From Alex Christine to AleXa
If you’ve been with The Kraze for a while, then you surely remember the early days and coverage of Soompi’s Rising Legends in 2017, with Alex Christine quickly gaining attention from her participation in the first season. After winning the dance category of the competition in 2017, she returned for season two and successfully won the entire competition, proving that she was in this game for the long haul.
This path led her to partake in Produce 48, the second season featuring girl trainees after the success of the original Produce 101. Though she made the cut to appear on the show, she was eliminated at rank 82. Given the controversies surrounding the entire Produce series, this likely has little to do with a lack of talent and more to do with voting manipulation, but regardless, it would prove to be a boon to her career and help push her toward eventual debut in the industry.
After signing with ZB Label, she made her official debut as AleXa with single “Bomb” in October 2019. Not only is the song extremely catchy, but it also highlighted a concept that isn’t very often used in K-Pop: the AI trope. We’ve seen it before with VIXX, but no other group or soloist comes to mind. With 13 million views as of the writing of this article, AleXa has achieved something many groups have not even managed with their own debuts.
The backstory featured in her debut music video continued with album pre-release single “Do or Die.” Within a month, the video has racked up 7 million views, showcasing the solo power she possesses. The comeback trailer for this single also featured a dance video of “AI Trooper,” as well as a performance video for “Kitty Run.” “Do or Die” preceded the release of her first mini-album by the same name.
The appeal of AleXa’s music is not just its catchiness, but the unique concept and powerful message. If you’re having a rough go and need a little pick-me-up, AleXa’s discography is perfect for that. Not only are her songs inspirational, but her background story is just as moving for many of us. AleXa hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, a location that rarely produces pop stars, let alone K-Pop stars. She’s also an example of a K-Pop fan who went on to become a successful star in the industry, which is something we rarely, if ever, see.
She took part in a number of collaborations preceding debut, including but not limited to those with popular YouTuber JRE and MAMAMOO’s Moonbyul.
AleXa has only just begun her career in the K-Pop world, but she’s already proven that she’s got star power to back up her music. With an intriguing and ongoing concept that differs from much of what is out there nowadays, there’s no doubt that AleXa will make a significant impact on the scene.