Alexandra Ashley Hughes (born 31 July 1985), known by her stage name Allie X, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She began her career as an

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

artist in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

in the mid-2000s, playing with local bands and writing and recording a handful of self-released albums. After relocating to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, in 2013, Hughes began working with producers

Cirkut Henry Russell Walter (born April 23, 1986), known professionally as Cirkut, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has co-produced and co-written for Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Becky G, Ava Max, Nicki Minaj, R. City, The Weeknd, Kesha, Ciar ...

and

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

and achieved success with her first single released under the name Allie X, " Catch", which peaked at number 55 on the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

chart and was well received by music critics.The song rose to prominence after pop singer

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

referred to it as her "spring jam" on social media. Hughes released her debut extended play in 2015, ''

CollXtion I ''CollXtion I'' (pronounced "Collection One") is the debut extended play by the Canadian singer-songwriter Allie X, released physically on 7 April 2015 with a short sell cycle. It is her first record released under the name Allie X. The album was i ...

'', followed by her debut studio album ''

CollXtion II ''CollXtion II'' (pronounced "Collection Two") is the first studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Allie X, released on 9 June 2017, following her 2015 extended play, ''CollXtion I''. ''CollXtion II'' is the second of a planned five Coll ...

'' in 2017, and ''

Super Sunset ''Super Sunset'' is the fourth extended play (EP) by Canadian singer and songwriter Alexandra Hughes, known professionally as Allie X. It was released on October 29, 2018, by Twin Music. The EP follows the release of her debut studio album ''Coll ...

'' in 2018. In 2019, she also released an analog version of ''Super Sunset''. Her second studio album, ''

Cape God ''Cape God'' is the second studio album by Canadian singer Allie X. It was released on February 21, 2020 by Twin Music and distributed by AWAL. The release followed her extended play '' Super Sunset'' (2018). The album was primarily written by All ...

'', was released on 21 February 2020.

Early life

Alexandra Ashley Hughes was born on 31 July 1985 in

Oakville, Ontario Oakville is a town in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton. At its Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census population of 213,759, it is List of tow ...

. Her family is of British descent. She attended the

Etobicoke School of the Arts The Etobicoke School of the Arts (ESA) is a specialized public arts-academic high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located in Etobicoke, it has been housed in the former Royal York Collegiate Institute facility since 1983. Founded on September ...

, then studied classical piano and voice at the

Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City. In ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, and graduated from

Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology) is a public polytechnic institute of technology located in the west-Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Founded in ...

's Musical Theatre Performance program, and also studied musical theatre.

Career

2006–2012: Career beginnings

Hughes first started her career under the stage name Allie Hughes in

around 2006, performing

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

. She released the 10-track demo album, ''Waiting for the Prize'' in 2006, which she recorded while in college. In 2008, she took part in

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

's '' How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'', the Canadian version based on the series with the same name which aired in the United Kingdom on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

in 2006. She performed " My Favourite Things" from ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...

'' and "

It's Oh So Quiet "It's Oh So Quiet" is a song by American singer Betty Hutton, released in 1951 as the B-side to the single "Murder, He Says". It is a cover of the German song "Und jetzt ist es still", Select Work ID and search for 390157329. Performers include ...

" by

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

but was eliminated from the show after two weeks. She released her second demo album that same year, titled ''Ladies and Gentlemen''. She recorded her debut studio album in 2009, collaborating with Dave Newfeld of

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene is a Canadians, Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canning (vocals, bass) in 1999. Alongside Drew and Cannin ...

