A Chat with ALEXIS (19.11.25)
Filipino-Australian pop newcomer ALEXIS returns with her new single ‘u sure like to make me feel crazy’. We chat with ALEXIS about all things music.
OSR: Can you tell us the story behind your latest single, ‘u sure like to make me feel crazy’?
ALEXIS: For sure! This song is about a previous relationship that I had been in where I felt like I was losing my mind. I was constantly second-guessing myself about what I was seeing, thinking and feeling in that relationship, and it felt like I was going crazy.
OSR: How does this track differ from your previous releases like ‘Blue Jeans’ or ‘HATE IT HERE’?
ALEXIS: The song still has my ‘upbeat sad girl’ sonic vibe, but I definitely had a lot of fun writing the lyrics in a more playful and tongue-in-cheek way that I hadn’t really done before!
OSR: What was the songwriting process like for this song? Did you start with lyrics, melody, or production?
ALEXIS: Like all my other songs, I like to let the producer do their thing and start building the track, and while they’re doing that, myself and any co-writers will start throwing melodies around. I like to flesh out the melody and hum different vowels, and then I’ll work lyrics to it!
OSR: Who are the collaborators on this track, and how did they influence the final sound?
ALEXIS: I got to work with some amazing people on this track! I met Giulia and Alieysha at the songwriting camp, and from day one we just clicked! When we were writing together, everyone had so many great ideas, it was honestly so hard to pick which one to go with! Aidan (who’s worked with artists like GFLIP and The Beaches) was an absolute beast with the prod! I swear everything he does is just magical. Getting to work with him again was such a fun and amazing experience, and I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to write this song with him. Fun fact, the original chorus that the girls and I wrote was a bit wordier, and Aidan was the one who suggested making ‘u sure like to make me feel crazy’ the hook and I’m so glad we did!
OSR: The production blends synths with pop hooks beautifully. How much of that was intentional vs. organic experimentation?
ALEXIS: I would say most of the song was just experimenting with different melodies with the prod and seeing what fit best! The only thing that was intentional was the line ‘u sure like to make me feel crazy’ and fitting that in to be the hook of the song!
OSR: Are there any personal experiences that inspired the lyrics or emotions behind this song?
ALEXIS: There are definitely some real-life experiences that made their way into the lyrics. For example, the first verse touches on how this person ended things over text, how it felt like he had been planning to do it, and everyone knew but me. One of my favourite lyrics (and melodies too) is in the pre-chorus when it goes “are you sure you’ve got a moral compass?” This line was actually a direct reference to an argument we were having, and he said to me, “How could you think I would do that? I do have a moral compass, you know.”
OSR: How do you approach balancing emotional honesty with pop accessibility in your music?
ALEXIS: When I think back to some of the songs that I love and have hit me hard emotionally, they blend personal and emotional details with emotions and experiences that are universally relatable. When writing my own stuff, I try my best to tell my own story so that the song feels authentic but still captures these universal feelings and experiences too.
OSR: Which artists or sounds were influential while making this track?
ALEXIS: Griff and Holly Humberstone are two artists that I love to reference and used for this track! They’re some of my favourite artists and I love their lyricism, but also the way that they mix organic and synthetic sounds together!
OSR: What’s your favourite part of ‘u sure like to make me feel crazy’ when performing it live?
ALEXIS: When I get to perform this live, my favourite part is getting everyone to yell with me, ‘u sure like to make me feel crazy!’ Everyone screams it at the top of their lungs, and it’s like we’re all letting out the emotion and healing together.
OSR: Looking forward, how do you see your sound evolving in your next projects?
ALEXIS: There’s been so much amazing music this year that I’ve been listening to that’s got me inspired and has me excited to try new things! I’ve got a few writing trips.
Many thanks to ALEXIS for speaking with us. Find out more about ALEXIS on her Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify.
