and she’ll lure you in even deeper sonically. Citing inspiration from Astrid Gilberto and Anita Baker, she’s created a psychedelic sound that’s modern, a nod to the greats, and entirely her own.

Hoping to inspire a new generation of South Asian and Middle Eastern women to bask in their worth and be heard, Bodur wears her Sri Lankan and Turkish heritage proudly. But beyond the many labels she lives in, her music can awaken any human being with blood coursing their veins. It’s raw ecstasy.

Recently releasing the sensual serenade “Come With Me,” her upcoming project Ruya is brewing much anticipation, set to explore female pleasure and the Divine Feminine. We got to chat with her about what drove this concept project, embodying her truth within white spaces, and of course, being shouted out by Thundercat.

Ones To Watch: Did growing up in a Turkish and Sri Lankan household influence how you make music and blend genres?

Chloe: Because my parents were both born and raised in London, I didn’t hear loads of that kind of music. My dad would play Turkish music, but I wasn’t into it. But in the last few years, I think I really accepted myself instead of trying to fit into white spaces all the time. Stepping out of that and embracing my background a little, for the first time in my 20s, I’m doing the groundwork to really rediscover that part of me. It’s top of my agenda to learn my culture’s music more, mainly for self-discovery. I work with my cousin JD Reid all the time and we keep saying we want to go to Sri Lanka and make a project there, just to be in the environment and see what happens. 

You’ve got a lifetime to learn it! And it’s definitely important to explore your artistry outside the confinement of white spaces.

Yeah even when I was at Uni, I had a great experience and loved my courses but I learned a lot about The Beatles and nothing about hip-hop. And when we did do a lesson on it, it would be about Eminem. We needed a broader scope on different world music and not just David Bowie all the time. There’s other legends out there. 

So I know that you’re a fan of Thundercat and he cosigned you! How surreal was that experience?

That was a big moment for me. I went to a jazz jam with a friend and there was a rumor that Thundercat might be there, but no one thought that he would actually come. I remember having jams at Uni and being too shy to get up, and it was such a big moment to get up and sing with him in front of people. It really showed the journey I’ve been on of growing confidence and believing in myself. You really have to take your moments.

So I know your upcoming project is centered on the Divine Feminine, sensuality, and pleasure, which I think is so important to talk about. How did this come to be?

I was having a lot of conversations with female friends of mine about the general lack of fulfillment with their lovers. There’s a thing in your brain when you’re younger that says “Intimacy is a performance and my priority is my partner’s pleasure over my own.” Stepping into our 20s, there’s a shift into “I should actually be mutually enjoying this.” This project is based on those conversations, about how that shift not only changes our relationships but also our view of ourselves.

It’s one of the most important conversations we can have with ourselves as women. Tell us more about the project. 

This is my first concept project! It’s called Ruya, which is the Turkish word for “dream.” During COVID, I was so bored of being in the same four walls that I slept a lot. I enjoyed it so much because I was experiencing all of these things in my dreams that were like, really out there. I was going to the beach, I was partying, I was having conversations with people, all of the stuff I couldn’t do in the real world because I was stuck at home. So I wrote a project from the perspective of the girl I am in my dreams who is bold and says what she wants. When it comes to pleasure, she puts her foot down and says she’s deserving. I had an abusive relationship when I was younger and stayed in it longer than I would now, and there’s a song on the project called “Not My Fault” because dream me is much more outspoken and knows it wasn’t my fault. It was freeing to write a project from a slightly different perspective and I’m really happy with it. Some of the language I use on it, like using the “F” word, I wouldn’t have done had it just been from my perspective. Adapting a character voice gave me more freedom.

We can’t wait to hear it. And lastly, who are your Ones to Watch?

I’m not just saying this because I’m biased, but my boyfriend Bubba Janko makes music that I think is really amazing. It’s got an '80s sound to it, like Blood Orange. He’s great.