, Leon Taheny, and Adam King of Run With Kittens. The album was titled ''The Hard Way'' and was initially set to be released in fall 2010 but delayed to 2011 and ultimately scrapped. She released a 4-track self-titled extended play in 2010, meant to act as a preview for the then-upcoming project. Following the cancellation of ''The Hard Way'', Hughes developed her synth-pop and electronic inspired band, ALX, in late 2011. The group released their debut and only single, "I Will Love You More" in March 2012 and had their final known live performance at the

Hillside Festival The Hillside Festival is an annual three-day, five-stage (including one kids' stage) summer festival occurring in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, hosting musicians, spoken word artists, workshops and more. The Hillside Festival occurs in late July on Gue ...

in July, where they performed seven unreleased original songs and one cover. Her acting credits during this time include Canadian movies and television programmes, including '' The Boys in the Photograph'', ''

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

'', ''

Being Erica ''Being Erica'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that aired on CBC from January 5, 2009, to December 12, 2011. Created by Jana Sinyor, the series was originally announced by the CBC as ''The Session'', but was later retitled ''Bei ...

,'' and ''

Instant Star ''Instant Star'' is a Canadian musical comedy-drama television series which aired from 15 September 2004 to 26 June 2008. The series starred Alexz Johnson as teenage singing competition winner Jude Harrison. The show chronicles Harrison's experi ...

;'' her music was featured in ''

Rookie Blue ''Rookie Blue'' is a Canadian police drama television series starring Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith. It was created by Morwyn Brebner, Tassie Cameron, and Ellen Vanstone. The series premiered on June 24, 2010, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8:00 ...

'', ''

Saving Hope ''Saving Hope'' is a Canadian supernatural medical drama television series set in Toronto in the fictional hospital Hope Zion. The series stars Erica Durance and Michael Shanks. The show's premise originated with Malcolm MacRury and Morwyn Brebn ...

, and'' ''Love Me''.

2013–2015: ''CollXtion I''

In July 2013, Hughes moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time career as a songwriter; despite this, she didn't stop working on her solo material. She hadn't been satisfied with her sound and spent time learning about sound design and production. She adopted the stage name Allie X and began working with producers

and

, whom she had met during her time in Los Angeles. In early 2014, Hughes released her debut single under the Allie X name, titled " Catch". Upon release, "Catch" received praise from multiple sources: ''

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

'' magazine's Jamie Milton said "Allie X stepped on the scene like a bottle of wine at a wedding – everyone wanted a piece of her," and Jamieson Cox from ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine said the track "shines with a level of polish and craft that's remarkable" and complemented Hughes's attention to detail. American singer-songwriter

also praised the track on Twitter, calling it her "spring jam". "Catch" charted on the

, peaking at number 55 on the chart. "Catch" went on to be

re-released In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Re ...

as an EP in November 2015, featuring additional tracks. Prior to the release of Hughes's debut extended play, ''

'', two singles, "Prime" and "Bitch", were put out by the singer on 18 March and 6 April 2014, respectively. ''CollXtion I'' was then released a year later, on 7 April 2015 in Canada, with the worldwide release being pushed back to 21 April. The EP was well received, with ''Edmonton Journal''s Julia LeConte calling it "a smartly written seven-song EP that offers up a smorgasboard of indelible hooks" and goes on to say Hughes's song-creating ability matches her "spectacular" voice. She held a small North American tour in 2015. Besides working on solo music, in 2014 and 2015, Hughes also contributed to Australian singer

Troye Sivan Troye Sivan Mellet ( ; born 5 June 1995) is an Australian singer-songwriter, actor and YouTuber. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan signed with EMI Australia in 2013 and released his thi ...

's album ''

Blue Neighbourhood ''Blue Neighbourhood'' is the debut studio album by Australian singer and songwriter Troye Sivan. It was released internationally on 4 December 2015 via Universal Music Australia, EMI Music Australia and Capitol Records, Capitol Records America. ...

'', co-writing seven tracks, including two of the album's three singles, "Talk Me Down" and "Youth". She also supported Troye Sivan on his 2016 tour's North American leg. Hughes was one of four musicians to receive the

Canadian Film Centre The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization founded by filmmaker Norman Jewison in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1988. Originally launched as film school, today it provides training, development and advancement opportunities for pr ...

