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 a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

artist in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

in the mid-2000s, playing with local bands and recording several albums. After relocating to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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 commercially successful singles, often in tandem with American record producer Dr. Luke ...

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 advertis ...

and first achieved commercial success with her 2014 single " 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), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...

chart. She has since released the extended plays '' CollXtion I'' (2015) 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 ...

'' (2018), and the studio albums ''

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

'' (2017), ''

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 Alli ...

'' (2020), and ''

Girl with No Face ''Girl with No Face'' is the third studio album by Canadian avant-pop singer Allie X, released on February 23, 2024, by Twin Music and distributed by AWAL. The album was nearly entirely written and produced by Allie X during the four years followi ...

'' (2024).

Early life

Alexandra Ashley Hughes was born on 31 July 1985 in the town of

Oakville, Ontario Oakville is a town and List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipality in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. Generally seen as a commuter suburb of Toronto, it is located on Lake ...

. Her father is of British descent. Raised in an upper middle class family, she has described her upbringing as "privileged". 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 Septembe ...

, then studied classical piano and voice at the

Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen Center for the Arts ( '; also known as I.C.A. or Inty) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit corporation which operates Visual arts education, arts education institutions and Music venue, performance venues. Established in 1928 b ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, 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 partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...

's Musical Theatre Performance program, and also studied musical theatre. During her adolescence, Hughes was diagnosed with an unnamed autoimmune disorder that caused her to be "small and sickly-looking." To deflect attention her appearance gave her, she began using clothes and experimenting with makeup. In college, she began smoking marijuana to cope with the condition.

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 Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, and

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

. After three years of studying at Sheridan, she recorded a 10-track demo album, titled ''Waiting for the Prize''. Hughes described the CD as "a big hit with the music theatre kids", encouraging her to pursue a professional career in music. In 2008, she took part in

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

'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 channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

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''. ...

'' 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 voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

but was eliminated from the show after two weeks. That same year, she released her second demo album. She began recording for her debut studio album in 2009, collaborating with Dave Newfeld of

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band and 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 Canning, the ...

, Leon Taheny, and Adam King of Run With Kittens. The album, titled ''The Hard Way'', was initially set for release in fall 2010 but was delayed to 2011 and ultimately scrapped. During this timeframe, she released a 4-track self-titled extended play in 2010, meant to act as a preview of sorts 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, although a variety of other songs were performed during live shows. ALX had their final known 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 Gu ...

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 a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

'', ''

Being Erica ''Being Erica'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that aired on CBC Television, 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 r ...

,'' 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 stars Alexz Johnson as teenage singing competition winner Jude Harrison. The show chronicles Harrison's experienc ...

;'' her music was featured in ''

Rookie Blue ''Rookie Blue'' is a Canadian police procedural 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, and aired on Global in ...

'', ''

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 Br ...

, and'' ''Love Me''.

2013–2015: ''CollXtion I''

In March 2013, Hughes was one of four musicians to receive the

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

Slaight Music Residency Showcase. In July 2013, Hughes moved to

to pursue a full-time career as a songwriter; despite this, she did not stop working on her solo material. She had not 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. Hughes eventually signed a publishing deal and moved into a house " his companywas renting" where she "wrote song after song," fearing they would "send" her back. During this period, Hughes wrote the song "Bitch." In early 2014, Hughes released her debut single under the Allie X name, titled " Catch". Upon release, the single received praise from multiple sources including American singer-songwriter

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...

who called the track on Twitter, "spring jam." It charted on the

, peaking at number 55 on the chart. "Catch" went on to be re-released as an EP in November 2015, featuring additional tracks. Prior to the release of Hughes's debut extended play, '' CollXtion I'', 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 and was promoted through 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 and actor. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan signed with Universal Music Australia, EMI Australia in 2013 and ...

's album ''

Blue Neighbourhood ''Blue Neighbourhood'' is the debut studio album by Australian singer Troye Sivan. It was released internationally on 4 December 2015 via EMI Music Australia and Capitol Records. The album was preceded by Sivan's fourth extended play '' Wild'', ...

