Intriguing and unignorable, Allie X is an enigmatic presence in the world of pop. Her jet-black hair, striking outfits, and impressive eyewear have become staples of her image, and the visual manifestation of the mystery that surrounds her.
Allie X, born Alexandra Hughes, uses her specific brand of pop brilliance to tell distinctly human stories. While her music is unashamedly pop, it’s a fresh and alluring take on the genre, through the eyes of an artist who’s dedicated to telling a story beyond just the music.
“X is the freedom that I give myself to feel anything and to be okay with not knowing anything.
In many ways, pop music is Allie’s medium for creating different musical universes in which her songs or projects inhabit. While it may seem as though her projects live in very separate worlds, there is one thing binding them all; the concept of X. The concept of X is something that Allie has been exploring heavily throughout her career. Used to describe the unknown and unexplained, X is an idea that cannot be defined. The idea of embracing uncertainty has always been a pillar of Allie’s artistic vision and the idea of X encompasses that.
Allie’s willingness to embrace, dissect and question the very genre in which she operates is a testament to her creativity and boldness. Her debut project, appropriately titled, CollXtion I is a perfect example of this creativity and boldness in action. From head to toe, the seven-song project is chock-full of sticky hooks, punchy production, and impactful lyrics, all delivered by the incredibly powerful vocals of Allie X.
Her voice is strong yet emotive and beautifully transforms itself to fit an array of different sounds and subjects throughout the project. With tracks like the quirky “Bitch”, the introspective “Good”, and the uplifting “Sanctuary”, Allie showcases her dynamic range of impressive vocal styles. Sonically, the project is a synth-pop utopia. Track after track, Allie is accompanied by striking and shimmering production that doesn’t pull a single punch. Catchy and refined, with a distinct left-of-center edge, CollXtion I is a killer first piece of an ever-ending puzzle.
Her following project, CollXtion II works as a dark and diverse counterpart to CollXtion I. While CollXtion I wore its pop appeal front and center, CollXtion II’s pop appeal is a little more hidden. While still without a doubt a pop project, it took risks that most pop projects don’t; and it paid off.
Through experimenting with different sounds and even more distinct lyrics, a completely new musical universe arose. While opening tracks “Paper Love” and “Vintage” make for a peppy start to the record, the majority of the record is distinctly less peppy. Take the ominous “Simon Says” for example, where Allie twists the famous children’s game, viewing the titular character as a sort of abuser and manipulator.
It may be far darker than your average pop song, but it’s still absurdly catchy. Even more mellow cuts like “True Love Is Violent” and “Downtown”, which explore themes of heartbreak and mistreatment, are still pop songs to their core. The project largely feels like an exploration of different sounds and themes, wrapped up in an undeniably catchy and interesting pop package.
“If we talk about the concept of X, I think it’s ultimately about finding my truth.
Through each body of work, I’ve been trying to do that and I continue to try and do that, so there’s a cohesiveness in that way. Like everyone else; I get older, I grow, I learn stuff and I think my work reflects wherever I’m at, at the time.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1JfQ_rthvI
As a means to explore the concept of X, both CollXtion I and CollXtion II touch on the many ways to interpret understand one’s true self. Often shown through personas or dualities, Allie is unafraid of stepping outside herself to gain a new perspective. Take the video for non-album single “All The Rage” for example; heavily featuring the idea of duality, Allie and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Violet Chachki exist as dueling, doppelganger-esque entities.
With her third project Super Sunset, Allie decided to do an even deeper dive into the world of character-driven pop music, as she created three unique characters with distinct points of view and stories to tell. The Nun, the Hollywood Starlet, and the Sci-Fi Girl all exist as vehicles to detail the ups-and-downs of living in Los Angeles, which Allie has called home since relocating from Canada in 2013.
Read the rest of our feature with Allie X here.
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Genevieve Kyle is an editorial intern at Beyond The Stage Magazine. Having a deep love for the social power of music, and a passion for sustainability, Genevieve can often be found vibing on Spotify or eating crunchy peanut butter. Some of her favorite artists are Steve Lacy, Beach Bunny, Car Seat Headrest, and The Vaccines.
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