By Xavier Carwell
(The Hollywood Times) 8/18/26 – On July 15, I had the pleasure of interviewing rising pop star Arden Alexa. The recently released music video for her song “Crush!!!” has garnered nearly one million views on YouTube, while “Break My Heart,” the title track from her debut album, has reached 2.3 million views.
Arden’s debut album explores a wide range of romantic emotions, from the exhilarating rush of infatuation in “Crush!!!” to the melancholy that inevitably follows a breakup in “mess of you.”
As the first person from her high school to forgo college and pursue a career in music, Arden has boldly forged her own path. Her music has already been featured on the hit reality series Love Island in Season 8, Episode 19.
Featured in NYLON, Placement on Peacock’s “Love Island”, #1 on Digital Radio Global Top 100 Independent Chart for 2 consecutive weeks, 2025 Hollywood Independent Music Award Best Original Song and Best Female Vocals Nominee, Produced by Chapters (Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna, Paul Anka)
During our interview, Arden discussed growing up in a musically inclined family and the tremendous support she has received from those closest to her. Hearing how consistently her family and friends have encouraged her makes it easy to understand how she has accomplished so much so early in her career.
Click below for our exclusive interview
About Arden Alexa
Arden Alexa doesn’t just make music. She builds universes to share with fans. A lifelong daydreamer and former “theater kid,” she turns her rich inner life into cinematic pop that feels like stepping into a glamorous, golden-age-Hollywood universe.
From her earliest EPs through her debut album HOPE YOU’RE WATCHING, released April 24, 2026, Arden has treated every project like a new chapter in an ongoing saga.
Working closely with Grammy and Emmy Award-winning producer duo, Chapters, to refine her theatrical pop persona, Arden has amassed over 1.6 million+ Spotify streams, placed songs with Warner Chappell, actively co-writes with Sony artists, and was a Hollywood Independent Music Awards finalist for Best Female Vocals and Best Original Recording.
With HOPE YOU’RE WATCHING ushering in the boldest, most fully realized version of her universe yet, Arden Alexa isn’t positioning herself as just another pop artist; she’s staking her claim as a constructor of an elaborate, welcoming, and sophisticated world.