'', 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.

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 List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

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'' and ''Girl with No Face''

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 production DJ 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 100 DJ ...

, released on Canadian label

Monstercat Monstercat (formerly known as Monstercat Media) is a Canadian electronic music record label based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 2011 by Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen, the label released regular compilation albums featuring music ...

on 30 October 2020. The singer also released a collab with

Mitski Mitsuki Laycock (born September 27, 1990), also known as Mitski Miyawaki, and known professionally as Mitski, is an American singer-songwriter. She Self-publishing, self-released her first two albums, ''Lush (Mitski album), Lush'' (2012), and '' ...

, "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 t ...

''. 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 to celebrate the LGBTQ community in the Greater Toronto Area. The centre of the festival is the city's Church and Wellesley village, while the parade and m ...

. 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 dance, aerial Performing arts, performer, Content creation, content creator, model, and Music artist (occupation), recording arti ...

, "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". In November 2023, Hughes announced her third studio album ''

'' would be released February 24, 2024, promoted by lead single "Black Eye" and its title track. Upon release, the album was met with acclaim from music critics. The album was a longlisted nominee for the

2024 Polaris Music Prize The 2024 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 17, 2024 at Massey Hall. The longlist was announced on June 11, and the shortlist was released July 12. The award was won by Jeremy Dutcher for his album '' Motewo ...

Artistry

Hughes cites many of her influences as being

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

, Arthur Russell,

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

Mark Mothersbaugh Mark Allen Mothersbaugh (; born May 18, 1950) is an American musician and composer. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead vocalist and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose " Whip It" was a top 20 single in the US ...

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

, and author

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers 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 hi ...

. She also explains that the X in her name represents the unknown variable in

algebra Algebra is a branch of mathematics that deals with abstract systems, known as algebraic structures, and the manipulation of expressions within those systems. It is a generalization of arithmetic that introduces variables and algebraic ope ...

, 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 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 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

, with her music having drawn frequent comparisons to British singer

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...

's, but also that of

Chvrches Chvrches (stylised CHVRCHΞS and pronounced "Churches") are a Scottish synth-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 deriv ...

and

the Knife The Knife were a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consisted of siblings Karin and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They gained a large international following i ...

. Hughes describes her melodies as being "soaring pop, borderline theatrical

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

", 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 Entitlement (fair division), 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 c ...

and

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...

, 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 The APRA Music Awards in Australia celebrate excellence in contemporary music, honoring songwriters and publishers who have achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields. Several award ceremonies are run in Australia b ...

, "

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

" , Pop Work of the Year , ,

Discography

Studio albums * ''

'' (2017) * ''

'' (2020) * ''

'' (2024)

Tours

Headlining

*Doing X Tour (2015) *The Collxtion II Tour (2017) *The Super Sunset Xperience (2018) *Cape God Tour (2022) *Girl With No Face Tour (2024) *Weird World Tour (2024)

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 deb ...

with

(2016) * Expectations Tour with

Hayley Kiyoko Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft (born April 3, 1991) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and author. As a child model and actress, she appeared in a variety of films, including '' Lemonade Mouth'' (2011), '' Jem and the Holograms'' (2015), '' Insidi ...

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

Marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") 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 or cargo ...

(2019) *

Charli Live Tour The Charli Live Tour was the second solo concert tour by English singer Charli XCX, in support of her third studio album '' Charli'' (2019). The tour was announced alongside the album's official reveal on 13 June 2019. The tour started on 20 Sept ...

with

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

(2019)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Living people 1985 births Avant-pop musicians Avant-garde singers Canadian women pop singers Canadian women singer-songwriters Canadian indie pop musicians Canadian television actresses Canadian people of British descent Electropop musicians Canadian LGBTQ rights activists People from Oakville, Ontario Synth-pop singers 21st-century Canadian women singers Canadian women in electronic music Canadian expatriate writers in the United States Singers from Ontario Etobicoke School of the Arts alumni 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States