Chrystal Artistfacts

Born in the late 1980s (exact date unknown)
Her full name is Chrystal Jade Ruby Opal Orchard. She is a singer, songwriter and producer from Bolton in Greater Manchester.
Her musical influences growing up ranged widely: R&B and hip-hop sat alongside UK garage and bright Eurodance acts like Vengaboys, while producers such as Timbaland and artists like Missy Elliott and Aaliyah helped shape her rhythmic instincts.
Chrystal enrolled to study law at the University of Bolton but soon realized contracts and case law were less appealing than synthesizers and drum machines. She dropped out and switched to music production at Manchester Creative and Media Academy, completing a production course that launched her recording career.
Her debut single, "Waves," was inspired by the donk music scene she grew up around in Bolton. Donk is a Bolton-originated sub-genre of bouncy techno that became a cultural shorthand for the town. "Waves" was named a Weekend Anthem on BBC Radio 1Xtra and landed on The London Sunday Times list of hottest new tracks.
Chrystal's commercial breakthrough came with "The Days," though it took a long route to success. She wrote the song in 2015 while signed to the London indie label 37 Records, but the track was shelved and never officially released at the time. After leaving the label in 2019, Chrystal stepped away from performing and worked as a recording engineer while trying to figure out her next musical direction.

Eventually, she uploaded a batch of archived material - about 40 unreleased tracks - to streaming platforms. To her surprise, the songs began to find an audience.

"When I released this music, in my mind I'd retired as an artist and my new goal was to be a songwriter," she told Official Charts. "So then for my old music to take off, to now hearing my voice being played all over the world, it's just incredible."
That online discovery has led to several collaborations. One example is her track "My Loving" with Sonny Fodera. The Australian house DJ heard one of her songs online and contacted her directly, leading to the remote collaboration.
She scored her first UK #1 in the summer of 2025 when she featured on the deep house track "Dior" by the Detroit DJ and producer Marc Kinchen, better known as MK. It spent two weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Eyes Without A FaceBilly Idol

Billy Idol's "Eyes Without A Face" has a gruesome inspiration. It's based on a 1959 French movie about a surgeon who abducts young women and removes their facial features.

TemptedSqueeze

The Squeeze song "Tempted" is one of their few with lead vocals by Paul Carrack, who sang the Ace song "How Long" and was in Mike + The Mechanics.

FancyIggy Azalea

The video for Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" pays homage to the classic 1995 film Clueless with the rapper playing Cher and featured singer Charli XCX portraying Tai. It was filmed at some of the same locations used in the movie.

NameThe Goo Goo Dolls

"Name" by The Goo Goo Dolls was partly inspired by lead singer John Rzeznik's flirtation with the MTV VJ Kennedy, who didn't want him to tell anyone her real name.

RoyalsLorde

Lorde was 16 years and 11 months old when "Royals" topped the Hot 100. In doing so she became the youngest ever solo artist to write and perform a #1 hit.

Red Red WineUB40

UB40's cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" was a minor hit when first released in 1983, but it went to #1 five years later when radio stations in Phoenix started playing it.