Alessa Aichinger who goes by the stage name Alessa XO, grew up in a small town in the south of Austria with limited musical opportunities however she did not allow that to stop her from attaining her dreams and striving to become a groundbreaking success. The birth of Alessa XO occurred once she graduated from high school and got presented with the opportunity to go to New York and attend the NYC Film Academy. Her acting skills soon got her casted in various different films, productions, and commercials.
A multifaceted character, Alessa talents soon got her discovered by a music producer who helped manufacture her first release. The birth of the upcoming music sensation, Alessa XO's goal is to follow the same path as a few great multi-talented artists who have been inspirations to her such as SIA, H.E.R. and Amy Winehouse among many others. Her goal is to bring the same passion, hard work and honesty that has fueled her early acting success to her music career. For Alessa XO, writing meaningful lyrics has always played an extremely important part in being a music artist. The release of her single titled “We Are One” begins with an electronic pop danceable introduction that remains thorough throughout the entire single. The beat immediately encourages you to dance along. It reminds me a lot of those popular “dubstep” and “EDM” type sounds where you’re just evoked to party hard and don’t stop! Despite the extravagant sounding pop instrumental, Alessa's passion for meaningful storytelling comes to light with her thought-provoking lyricism. Delivered with more upbeat energy, she still didn’t lose her niche of incredible songwriting that enlightens our thinking process of what the jam packed record could be about! “Together, forever, we are one”.
What I interpreted from this song is that it discusses the unity and joint companionship between two people who comes together and forms a union. I also believe it could go on a more deeper lyrical connotation to talks about the invitation and welcoming of somebody new into a place they may seem unfamiliar with. She’s basically saying it’s okay, and to feel comfortable because we’re both just human. In my opinion, fans would be able to feel more of a genuine connection and chemistry between Alessa, the music, and themselves. I was a big fan of her progressive vocals. Alessa was able to channel in the correct personality for this record and you can take notice of her special charisma throughout the song. The melody was pleasant and moved fluently with the song--especially around the hook when her vocals becomes more augmented to add a detailed effect to the song. "We Are One" has a unique and special transition around around 3:20 time frame to 3:35 where the beat transforms into this dope breakdown that emphasizes the idea of “We Are One” being a mainstream and radio hit! You’re bound to dance along while being touched by her riveting and unique songwriting caliber!
Be sure to add Alessa XO's "We Are One" to your Spotify playlist, and check out the artists interview below, where she lets us in on her creation process!
Alessa XO became your stage name once you graduated high school! Prior to post-graduation, did you ever have any aspirations to become an artist?
Yes, I did. I actually do not come from a family of artists (my parents are both incredible doctors and I admire them very much) so the choice I made was quite different, but I feel like if you are internally an artist, it will always come out at some point. When I was younger, I played the piano, attended acting/theatre courses in my hometown and joined a choir. I worked as much as could and even though there were not a lot of opportunities in the entertainment business in my hometown, I managed to get accepted to a well-known acting school in New York City after high school graduation. That was the point when I could actually start working as an artist more professionally and creating content.
How beneficial are your past acting skills for your music and artistry?
Very beneficial. I trained at NYFA in New York City for a year and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for two years. First off, the acting training really made me get to know myself better, my inner fears, wishes and everything else because method acting, which you do at Strasberg, is quite an intense training and it can bring out a lot of buried emotions and feelings. This most definitely helped me while writing relevant lyrics for my songs, because the training enabled me to dig deep and use my past experiences as well as things I have gone through emotionally. Acting training also helped, when creating a video concept for a record, directing a video project or even starring in it myself.
Knowing you’re keen on creating songs with lyrical substance, how would you describe the lyrical content in “We Are One”?
Writing meaningful lyrics is extremely important to me as an artist. Since it has become a trend for artists to not write songs themselves anymore, I feel even stronger and prouder about writing and singing my own lyrics. “We are one” is the first single from my new album with the same name and it was a collaboration between the founders of the World Bodypainting Festival, my team and me. When I lived in London, I finished a bachelor’s degree in international politics and Languages at Kings College and during my last year there, all the political craziness happened such as the right-wing movements in Europe and Brexit among others. I was very shocked and started thinking of how I could personally attempt to make a positive impact and promote peace and love. “We are one” is an artistic as well as a political message, promoting unity, community, and acceptance. The World Bodypainting festival is an event where people from all over the world attend and have the chance to collaborate and showcase their artistry. No one cares about what religion, race or gender you are, it is a place of acceptance, celebration, and artistry. In my opinion, this is how it should be, life is too short to argue, fight and wage wars. At the end of the day, we are all one, we are one race, which is the human race.
How did you manage to find a balance between an energetic sound with passionate lyrics?
Even though I write from my heart and use personal experiences, I do not want to bore anyone with too emotionally heavy or overly dramatic songs. I would describe myself as very versatile. Every single song I work on has its own story and has been in the works for a good while. I want my fans to identify with what I’m saying but also have a great time while listening, so a lot of my songs are actually upbeat and energetic. I drew a lot of inspiration from my favorite artists such as SIA or Ryan Tedder (One Republic), who are some of my biggest inspirations on the songwriting end and mixed a lot of different musical elements in the songs for my new album such as pop, dance, EDM, singer-songwriter style and classical music. I believe me and my team managed to produce some quality records that will make people think, dream and hopefully feel very happy.
What else can we expect from you in the near future? How are you planning on showcasing versatility while remaining true to your incredible artistry?
I just finished a whole album, which has been in the works for about the last two years. I moved from London back to New York City in early November 2018 and am in conversation with a few bigger record labels regarding a good deal. My goal and dream would definitely be to reach an international audience with my music, do tours and collaborate with as many talented musicians as possible, I also want to continue my acting, focusing mainly on TV and film work since I love the pace of that field. A big goal would be to get one of the new songs from the album featured in a movie or TV show. Generally, I would use my platform to spread a message of positivity, unity, and love and promote what I stand for as an artist and as a person. For me producing quality content is and will always be very important. I want to always remain true to myself and what I stand for and not lose sight of my vision, goals, and message.
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