Brooke Alexx’s music unfolds like the most candid conversation you’ve ever had. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Instead, she’s comfortable sharing all the ups and downs of twenty-something life, whether it be lamenting how bad it sucks to break up on vacation, celebrating her exes’ moms, or pondering how to balance career, love, and everything in between. Her dynamic voice belies a gentle girl-next-door charm and razor-sharp songwriting instincts, making her brand of pop as clever as it is catchy. After quietly generating over 100 million streams and earning acclaim from FLAUNT and Melodic Magazine, she invites you to listen in on this conversation via her 2024 full-length debut, Big Mouth.
“Each song is meant to feel like hot goss I’m sharing with a close friend” she affirms. “This album is me opening my ‘big mouth’ and not holding anything back. I want you to feel like I’m finally saying that thing you’ve been biting your tongue about.”
Growing up in New Jersey, the half-Japanese songstress realized her purpose at seven years old when she told her mom she wanted to be a singer. She honed her talents in musical theater, auditioning for productions in New York City on a weekly basis. She and her sisters belted along to the likes of Sheryl Crow in the car with dad. Discovering Taylor Swift at the age of thirteen, she picked up a guitar and focused on songwriting. Following a creative path, she graduated from Elon University with a major in Music Production and minor in film and graphic design. Moving to Music City, she worked as a video editor at Warner Music Nashville by day, and she created her own music at night and on weekends.
Brooke initially gained traction with projects such as Me EP [2019], It’s Not You EP [2020], and I Don’t Take Pictures Anymore EP [2022]. However, she made viral waves with “All My Exes’ Moms.” It lit up TikTok, generated 25 million Spotify streams, and paved the way for her Look My Age EP [2023]. FLAUNT christened her “a breath of fresh air in the music industry,” while she graced the stage of Lollapalooza and canvased the country on tour with Lostboycrow. Other artists Brooke has opened for include Yung Gravy, Jake Miller, Haley Reinhart, Nicotine Dolls, and Arrows In Action.
Throughout 2023, she assembled what would become Big Mouth. Helming the vision, she handpicked the driving stories, and then conceptualized and creative-directed the videos and designated aesthetic. Sonically, she leaned into turn-of-the-century pop punk and alternative in addition to finding storytelling inspiration in the likes of Maisie Peters and Olivia Rodrigo. She kicked off the album with a Spotify New Music Friday placement for “Never Liked Your Name.” Emphasizing representation, she enlisted a team of Asian creatives to “be a part of every aspect of the song,” including an Asian mixer, mastering engineer, and photographer. She then followed it up with undeniable ear worms like “Move To LA (I Don’t Wanna),” “Seriously,” and “Girlfriend.”
She pulls no punches on the next single, “Hot Like You.” On the track, melodic guitar winces beneath a rock-solid beat. The momentum builds as a chantable chorus takes hold, “I’m getting sick of being cute, I wanna be hot like you.”
“I wrote it about how my sisters are hotter than me,” she laughs. “In the writing session, I was joking that I’m pretty, but there are girls who are just undeniable tens. Everyone wants to feel invincible like that. It’s meant to hype up girls too."
Elsewhere, she makes another confession during “Younger Guys.” A thick bassline thumps beneath her vocals, and a palm-muted riff propels the sunny refrain, “I like guys when they’re younger, mess around for the summer, not my fault that they’re funner.”
“It’s a summer vibe,” she notes. “I always end up dating boys who are younger than me by a few years. They tend to not take things as seriously and bring out my fun side, which is kind of refreshing for me. Maybe ‘age is just a number’ after all.”
Handclaps kickstart “Break Up On Vacation,” and she sets the scene, “A few days just us all alone, but it didn’t go like I hoped. I learned some things I wish I still didn’t know.”
“Coincidentally, I’ve broken up with a couple of guys on trips.” She goes on, “When you’re on vacation, you really find out if you’re compatible or not. If I decide I’m not into someone anymore, I’m not going to drag it out until we’re back home. I can’t fake it,” she laughs.
Then, there’s “Super Famous.” As bold guitar fades in and out of focus, she boasts, “I’m filling your camera roll, see my face soon as you open your phone, me and your mom are real close, she always brings me up when you call home.”
“For me, it sets the stage for the whole album,” she says. “This song is a warning for anyone who breaks my heart – that you’ll hear about me and see my face everywhere you go! The songs that follow are the byproduct of that inevitable ending. I’ve always had a feat that I can’t find love and have my dream career at the same time. If somebody breaks up with me, my song goes viral the next night. If my single doesn’t stream well, I’ll get asked on a date. And that fear is the underbelly of the whole record.”
She caps off Big Mouth with the finale “First Time.” Soft acoustic guitar creaks beneath her expressive vocals, “Now I believe in lightning strikes, all ‘cause I felt it the first time.”
“I wanted to close the record on an inspirational note,” she adds. “Even though we didn’t work out, you showed me that love does exist and is out there for me to find again.”
By the time it’s over, Brooke may just be your new BFF.
“When you listen to these songs, I hope you feel less alone,” she leaves off. “Whether you’re jamming in your car or crying in your bedroom - know that I’ve felt that too.”
