CHXNDLR’s new single “REVENGE” releases on March 7. Graphic Courtesy of Jacob Chandler.

At 19 years old, Jacob Chandler, known artistically as CHXNDLR, already understands something many musicians spend years trying to figure out: authenticity will outlast a trend time and time again.

Chandler is a sophomore at the University of Miami, where he’s pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Industry with a minor in Marketing. Chandler didn’t stumble into music. He’s been building toward it since he was six years old.

The result is “REVENGE,” Chandler’s new single releasing March 7. Entirely written, produced and performed by him, the track is a Y2K-inspired hip-hop with elements of R&B and hyperpop

Piano quickly became a constant throughout his life. Jazz piano followed and with it came improvisation, instinct and the freedom to create. 

Since being based in Miami, that same freedom has influenced his production work.

Chandler’s relationship with music evolved the most during the pandemic. What simply started as a hobby and something he says he was “really bad at,”, slowly became an obsession. 

Music production wasn’t just another skill to learn, it became a passion. What pulled him in most was the limitless nature of production. With production, he realized, you can build anything from nothing.

In January, Chandler attended the National Association of Music Merchants convention in Los Angeles. There, he spoke on how being around industry professionals and emerging artists led to the idea that success meant picking a lane and staying there. 

For a moment, he considered the idea. Chandler had already experimented before, even releasing a house track he later admitted didn’t feel authentic. 

“It didn’t matter what the genre was,” Chandler  said. “It was the idea that I was trying to pick a niche. I felt like I was being kept in a box.”

That realization was pivotal. Instead of narrowing himself, he decided to expand. “REVENGE,” his upcoming single, shows his ability to experiment but keep the same energetic beats that makes CHXNDLR.

“You might have gotten me good, but I’m going to make sure what happens to me happens to nobody else. That’s my revenge,” Chandler said.

Part of him admits he imagines an audience and what they might expect. But he’s learning not to let that expectation dictate the work. As he puts it: create what feels good.

“Your art can be you being yourself and not you being forced to be someone you’re not,” Chandler said. 

His minor in marketing isn’t a backup plan — it’s part of his long-term vision. He wants to exist on both sides of the industry as an artist who creates and and helps other artists bring their visions to life.

For now, “REVENGE” represents something simple but powerful: a 19-year-old artist choosing freedom over formula. And that may be his most defining move yet.Listen to “REVENGE” on Spotify when it comes out on Saturday, March 7.