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Jordan Alexander is the next gay pop star

Jordan Alexander is the breakout pop star of 2017. The stunning young singer/songwriter is openly gay, multiracial, and insanely talented. Earlier this month, Jordan opened for Jess Glynne and put the finishing touches on her debut album, Reject Misfit Outcast, which she tantalizingly describes as “Urban Dream Pop.” Jordan’s mentor, Grammy-nominated producer Jarvis Church, discovered and produced stars like Nelly Furtado and K’naan.

Could Jordan Alexander be the hottest lesbian pop star since Tegan and Sara Quin? My money is on “yes.” I caught up with the adorably enthusiastic Canadian about opening for Jess Glynne with one hour’s notice, dating a “blonde angel,” creating her debut album, and fangirl tendencies.

AfterEllen: You recently opened for Jess Glynne! How did that happen?

Jordan Alexander: I got the message at like 6pm to open for Jess Glynne that night; it was crazy but totally the best. The original opener got sick at the last minute, so event organizer asked my agent for submissions and then chose me to fill in! I love Jess Glynn’s music and saw posters for her show everywhere for the past month, so I just couldn’t believe that I would open for her. We met at sound check and she was so cool and stunning.

AE: Woah, what a crazy experience. You must have been scrambling.

JA: Yeah, I was in Netflix and chill mode when I saw the email saying “You need to be at Adelaide Hall in an hour.” So I jumped off the couch and was running around stripping out of my PJs and doing vocal warm ups. It was pretty funny. I felt really legit, like a real musician on call-ready when you need me, like Batman!

AE: But you made it on time.

JA: My girlfriend drove me to sound check so I could get there faster but when we tried to park, we couldn’t figure out the parking signs. I was getting antsy about being late so she was just like “Fuck it, it will be fine.” When we came out-literally 10 minutes later-she had a parking ticket! Toronto doesn’t joke about parking.

AE: I feel you. LA is the same way. What songs did you perform?

JA: “Cool,” “Take Me Out Tonight,” “Need Your Love,” “Love & Alcohol,” “The Lonely Hearts Club,” and “The Great Escape.” Mostly new songs that I wrote in the past couple months.

AE: You mentioned a girlfriend. How do you identify via sexual orientation?

JA: I’m a lesbian. I like girls, particularly my girlfriend Cassandra WB. I’m seeing a blonde angel.

AE: How would you describe your music?

JA: Urban Dream Pop. Urban because of the way I sing, Dream because of the production and the feel, and Pop because of the way I write lyrics.

AE: What’s your earliest musical memory?

JA: Sitting in my friend Jose’s room, listening to her play guitar and sing the songs she wrote. I was 11, she was 13, and I thought she was the most amazing thing. She wrote these beautiful personal songs and I would just sit there for hours listening to her. We spent days doing just that. Jose was the reason I asked my parents for a guitar for my 12th birthday.

AE: What was your childhood like?

JA: My childhood was the best, I have two sisters so it was loud and fun. My parents are really cool and very supportive of creativity. They were never harsh about school, even though I usually did very poorly. I was raised Christian, which I feel put some pretty weird ideas in my head that I’ve had to reverse as an adult. But everything else was so beautiful and happy.

AE: How was your coming out experience?

JA: I came out in 2011 to mixed reactions. My friends didn’t care at all. At the time, my friends were really into Anime and Comic books, and I find that community tends to be pretty open. As for family, some of them are very religious and don’t “agree with” homosexuality, but my little sister didn’t care ’cause she’s my ride or die. My grandparents were so cool; it didn’t phase them at all. They really helped me survive that time. To give you a sense of how cool they are, right now my grandparents are in Europe biking the Danube.

AE: Have you ever felt pressure to conform?

JA: I think so. When I first came out I started being more tomboyish because I was a little confused about what being gay meant. I thought to like girls you had to be more like a boy. I still wear androgynous clothing, but now I know that being gay isn’t a standard I have to live up to. It’s just language to describe who I’m interested in or in a relationship with. Coming out was really tough for me so I have decided going forward I am going to support myself in whomever I choose to love.

AE: How does it feel to be an up-and-coming lesbian musician?

JA: I feel like I’m committing myself to a life of honesty and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. I just feel like I’m diving head first into a swimming pool full of candy. Being a musician is a treat and I love it.

AE: How would you describe your personality?

JA: Bubbly and excitable! My hyperactivity is borderline annoying, at least for my girlfriend who has to deal with it 24/7.

AE: Do you write your own music?

JA: Yes, I absolutely do. Songwriting is my favorite pastime. I also really like to write music with other people. My girlfriend and I have written tons of songs together it is so much fun.

