We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.
News flash: it’s Alex Porat’s world, we’re just living in it. With a fresh pop sound and highly-relatable (not to mention viral!) songs about love, life, and exploring your identity, it’s no surprise this 23-year-old, Toronto-based singer-songwriter has quickly attracted over 708,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alongside global critical acclaim.
Last month, Alex gave us exactly what we needed with her repeat-worthy debut album ‘MISS SICK WORLD.’ Songs like “dimension” perfectly capture the feeling of irresistible lust over someone you can’t have, while the sassy “never say ily again” serves as a final farewell to an ex you have no idea why you liked in the first place.
With a new album comes a new tour and, luckily, fans don’t have to wait long — Alex is days away from heading out on the road with management-mate Ralph for a cross-Canada tour sure to be stopping in a city near you.
Get a behind the scenes look at Alex’s journey as we chat ‘MISS SICK WORLD,’ what you can expect from her live show, and her favourite music releases from 2021.
How does it feel to have ‘MISS SICK WORLD’ out for everyone to hear, and how did you know this was the right time to release your first full body of work?
It feels so great. I’m just about to head on tour with Ralph and I really wanted to perform a project that felt like it represented me as an artist first stepping into the world of live shows. I’m kind of treating it like a first impression or introduction to me as a musician.
What inspired the album title? Does it correlate with any overall narrative or themes the album explores?
The album title came from the track “miss sick world.” I left it last to release because I wanted it to set the overall tone of where I’m at now. The whole project is centred around my life and the story behind “miss sick world” is a commentary on how I’ve grown up navigating my identity. I’ve really struggled with my identity growing up, and it felt right to give such a heavy song it’s own moment on the project.
This era of your career has led to multiple milestones — booking a cross-country tour, landing a billboard in Yonge-Dundas Square, and, most recently, reaching one million subscribers on YouTube. What would young Alex Porat, who wrote music and recorded covers in her bedroom, say to the now 23-year-old Alex Porat?
I’m always in disbelief. It still never feels real to me and I always wonder if that feeling is going to stay. I can’t explain how appreciative I am to everyone. I think young Alex would probably ask me how this even all happened. When I was younger, I used to be able to picture myself on stage, singing, and recording music, but I could never picture what it took to get there. It really was just perseverance. Now, I’m realizing there’s still so much more left to accomplish and do. It makes me feel hopeful for the future because I feel like I can do so much more still.
One of your earliest endorsements was from Shawn Mendes, who loved your cover of his song “In My Blood.” Considering Shawn also rose to fame posting covers online, what does it mean to you to be part of the next wave of GTA artists making it big?
It’s an honour to be considered that, so thank you! I’m super proud to be from here and to be a part of the music community here has been so special. Despite there being so much talent, it’s a really tight community and very supportive. It was definitely a special moment for me getting that recognition from Shawn Mendes because it made me feel like a career in music was possible.
You recently said performing live was one of your biggest goals. Now that you’re about to go on tour and bring your songs to life for the first time on stage, which tracks are you most excited to perform?
I’m so excited! I’m definitely still in the process of adding more elements to my performances. I’m really excited for “dimension” because there’s a lot of choreography from the music video that I want to incorporate in some way at some point. I also really love singing “miss sick world,” even though it makes me want to cry.
It’s wild to think that we’re already approaching the end of 2021. Can you share some of the albums that you loved at first listen this year?
‘Happier Than Ever’ by Billie Eilish and ‘MONTERO’ by Lil Nas X. I’m also obsessed with everything Lisa from BLACKPINK does!