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Country up-and-comer XOLEX has today (September 20th) released her brand new single, ‘Rebel Child’, with the fast-emerging artist accompanying the keenly awaited track with a moving music video, bringing the inspiration behind the song to life.
‘Rebel Child’ continues the momentum built by XOLEX - the stage-name for Alexis Curran, inspired by her trademark sign-off, ‘XO, Lex’ - following her celebrated July EP, Girls Like Me.
The new track finds the Iowa-born, Nashville-based crooner showcasing her sleek, sinuous vocals across a sparse, piano-driven instrumental. Throughout the intricate ballad, XOLEX reflects on how her wild spirit has caused friction with her father in the past, but that she now realises it can actually be a source of common ground for the two.
Musing on how the song came about, XOLEX explains, “I wrote ‘Rebel Child’ based on my father and my relationship with him. I felt completely misunderstood and needed to explain myself through my music. Like father like daughter we both have had a wild side that pushed limits. He always said I was too much like him and it may be a blessing and also a curse, but this song brought us closer together”.
The official music video brings a whole new dimension to ‘Rebel Child’, with XOLEX delivering the stirring lyrics amidst a montage of vignettes featuring Curran's father and grandmother.
We shift from sepia-tinged portrayals of a young Curran playing with her father, to the powerful image of her grandmother in church (“Grandma prayed on a rosary / To save your soul when you had me / ‘Cause she knows what it's like to raise a child / Of a rebel child”).
These depictions of innocence are quickly juxtaposed with videos of Alexis Curran partying hard and getting pulled over by the police. This is mirrored by an evocative clip of her father in this story getting arrested, again highlighting the crux of the song.
After flashes of arguments between Alexis Curran and her father, she wheels an older version of her grandmother back into the same church with her trusty rosary beads.
Tragically, the video concludes with a flash-forward to Curran and her dad visiting her grandma's grave, before the two embrace, implying her passing has brought them closer together.
The attention to detail that pervades the music video, which was directed by AJ The Visionary and is dedicated to Curran's late real-life grandmother, Margie, is demonstrated when she drives off with the rosary beads dangling from her rearview mirror - a symbol that her grandma will always be with her, whatever path she takes.
The arrival of ’Rebel Child’ consolidates XOLEX's one-to-watch status. The ‘Love Bomb’ singer-songwriter reminds listeners of her versatility and her willingness to get vulnerable, ensuring the sense of anticipation is sky-high ahead of her debut album.
Fans can stream XOLEX's new single, ‘Rebel Child’, here.
