There’s something to be said about ‘star power’, especially in a world that’s flooded with content that sees unheard-of artists and new songs constantly emerging on TikTok and streaming platforms, only to go viral and then never be heard of again.
While ‘star power’ is almost impossible to define, charisma, glamour, and extreme talent all play a part – qualities that most successful K-Pop artists seem to so effortlessly exude. Whether it’s the trademark splashy aesthetic that’s associated with the genre or the undisputable skill and energy the artists confidently convey, Korean Pop has well and truly made its mark on the music scene.
K-Pop artist AleXa is the perfect example of an artist who encapsulates everything that’s magical about the genre. From her euphonious vocals to her jaw-dropping theatrical stunts, the popular performer is nothing short of magnetic.
Unsurprisingly, being a K-Pop star doesn’t come easy. AleXa, who’s not only an accomplished singer but also a talented dancer and actor, tells Rolling Stone Australia about the rigorous regime that went into preparing for her Australian tour.
“We had a week full of practice night and day, twenty-four hour rehearsals. We also had practices starting at midnight which went until seven in the morning. Wow. We have a lot of intensive schedules and preparation,” she says.
AleXa is known for her stunt-heavy and perfectly choreographed concerts, something that she says she gets a huge thrill from. When asked to pin down her favourite stunt she’s ever done, the K-Pop star didn’t hesitate before listing her shocking fall off the back of a huge set of stairs at the end of her winning performance of “Wonderland” at The American Song Contest, which is the US version of Eurovision.
“I think falling off the stairs in the back is probably one of my favourite stunts,” she says.
However, the K-Pop superstar added that her all-time favourite was the goose-bump-inducing stunt she did during the finale of the popular show that saw her slowly lowered down to the floor from a chair hanging from the ceiling. “When I had the chair descending from the ceiling, that was honestly very, very fun,” she says.
She adds: “There is definitely an adrenaline rush that comes because you just feel like, ‘wow, we did such a good job'”.
AleXa beat out nine other artists, including four-time Grammy-winner Michael Bolton, to take the title at American Song Contest, which was hosted by Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg.
“During American Song Contest, I got to meet Michael Bolton. And that, in itself, was an extreme honor cuz it’s literally the Michael Bolton,” she laughs.
Looking back at the feat, AleXa tells us that while winning American Song Contest was a career-shaping moment for her, being complimented by Snoop Dogg was up there when it came to personal achievements.
“During the American Song Contest, when I was having a little interview moment with Snoop Dogg, he straight up went ahead and just called me a star. I was not expecting that from Snoop Dogg of all people. And, Kelly Clarkson was also so encouraging,” she says.
“They were supportive of me during the whole show. But I don’t know, I think being called a star by Snoop Dogg was definitely in my top moments of cool things that have happened in my career so far!” She laughs.
Aside from taking home the win at American Song Contest, AleXa has racked up well over 100 million streams on Spotify and 140 million views on YouTube, and acted in the 2022 South Korean anthology horror film Urban Myths.
The “Wonderland” singer has travelled to New Zealand and Australia for the first time in her career and is currently touring around the latter. So far, she’s given critically acclaimed performances in Auckland and Sydney and is set to perform in Melbourne this Saturday 1st April at 170 Russell.
Having only just landed in Sydney at the time of the interview, AleXa gushed about the beauty of the city she had so-far encountered, and listed New Zealand as one of her favourite places in the world.
“My goodness, I think New Zealand is in my top three places I’ve ever performed at this point! My Kiwi fans were so nice and it was just really cool getting to meet people from the other side of the world. I mean, Korea’s over here and New Zealand’s all the way over here, we’re on opposite sides of the equator and everything. It was just really, really fun!” She shared, with her trademark charm.
