If Jordan Alexander isn’t on your playlist, it should be there soon. The big break for this multi-talented creator was landing the lead role of Max. gossip girl The rebooted show sees a new group of students being recruited at elite private school Constance Villard and placed under the watchful eye of Gossip Girl, who records and broadcasts details of the students’ scandalous lives.
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Alexander plays Julianne Calloway, a social media It girl and Constance billiards queen, who has a following (and gossip girlSince his early days as a solo artist, Alexander has been immersed in the New York underground music scene. Currently, Alexander is preparing to release his debut album. Let’s catch up.
Growing up just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Alexander immersed herself in the works of queer icons like Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears, as well as rap legends Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. Influenced by two years spent in New York City and inspired by artists like Charli XCX, Ratt, and Karol G, Alexander’s new album is full of playful ’80s synths, modern pop sensibilities, and lyrics about life and love as a young queer woman in Toronto. INTO caught up with the rising star for our Get INTO It interview series to talk about her new album, why she wants to direct a biopic of Grammy Award winner Syd, and what it’s really like to be Jordan Alexander.
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If you had to use three words to describe your next album, what would they be and why?
It’s raw. These songs are pop songs but they’re not getting the pop treatment. They’re songs that come straight from the heart with all their imperfections and honesty. The production was greatly enhanced with the involvement of Habia Mighty (executive producer) and Taab (co-producer), but was originally produced by me.
They’re connected. All of these songs were written around the same time, around the same situation. That’s why I wanted to make this into an album. It’s a story, it’s my healing process in real time. This event affected me very deeply. I actually wrote twice as many songs as an album out of a pure desire to express how I felt. Then I went back and chose the ones I thought were the best.
It’s an intimate song. I love writing lyrics and sometimes I write songs from my imagination, but this is really intimate thoughts and feelings of my vulnerable moments and it’s very real.
of gossip girl The reboot gave fans a glimpse of who Julian Callaway is, but who is Jordan Alexander?
(laughs) We’re both kind of IT girls! Julian had something to share and loved the attention, and so do I. I’m a talented artist with a unique ability to express myself authentically. Jordan Alexander is a singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. I’m an artist. I love art, I love being creative, and I love working on different projects with other creatives. I was never interested in the flashy stuff, but I learned a little bit about quality from Julian! But I’m still very frugal and don’t like to spend money unless it’s for making music! I love spending money on music videos, photo shoots, and stuff. I really want to support artists in the scene and let them shine.
After two years of filming in New York, you fell in love with the city’s underground music scene. What did you learn to hone your craft?
I was in creative mode during the shoot. gossip girlI wrote song after song while staying in my Bushwick apartment. I was inspired by the situation that was bothering me at the time. The time alone in a new city really helped me immerse myself in the process and write my songs from start to finish. I wrote and produced this album while I was starring in it. gossip girl.
If you had to pick a favorite song off the album, which one would it be?
“I Don’t Wanna Loose You.” This song is such a big, dramatic ballad, and I love it. I remember writing it so vividly. The sun had just set while I was writing it, and I hadn’t even turned the lights on yet, so I was sitting on the floor of my dark apartment. I remember just sitting there, so emotional, and crying at times. It was such a beautiful moment of self-reflection. I felt so deeply and was so fiercely honest.
What movie, TV show, song/album, or podcast plays on repeat in your head?
BMFI love that show, it’s incredibly well made, well acted, and has great music.
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What is an iconic queer pop culture moment from your childhood?
I didn’t understand queerness until pretty late, and to be honest, I don’t think I knew what it was until I was 19. Janelle Monae’s “Make Me Feel” music video is an iconic moment in queer pop culture.
Going back to acting (or rather directing), if you could direct a biopic of any queer icon, who would it be and what scene would win you an Oscar?
I am very interested in directing. I love to analyze scripts and understand how they portray reality in recreated settings. Lately I’ve been really excited by small discoveries where small tweaks can make a big difference in authenticity. So I’m going to direct a biopic about Syd (a character in The Internet) and create an abstract, psychedelic, Oscar-winning love scene set to music composed by Syd.
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Going back to the music, in closing, what do you want people to take away from the album?
I hope this album will change your life, just like so many songs and albums have changed mine. I want you to use this album as a way to express your emotions, whether they be enthusiastic and joyful, distraught or shy. I want you to feel something awaken inside of you when you hear this song.
Let’s catch up It is scheduled to be released in early September.
