The 'Treat Me' singer also revealed details on her debut album for the cover of 'Allure's Melanin Edit issue.
Chlöe Bailey has a lot going on right now. In an interview with Allure for the magazine's "Melanin Edit" issue, the 23-year-old multi-hyphenate opens up about her many works in progress, including four onscreen roles -- such as a very hush-hush series Donald Glover is directing for Amazon -- and her eponymous debut solo album.
Her busy schedule doesn't leave much time for anything else, but the "Treat Me" singer doesn't mind because work has never been a trial for her. She tells Allure that it feels like she knew she wanted to sing "as soon as I learned to walk."
"I knew I loved performing. My very first dream was to be a Broadway star," she says.
"Music saved me. I was at a low moment where I felt lost like I didn’t have any sense of who I was," she adds, explaining how she sought the solace of work during the isolation of the pandemic. Her work soon evolved into the grand project that is her upcoming album, Chlöe.
"In the beginning, you can tell that [the person] who is singing is like a bird with broken wings. As time went on, you can hear me finding my strength and confidence," she shares. "I didn’t want to lose that story as I pieced the [songs] together."
The singer explains that she wants to get across a message of anti-perfection because "we’re not all supposed to be perfect, like bad b*tch and confident all the time. We have different layers, ebbs and flows to our lives. It would be completely unfair for me to portray myself to the world like I have no problems. Because I do."
The former Grown-ish star has certainly learned about the scrutiny that comes with the territory, growing up in the spotlight as the protégé of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter alongside her younger sister, Halle Bailey.
"The first woman I saw embrace her body was Beyoncé. Hearing her sing 'Bootylicious' or seeing her perform on the BET [awards] made me feel calm about my body," Chlöe recalls. "Also Jill Scott. She showed me another beautiful, full-figured, thick, sexy, curvaceous [woman]. And I was like, that is sexy. I’ve always had thick thighs and a butt. But I was growing up at a time when, if someone on television told you that you had a big butt, they meant it as an insult. So I was a little ashamed of my curves. I tried to hide them. It took a very, very long time. Now my favorite thing about [my body] is my butt."
That confidence shines through her music and music videos. The singer shares how performing brings out a "fearless" side of herself, saying, "I feel sexy. I feel strong."
It's a confidence that Chlöe brings to her love life as well. "I'm getting into that world and learning the ways of men right now," she says. "I present myself in my music videos as this really sensual girl, but when it comes to love and relationships, that’s not how I am. But that’s what guys think of me sometimes."
The "Have Mercy" singer has been relatively private about her romantic life but made headlines earlier this year when she and 28-year-old rapper Gunna were snapped holding hands while shopping in Hollywood, California.
It wasn't the first time the two were spotted together, fueling romance rumors. After Gunna flirted with Chlöe on Instagram, they attended an Atlanta Hawks game in October. They also collaborated on the song "Me & You" off Gunna's latest album, DS4EVER.
However, during Gunna's appearance on The Breakfast Club in January, he said the two were just "really close friends" and he isn't ready to settle down. Similarly, Chlöe downplayed the rumors when talking about her and Gunna's song together during an Instagram Live.
"I feel like everybody wants to know about my love life. My love life is music, darling," she said, later asserting that she was "single."
Gunna recently turned himself in following Young Thug's arrest in a massive sting that led to charges of racketeering and gang activity. Tracy Flanagan, Public Information Officer at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, told ET that Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, turned himself in Wednesday morning. Kitchens has been charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
As for Chlöe, she's taking a guarded approach when it comes to exploring romance and "figuring out guys’ true intentions."
"I'm not a person who bases [stuff] on outward appearance. If their heart is made of gold, I’m so in," she tells Allure. "I just want them to appreciate my nerdy side, my work ethic, and be my best friend. It has to be some- one who's really intellectual because that’s sexy. You can teach me things," she adds.
Read Chlöe's full interview for the "Melanin Edit" issue on Allure.com.
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