Slaight Music Residency Showcase in 2013.

2016–2018: ''CollXtion II'' and ''Super Sunset''

Despite having released albums and EPs in the past, Hughes had yet to release a studio album under the Allie X name. In February 2016, Hughes released a free-to-download song called "Old Habits Die Hard", which was originally meant to serve as a non-album single. On 13 May 2016, Hughes released another song called "Too Much to Dream" and announced a project called ''CollXtion II: Ʉnsolved'', which saw her release a collection of demos and songs on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

over the course of the summer, in order to shortlist the songs her fans wanted to see on ''CollXtion II''. This project ended on 6 November 2016, with Hughes saying no new music would be released until the album is out. ''

'' began to be teased by Hughes in February 2017, with it being officially announced for a 9 June release date on 23 February. On 28 April 2017, Hughes released "Paper Love" as the first single from the upcoming album. "Need You" was released on 26 May 2017. On 1 June 2018, Hughes released "Focus" as the first single from her then-untitled second studio album, followed by the release of the second single "Not so Bad in LA" on 13 July. The following Monday, Hughes announced her extended play, ''Super Sunset'', to be released in the upcoming fall, along with a four date promotional tour, The Super Sunset Xperience. On 25 December 2018, Hughes released ''Super Sunset Analog'', an alternate version of her previously released album ''Super Sunset.''

2019–present: ''Cape God''

On 26 September 2019, Hughes released "Fresh Laundry" along with a music video for her next album that was then untitled. This was followed by "Rings a Bell" on 17 October. On 8 November, the third single, "Regulars", was released. The fourth single, a collaboration with singer-songwriter

, " Love Me Wrong", was released on 6 December. On 16 December, Allie announced the pre-order, album artwork, and album title for her upcoming album, ''

'', through her social media accounts. A fifth single, "Devil I Know", was released on 31 January 2020. The album was released 21 February 2020. Hughes' vocals were featured on "Shadow" by Dutch electronic music duo

Vicetone Vicetone is a Dutch electronic music DJ and production duo formed by Ruben den Boer ((), born 22 January 1992) and Victor Pool (born 9 July 1992) from Groningen. The duo began as a DJ act, and in 2013, they were voted into the ''DJ Mag'' Top 10 ...

, released on Canadian label

Monstercat Monstercat (formerly known as Monstercat Media) is a Canadian independent electronic music record label based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 2011 by Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen, the label released music on a tri-weekly basis unt ...

on 30 October 2020. The singer also released a collab with Mitski, "Susie Save Your Love". In 2020, she appeared as a guest host in the seventh episode of ''

Canada's Drag Race ''Canada's Drag Race'' is a Canadian reality competition television series based on the American series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and is the Canadian edition of the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by Blue Ant Studios. In a similar format to th ...

''. She performed in the 2021 virtual edition of

Pride Toronto Pride Toronto is an annual event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in June each year. A celebration of the diversity of the LGBT community in the Greater Toronto Area, it is one of the largest organized gay pride festivals in the world, fea ...

. In July 2021, Hughes released a single with drag queen

Violet Chachki Violet Chachki is the stage name of Paul Jason Dardo (born June 13, 1992), an American drag queen, burlesque/ aerial performer, content creator, model, and recording artist best known for winning the seventh season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Ch ...

, "Mistress Violet", produced by French producer Lecomte De Brégeot and written by Hughes. The song's 1980s influenced music video was shot in analog and features Hughes and Chachki in Schiaparelli haute couture outfits. Chachki had previously appeared with Hughes in the music video for her 2016 single "All the Rage".

Artistry

Hughes cites many of her influences as being

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

, Arthur Russell,

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

Mark Mothersbaugh Mark Allen Mothersbaugh (; born May 18, 1950) is an American composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead singer and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose " Whip It" was a top 2 ...

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...

