Brooke Alexx: For Our Generation

Mixed Asian Media - July 13, 2022

By Stephanie Mieko Cohen

Photos by: Trae Patton/NBC

AMERICAN SONG CONTEST — “The Live Qualifiers Part 3” Episode 103

When I found out Brooke Alexx was an Asian Jew like myself, I knew I had to interview her! The 27-year-old pop singer is a half-Japanese artist who represented the state of New Jersey on NBC’s American Song Contest, the U.S. spin on the television series Eurovision Song Contest. Hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson, contestants came together from all 56 U.S. states and territories to compete for the title of best original song. Although Brooke, who competed with “I Don’t Take Pictures Anymore” left the show too soon, this is only the beginning of her booming career. We discuss family, performing, traveling, and the incredible impact that her music has made on this generation. This was less of an interview and more of a chat between two Japanese-Jewish gal pals!

Hi Brooke! Let’s talk a little bit about family and how you were raised. Was there one culture that was more prominent than the other?

All of the songs that I’ve put out in the past year are about my family and my roots, so that’s why my Asian heritage has come up so much more in the past few months around my music. That’s what my song “I’m Sorry Tokyo” is about. Basically, I grew up kind of ashamed of my Asian heritage. I tried to hide it as best as I could and just tried to fit in and pretend I was only white. Especially because I do feel like I am slightly white passing in terms of physical look. So I definitely leaned into that growing up… I definitely regret that now because there’s so much about the culture that I don’t know and missed out on that would be so cool to be a part of my life now. So, I’m trying to return to those roots a little bit these days. I have two younger sisters — I’m the oldest — and none of us speak Japanese or have been to Japan, so that’s definitely on our list.

I just went to Japan for the first time in 2019 — you must go, it was incredible! On the subject of growing up, you represented your home state of New Jersey on American Song Contest. How has living in New Jersey shaped who you are?

Growing up there, the community knew I was a singer. I get reached out to in my DMs and text messages, all these people I grew up with saying, “I saw you on the show!” or “Congratulations!” It’s really cool that they’re supporting me to this day. That support propelled me into this passion and career, and I could continue into my 20’s because I had that support so early on. Also, New Jersey is full of business owners, self-starters, and confident people, and I feel that’s a big part of my personality and who I am now.

I love that! Did you go to school in New Jersey? Where are you located now?

I did high school in New Jersey and then I went to Elon University in North Carolina. I stayed in the South, so now I live in Nashville, Tennessee. I couldn’t stand the cold weather anymore! I think moving to different places in the country gives you a broader perspective of different kinds of people in the world. Like, I’m a different person than I was, and I’ve met so many people I’ve become close friends with that I probably wouldn’t have met if I stayed in New Jersey.

I totally agree. I’m from L.A., which is very diverse, but then I went to college in Indiana. Moving to the Midwest as a mixed race person was a big cultural awakening. People looked at me like, “What are you?” Did you experience that in the South?

Luckily, a lot of people were from the Northeast that went to my college, so I feel like in terms of mentality, that wasn’t really an issue. But I did meet people from all different walks of life, like people from Illinois who grew up in the cornfields on a farm and had a very different upbringing than I did. I think that just broadened my perspective on life.

I think it’s so important to move around and get out of your bubble.

Absolutely. After I went to college in the South, my sisters both left New Jersey and went to school in the South as well, and I think that it’s doing the same for them.

That’s awesome. We really do have a lot in common — I, too, am the oldest sibling!

Oh, cool! How many siblings do you have?

Just one. But I really love your song, “Oldest,” talking about being protective and having to, at times, be controlling. A lot of the topics you touch on in your songs are very unconventional, like in “Oldest,” or even touching on the topic of how your parents met in “Summer in the Hamptons,” which is super cool!

