K-Pop star AleXa on breaking through racial and gender barriers on stage | amNewYork

K-Pop singer AleXa looks to break the mold of what a K-pop star is as she kicked off her US tour at the Music Hall of Williamsburg Friday, telling amNewYork Metro it hasn’t been an easy journey. 

Twenty-seven-year-old Alexaudra Schneiderman—stage name AleXa—has been through a whirlwind journey over the past several years, overcoming racial and gender barriers in both the American and Korean music industry and has become, what fans cite as, an inspiration to women around the globe.  

“It’s been a wild journey full of ups and downs. Being a K-Pop artist is a demanding job, but I could not be more grateful for the position I am in and for the experiences I have had the last couple of years,” AleXa told amNew York Metro. 

“As time has gone by, I’ve been able to start writing and creating my own music. I’m grateful that some of my songs have made it out of the vault and been shared with my fans. I can only work harder and hope for more of my personal songs to come into the light,” AleXa added.  

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to a South Korean mother and Russian American father, AleXa has been participating in singing competitions since 2016, winning Rising Legends—a Korean audition program to earn a spot at Soompi, JYP Entertainment and Cube Entertainment—and even signing with ZB Label in 2018.  In 2022, she won NBC’s American Song Contest. With all of her training and experience, AleXa has continuously fought hard to break stereotypical tropes proving that a 4’11 Asian woman can be strong, independent, and a rockstar on the American and Korean stage.  

“I’m definitely not the first of my kind, but I’m definitely the first to have accomplished all that I have, with such a loving and kind-hearted fan base by my side. Straight from debut, I wanted to empower women with my music and concept; women can be strong, badass, and tough. Even someone as small as me (4’11” lol). I want to constantly remain a strong female figure within the KPOP & now western pop industry,” AleXa said. 

After six years since signing with ZB Label before her debut in October 2019, the K-Pop soloist says she is not holding back as she rocks the United States with her tour “Sick of You,” hosted by Studio Pav. 

AleXa is pulling out all the stops, going through her musical repertoire from her debut track “Bomb,” two unreleased songs “Okay” and “Distraction” as well as her latest single, “Sick,” which focuses on taking off rose-tinted glasses to see the truth behind relationships. The concert maintained a theme of unraveling the mystery of love and brought forward the importance of loving oneself. 

“I believe its lyrics [for “Sick”] cover a universal story that’s been felt and experienced by many; someone makes you “sick” because of how perfect they seem in your mind. Through the music video, however, I interpreted the lyrics differently; in the MV we see AleXa fighting with, and eventually killing, her boyfriend/lover (whatever he was, I’m not even sure myself, haha-) and I, personally, see this as AleXa killing off the idolized rose-tinted image she had of this man. It’s a visual metaphor, rather than just a graphic music video,” AleXa said. 

Starting in Williamsburg, AleXa’s concert was an intimate setting between herself and fans where they were able to participate in a Meet and Greet, one-on-one Polaroid photos, and even offered love advice. 

The K-Pop solists fans, affectionately known as A.I Troopers, describe AleXa as being an inspiration to them because of her perfect imperfections. With a quirky demeanor and ability to get an entire audience throwing their heads backs with laughter, AleXa made sure her audience felt seen and heard.  Her relatability and strength are just a few quat that made Christina Pollio, 28, travel from Philadelphia for an opportunity to see AleXa live.  

“She doesn’t necessarily stick to one genre. Yes, she does K-Pop but it’s not standard K-Pop, a lot of girl groups when they do come out it’s very bubble gum cute, and when AleXa came out she said ‘I’m not doing that. I am strong and I am going to show you what I am. I appreciate that. She’s really honest,” Pollio said. 

New Jersey native, Jorelle Rea, 25, calls AleXa a role model and believes she is the prime example of someone who should be spotlighted for Women’s History Month. 

“AleXa is a super inspiring. She has always been constantly working and doing something and it’s really motivating,” Rea said. “I’m really excited to see from where she started to where is going forward.” 

“AleXa is an inspiration and empowering. With how she has developed her image, it makes me reflect who am I and think about her as a person and who am I as a person. So, she is a good role model,” Rea added.  

While fans say they see AleXa as a role model, for her there is only one woman that fits that esteemed title: her mother.

“My mother, first and foremost. She has faced hardships and adversity her whole life; she is someone I respect and love wholeheartedly,” AleXa said. 

The next stop on AleXa’s tour is Atlanta on April 2.