, and author

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

. She also explains that the X in her name represents the unknown variable in algebra, saying: "In mathematics, X is any possible variable. It's an unknown quantity. Once it's solved, it's no longer X. With that in mind, X is the identity that I take on as I go through my journey of self-discovery. It's these questions that I'm trying to grapple with in the public sphere. If I ever find that piece that I'm after or solve the equation, as it were, then I will no longer be Allie X." Hughes has the vocal range of a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

, with her music having drawn frequent comparisons to British singer

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...

's, but also that of

Chvrches Chvrches (stylised CHVRCHΞS and pronounced "Churches") are a Scottish pop band from Glasgow, formed in September 2011. The band consists of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and, unofficially since 2018, Jonny Scott. Mostly deriving f ...

and The Knife. Hughes describes her melodies as being "soaring pop, borderline theatrical Disney", while her lyrics, "always seem to be darker." She compares songwriting to a science experiment in which you put two people's brains together for a few hours and see what they can come up with.

Public advocacy

Hughes has frequently voiced her support for

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

and

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...

, noting "I have a lot of young fans, and a lot of LGBT fans. After meeting and hugging so many of them, I often picture them when I write now, and I try to send my support".

Awards and nominations

{, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result !! Ref. , - , 2015 , Berlin Music Video Awards , " Catch" , Best Art Direction , , , - , 2017 , APRA Music Awards , "

Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

" , Pop Work of the Year , ,

Discography

Allie X has released two studio albums: ''

'' in 2017 and ''

'' in 2020. She has released five EPs, including ''

'' (2015) and ''

'' (2018). She co-wrote several songs on each of

's first two albums, ''

'' and '' Bloom'', and has written songs for other artists including

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...

Seohyun Seo Ju-hyun (; born June 28, 1991), known professionally as Seohyun, is a South Korean singer, actress and songwriter. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup Girls' Generation-TTS) in August 2007, which ...

Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...

, and

Betty Who Jessica Anne Newham (born 5 October 1991), known by her stage name Betty Who, is an Australian musician, singer and songwriter. After independently releasing her debut single, " Somebody Loves You" (2012), and her debut extended play, ''The M ...

Tours

Headlining

*''Doing X Tour'' (2015) *''The Collxtion II Tour'' (2017) *''The Super Sunset Xperience'' (2018) *''Cape God Tour'' (2022)

Supporting

*''

Blue Neighbourhood Tour The Blue Neighbourhood Tour was the second concert tour by Australian recording artist Troye Sivan, in support of his debut studio album ''Blue Neighbourhood'' (2015). Background On 23 November 2015, two weeks before the release of Sivan's debut ...

'' (with

) (2016) *''

Expectations Tour The Expectations Tour was Hayley Kiyoko's fourth headlining tour in support of her first studio album, '' Expectations'' (2018). The tour began in San Diego on April 11, 2018, and concluded in Madrid on March 3, 2019. Jess Kent and Naaz performe ...

'' (with

Hayley Kiyoko Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft (born April 3, 1991) is an American singer, dancer and actress. As a child model and actress, she appeared in a variety of films including ''Scooby-Doo (film series), Scooby-Doo!'' film series (2009–2010), ''Lemonade Mouth ...

) (2018) *'' Remember the Future Tour'' (with ionnalee) (2019) *'' Love + Tour Part 2'' (with

Marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...

) (2019) *''

Charli Live Tour The Charli Live Tour was a concert tour by British recording artist Charli XCX in support of her third studio album '' Charli'' (2019). The tour was announced alongside the album's official reveal on June 13, 2019. The tour started on September 2 ...

'' (with

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...

) (2019)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Allie X Living people 1985 births Avant-pop musicians Avant-garde singers Canadian women pop singers Canadian women singer-songwriters Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian indie pop musicians Canadian television actresses Canadian people of British descent Electropop musicians LGBT rights activists from Canada People from Oakville, Ontario Synth-pop singers 21st-century Canadian women singers Canadian women in electronic music Canadian expatriates in the United States Musicians from Ontario