AleXa Intends to Advocate for Mental Health With Her New Track

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW ✦

After making waves as a celebrated soloist in the pop music world, K-pop superstar AleXa has unveiled her latest introspective single, "i'm okay," in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month.

Penned by AleXa herself, the vulnerable song embodies empathy and solidarity towards those wrestling with mental health challenges — a universal topic that’s proven to be a struggle most of us have at least some experience with.

Drawing from her personal journey, AleXa injects sincerity and openness into her new, mature music, further urging listeners to address the stigma linked to mental health and embark on a gratifying quest toward recovery. And as a result of her honorable intentions, the genuine release further cements AleXa's multifaceted talent and unwavering commitment to diversifying narratives in her craft.

Having attained global popularity through her K-pop training, earned a pivotal win in the Eurovision-inspired American Song Contest, and chosen to stand for something extremely impactful, we’re officially taking time to chat with the talented singer-songwriter about her expansive career.

AleXa

Congratulations on your new release! Can you elaborate on the inspiration behind your latest single, "i'm okay," and how your own life experiences shaped the song's message?

AleXa: Thank you very much!! The song was a collaborative effort between myself and the amazing songwriter & producer, Alex Karlsson, along with the track being made by the incredible duo of Arcades from the UK. It’s a love letter to those struggling with mental health, much like myself; I have bipolar disorder and have been dealing with poor mental health ever since I was sixteen.

Regarding this new track, you’ve mentioned wanting to break stigmas surrounding mental health. What are some of the major misconceptions that you hope to counter through your art?

AleXa: Mental health shouldn’t be such a taboo topic to talk about…millions of people around the world suffer from some kind of mental illness and seek comfort through things like art and music. I hope to be an artist who can share my journey with those who might be feeling alone in theirs. 

It’s also an endearing alternative to the music we’ve seen you drop within the past few years. What was your biggest takeaway from this new, raw experience?

AleXa: It was nice to create a song that’s my style and something I would listen to on any given day. As a heavy metal, punk, rock, and alternative music fan, getting to delve into this style was a dream come true.

AleXa

After your incredible win in the American Song Contest, you became one of the most-played Korean artists on U.S. Radio — with some pretty stellar company! From your journey as a celebrated artist in K-pop to winning a high-stakes competition series, what do you perceive as your biggest milestone so far?

AleXa: I suppose it would make sense to say that ASC was the biggest milestone in my career thus far, but I know there is better yet to come. I have dreams and aspirations that have yet to be achieved, and I will stop at nothing to see them come to fruition.

You have your first role as an actor in the Netflix series Goedam, and as a horror genre advocate — I’m so excited for you! What was it about the role (or series) that enticed you?

AleXa: It was an interesting experience with many learning points to have taken away. I just hope to be in a full-fledged horror movie production someday.

Were there any films or series that you pulled inspiration from for the role? Or do you have any horror genre favorites that helped prepare you for this moment?

AleXa: It was a rather small role with not much preconceived information given about the character, so I just tried to act as natural as any real-life person in that situation would have acted.

In conclusion, with your recent bold artistic direction in 2024 — what can fans expect from your upcoming projects, and how do you see your music evolving in the future?

AleXa: As an artist, I hope to continually evolve and grow; I would love to keep exploring different genres for single releases here and there, but I think it’s time to get the KPOP gears turning again and get back to the reason why I moved here, [laughs].