Thank you so much. I feel like what’s so special about these songs is I kind of stopped writing about love and heartbreak, which I feel the majority of music out there is about. I thought maybe less people would relate to these songs, and I was a little bit nervous to put them out, but so many more people are actually relating to them. A lot of people are coming forward and relating to multiple songs, like you. Like, they’re the oldest sibling, and they’re Asian. Or they have a tough relationship with their mom. It’s just so interesting how all the songs overlap… we’re living the same life, kind of. I don’t know, it’s just really cool how music can bring together all these people that live completely different lives than me but have similar experiences.

You have previously described your music as a combination between Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift. I know you’re a big Taylor fan. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

When I grew up, I realized I could sing at a young age and, back then, I thought the only outlet for singing was musical theatre. I would go into New York City every day after school, auditioning for Broadway and regional theatre. Then when I was 13, and I discovered Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” It changed my entire life because it was another person around my age who was writing songs. I could write music for the radio. That just changed my entire life path. I started guitar lessons and song writing. I went to college for music and moved to Nashville when I graduated, which is where Taylor got her start. I’m literally here doing this because of her. I feel like she’s had such an impact on so many people around my age group, especially those pursuing music.

Oh my gosh, I hope you get to meet her! Maybe your time spent on American Song Contest will get you closer to meeting Taylor one day! While you were on the show, did you get to meet Snoop Dogg and Kelly? What was your experience like?

I didn’t get to meet Snoop, unfortunately, but I did get to meet Kelly Clarkson. She actually said one of the lyrics in my song was one of her favorites of the night. It was really cool because she said it live on TV, but then also came up to me during the commercial break when the cameras weren’t rolling and said it again, and we had a little chat. It was very kind of her. It did not feel like she was a celebrity. She was so down to earth and so easy to talk to. I felt like I was talking to a friend, and that’s just a testament to what a kind, normal person she is.

Although I didn’t continue on with the show, it was such a great experience. My song is streaming really well. The combination of the show and my TikToks are doing really well around the song. For different reasons too, because the song has a lot of different parts to it, like not only the cutting your hair short… a lot of people are relating to that part and how people grew up with long hair and felt like it was part of their identity and made them beautiful. When you cut [your hair] off… for me… it was such a life shift… it was like, “Oh, I’m still pretty, I still feel hot, I still feel like myself.” [I cut my hair] during quarantine. I haven’t felt the need to grow it out. I love it as it is.

For context, the chorus of Brooke’s song is: “No I’m not the girl I was before, hair to my waist, I cut it short. Am I better off? I’m torn. But I don’t take pictures anymore.”

People are also relating to the bigger part of the song which is basically about growing up and realizing your priorities aren’t the same as when you were a child. It’s just interesting how your dreams and goals around our life change as you get older.

For the title/lyric specifically “I Don’t Take Pictures Anymore” — is that to be taken in a literal or metaphorical sense?

I think it can be taken both ways, which I think is so great about music in general. But I did write the song with the literal intention. I went into this co-writing session with that title in mind. It’s been so funny because on social media, a lot of older people who aren’t part of our generation are like, “I don’t understand that lyric. Can you explain it?” Whereas, a lot of people my age or younger are explaining it to them. We grew up in the age of social media where it was so important to take pictures of things and look cool on the Internet. Now we’re shifting a little bit in our thought process around that and living our lives for ourselves instead of for other people.

I also feel like this song will continue to be relevant. It’s going to be around for a while!

Thank you so much! That’s all I can hope for with my music.

What’s next? Do you have any projects coming up we can look out for?

My next big show is gonna be in New Jersey on June 11th at White Eagle Hall, and I’m going to be releasing my next single around the same time as the show. Continuing forward it will be the next era of music, since this EP has come to a close with the show and the last song. We’re going to be showing another side of my personality and we’ll see where the next thing takes us!

Post-interview, I told Brooke how much of a genuine fan I was of hers and how I would love to come to her next concert. She so graciously gave me an invitation to visit her backstage after the show. She is an absolute doll and we’ll continue to stay in touch. To follow Brooke Alexx, check out her Instagram and TikTok @brookealexx. Thank you so much, Brooke!