Alex Young Q&A

Pop singer and sometimes-starlet Alex Young has been in showbiz since the age of six and has worked with some of the biggest names in music, but the 22-year-old vocalist recently realized she wanted to spread the word about world hunger with her new single, “Something’s Coming." Find out more in this exclusive Kidzworld interview!

 

Kidzworld: How did you get your start in showbiz?

• Alex Young: Being involved in the entertainment industry has been a passion of mine since before I can remember. Growing up, through my family, I was exposed to many genres of music like, Bossa Nova, Motown, Classical, Funk, show tunes and a wide variety of entertainment forms. Whether it was dance, acting, singing, or art I was extremely interested. I was always involved in many in and out of school activities and was also recording songs in a studio in town. From there, I was introduced to some great people who helped me put together my album, "Amazing."

KW: How Would you describe your sound?

• Alex: I always like to say that my sound is “dancing in your room all night long music candy.” It’s very spirited, upbeat, dancey music. I personally like to be outdoors while listening to my music, or anywhere where I can dance.

 

KW: Who are some of your musical influences?

• Alex: There are so many artists who have influenced my sound and helped to shape who I am as an artist. Mariah Carey, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Joao Gilberto, Sade and Prince have all been musically influential for me.The inspiration I drew from their sounds made it easier to hone my own. It’s so important to have artists whom you study and find inspiration. 

KW: You’re not only known as a vocalist, but also a fashionista, where do you get your fashion inspirations?

• Alex: I absolutely adore fashion and find my inspiration from anything that speaks to me. It could be a particular color combination in my dessert, an old 1940’s movie, or a cute french café in the West Village. It is always changing and I love that about it. I believe that fashion is an expression of how a person observes life. It’s like painting in your day.

KW: What has been the craziest thing that has happened since you started singing?

• Alex: Wow, I’ve had a lot of crazy things happen to me since I started singing. From wardrobe malfunctions to backstage reality show worthy drama. It’s Murphy’s Law all the time. Once during soundcheck, all the crystals on my shoes came flying off and we had to glue hundreds of crystals back on one by one. What it comes down to is,“the show must go on.” And usually, thank goodness, it does.

KW: What is something most fans don’t know about you?

• Alex: Well, since the invention of Twitter and Facebook there aren’t many things about me that my fans don’t know about. I am a big health nut and have a very strict diet that’s tied into my singing. I love finding out anything new that relates to health, balance and wellness. But shhhhhhh don’t tell anyone, but I’m a huge chocoholic! Simply love it!

 

KW: What’s your favorite part of touring?

• Alex: I love the performance aspect. I definitely feed off the energy of my audience. In turn, the audience feeds off of mine. It’s an incredibly unique experience and is something that cannot be recreated. Music and performance has always been a transcendental art form. I’m just so glad I’m able to be part of it.

KW: Who would you like to work with musically in the future?

• Alex: I’ve always said that one of my ultimate dreams would be to work with Prince. I think he’s a musical genius and has never been afraid to be exactly who he is and through that push the envelope in music and fashion. I’ve always loved funk and think it’s fabulous how he was able to combine that with pop music.

 

KW: Do you ever get nervous on stage?

• Alex: It’s more of an anxious excitement. I actually think it’s a good thing to have that feeling before a show. It pumps you up. When I’m completely calm before a show, It’s never as good as when I have that nervous excitement. I like to be calm in life everywhere but on the stage.

KW: Do you think the Internet has played a role in your success so far?

• Alex: I believe it has. It’s so incredible how many people you can reach through the Internet. It’s a perfect medium for marketing and promoting as an artist. Since I’m on an indie label, and don’t have the dollars of a major label to market on a large scale, the Internet is a very valuable resource. Fortunately, I’ve had a great response from my fans to my music on a grassroots level and am able to build a strong fan base from the roots upward.

KW: What is your song “Something’s Coming” about?

• Alex: Something’s Coming is all about social awareness. It’s about taking responsibility as human beings on this planet, acknowledging our current trajectory and wanting to do something positive to reverse the damage. It is a call to action through song to try and get people to want to take action to get our planet back on the right track.

Check out the video for "Something's Coming":

Your Fave:

• Food: Definitely anything with chocolate-involved
• Band: Queen, Heart
• Color: Aqua, turquoise
• Clothing Designer: Jean Paul Gaultier

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