AE: What’s it like working with Jarvis Church?

JA: Amazing and fun. He is hilarious and we are actually friends so it has been the best experience I could have ever asked for. He is so talented, but he is really open to suggestion and doing things differently. He just wants to create great music, so his attitude to songwriting and producing is very fluid.

AE: Who are your biggest musical influences?

JA: Currently, my biggest inspirations are Ellie Goulding, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX, Mother Mother, and Lorde. I listen to so much music, but I think the influence of those artists can be heard prominently in my music. I listened to a lot of Beyonce and Shania Twain when I first had the choice of what I was listening to.

AE: What have been the highlights of your career thus far?

JA: Opening for Tegan and Sara at the TD Music Café Toronto event in 2014! I really, really love them-I can’t even explain. I got heat stroke that day because it was really hot out and I was jumping up and down during their whole show. I am eagerly awaiting their eighth album! Also meeting up with Jarvis Church in 2013 because none of this would have been possible without him. Jarvis turned my career and life around when he came through.

AE: Most memorable performance?

JA: This year, during The Panam Games in Toronto. I was opening for Jarvis Church, and in the middle of the show, he invited me back up to play “The Lonely Hearts Club.” It’s a really slow, personal song and just me and my guitar. There were tons of people there but as soon as I started to play, the crowd went dead silent and listened. It was really beautiful.

AE: What are some upcoming performance/tour dates?

JA: This October I have three performances lined up opening for Jarvis Church in Ontario. My reps at the Agency Group booking agency, who got me the Jess Glynne gig, are always finding me new gigs, so I will probably have more that I just don’t know about yet. As soon as I do, I’ll put them on my website.

AE: When will your debut album, Reject Misfit Outcast, be released?

JA: Spring 2016! I am so excited I can’t believe it, we still have to do pictures for the album art, but the music is fully finished.

AE: Did you collaborate with any other artists on it?

JA: “Take Me Out Tonight” features DJ Northend, a Candian DJ. Jarvis and I worked with a DJ from LA named Laroc and he built the tracks for “History” and “Let’s Chill.” The track for “I Wish,” one of my favorite songs on the album, was built by Mike Daley. He’s a producer who works for the Underdogs. Jarvis Church made the other tracks. I wrote lyrics for all the songs with co-writing from Jarvis Church and Cassandra WB.

AE: How would you describe your personal style?

JA: All over the place. I like mohawks because they are easy to style and it looks badass. I dye my hair blue because I think it was supposed to be that color all along. When I’m lazy, I like to wear dresses because it’s just one item of clothing.

AE: Who are your favorite queer characters?

JA: I love Tess from the show Lip Service, and Emma from the graphic novel Blue is the Warmest Color.

AE: What are your guilty pleasures?

JA: One Direction fan videos. If I were reincarnated, I want to come back as a member of a boy band. Fan videos in general, really. I watch ones for Tegan and Sara, too. I don’t know if I feel guilty about it, but I don’t like to do it when anyone else is around.

AE: Pet peeves?

JA: Mean people. I just think we should all be nice to each other, and bake a cake full of rainbows and smiles. It’s so simple. If we were all just a little bit nicer to one another, Earth would be a utopia.

AE: When was the last time you felt invincible?

JA: Last year while I was visiting best friend Neb in Vancouver. Neb and I were doubling on a bike and it was so good to be with her again and we were dying laughing. I don’t know if I felt invincible, but I think as close to it as I have ever felt.

AE: When was the last time you felt insignificant?

JA: I work at a bookstore and this customer asked me if I went to university and I said “No.” He was all judge-y about it and was like, “Well, what are you doing?” So I said, “I work here and I’m a musician.” “Well, I guess you’re still young, but you should think about that,” he said. I run into that a lot at my bookstore: people who have a problem that I never went to post secondary. It’s awkward and embarrassing.

AE: What a dick! Turning back to music: if you could pick only one song for someone to listen to, what would it be? Ditto video.

JA: Listen: “Take Me Out Tonight.” Watch: “Wait For Me There.”

Jordan Alexander’s entire album is pre-streaming on Soundcloud. Listen ASAP so you can say “I was into Jordan before she got big” and make everyone jealous. My personal favorite, “History,” is a hypnotic song brimming with euphoric possibility. If you’re into deep cuts, she’s got live performances on YouTube that show off her impressive pipes and adorable charisma. Or buy select songs on iTunes.

Follow Jordan Alexander on Twitter and Instagram to chat with the gorgeous musician about her blossoming career.

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