Wax Poetics and Chanel bring Solange, Angèle, Neneh Cherry and Yukimi together for a sensory celebration of music and scent

Earlier this spring in Paris, four genre-defying musicians – Solange, Angèle, Neneh Cherry and Yukimi – gathered for a filmed conversation on chance, creativity, and sisterhood. Brought together in collaboration by fashion house Chanel and music publication Wax Poetics to mark the release of perfume Chance Eau Splendide, the panel was Solange’s first on-camera interview in six years. “I usually say no to these things,” Solange reveals in conversation. “But it was you ladies.”

Now, Wax Poetics have released a zine reflecting on the intimate roundtable through behind-the-scenes photography and first-person storytelling. Despite their distinct musical legacies, the artists find common ground in what it means to trust your instincts, jump into the unknown, and surrender to change. As Neneh put it, “taking a chance, to me, sounds like a really good beat.”

At the roundtable, each woman shared stories of vulnerability and intuition at pivotal points in their careers, coalescing on embracing play, failure, and unpredictability in creativity. For Yukimi, a defining moment came when she walked away from a solo deal with no safety net. “They looked at me and said ‘you’re not going to sell anything, and you’ve got to pay everything back’,” she explains. “That was a big chance for me. It took so much bravery, because I was a nobody, and they were somebody.”

Neneh, meanwhile, reflected on her entry into London’s post-punk scene in the late 70s, inspired by voices like X-Ray Spex’s Poly Styrene. “Hearing her sing Germ Free Adolescent made me want to sing,” the singer reveals. “It made my voice think that it could sing.”

Solange’s origin story was equally unexpected. A former ballet student with dreams of Juilliard, she was sidelined by a meniscus injury while touring as a backup dancer. “I started writing emo songs about how my life was over because I wasn’t going to be a ballerina anymore,” she laughed. This pivot saw her release her first album aged just 16.

For Chanel ambassador Angèle, who moderated the conversation, the freedom to “colour outside the lines” became a crucial part of her creative practice – especially in the wake of her breakout 2018 album Brol. “I missed the feeling of being a teenager and not really caring about who’s going to like the record. I just wanted to express myself,” she says. The pressures of success led her to cherish experimentation and fun. “Looking at the big picture, having fun and trying to put some light in the process is so important, because you then have to carry that music with you on tour.”

In many ways, the project captures a spirit of improvisation that’s core to the perfume it celebrates. Like jazz (one genre all four women referenced), the act of taking chances is often more felt than planned. That commitment to intuition and artistry aligns with Chanel’s broader philosophy. Founded by Gabrielle Chanel over a century ago, the house has long championed innovation, craftsmanship, and creative freedom – values that continue to shape its work across fashion, fragrance, and beyond. As Yukimi puts it, chance is “having faith that something will catch you and that there will be some kind of plan.” And if not a plan, perhaps just a really good beat.