Sometimes you hear a song that completely knocks you on your feet. It has an ability to punch you in the stomach, and soothe your soul at the same time. It feels like a page ripped straight out of your diary, and you question how they could’ve known exactly how you felt at that moment. Lexi Jayde is having one of those moments with her new single ‘drunk text me’. With the song going absolutely viral on TikTok and comparisons coming in quick to Olivia Rodrigo, she may just become the biggest breakout artist of 2022.
Last year the Californian singer-songwriter released her debut EP ‘a teenage diary’ which was an intimate body of work that felt exactly like that. Articulating her teenage emotions, she addressed the raw vulnerability of discovering who she was. Whilst ‘drunk text me’ is only her first release of 2022, and with a new EP slated for release later in the year, she has already shown a huge growth in her artistry. Through her vivid storytelling and vulnerable description of the heartbreak emotions, she will have you fully immersed in these raw feelings. Even if you aren’t going through a breakup, you will feel like you are. And if you are currently going through a heartbreak then you will feel understood. And if you listen to the song and think about someone you should text, then maybe just do it. As Lexi jokes, this is the “educational song of the year”. Or if you need to be told not to text someone, then just listen to the song and put your damn phone away.
I recently chatted to Lexi Jayde about the therapeutic lyricism behind ‘drunk text me’, discussed her favourite TikTok’s using the song, and explored the growth she’s had since her debut EP ‘a teenage diary’. Check it out BELOW;
THOMAS BLEACH: Your new single ‘drunk text me’ is deeply cemented within the heartbreak emotions, and it’s genuinely so beautiful. When you were writing this song was it cathartic for you to address those feelings, or was it mentally hard to actually say those words out loud?
LEXI JAYDE: It was actually the most healing experience. I have used music as my therapy throughout this whole situation, and it has really helped me get over the pain and grow so much in the healing process. So writing this song almost in a way felt like the closure I never got from my ex. Writing it was so easy as I was just feeling all of these emotions and it just came out so perfectly. I’m a very expressive person and I like to tell stories in every kind of way, and one of the most amazing things about music is that I can do that. So it wasn’t hard at all, it was beautiful that I could turn something this painful into ‘drunk text me’.
TB: When you hear the lyric “tell me you’re still in love with me” back now, where does it take you mentally and physically?
LJ: I feel like my emotions with this song have gradually changed so much over the past couple of months. I’ve grown a lot since I wrote that song towards my emotions and past relationship. I feel like this song has the ability to bring you into the heart of the emotion. Even though I’m pretty much healed from this entire thing, it still takes me to a place where I’m like “damn, that was a really rough time for me”. But I feel proud that I got out of it and turned it into something positive. Those lyrics definitely still make me cry. I just filmed the music video 2 weeks ago and I was balling my eyes out in the scenes and feeling it still. It definitely takes me back to the moments that him and I went through.
TB: Has the ex this song is about reached out to you after hearing it?
LJ: I’m sure he’s listened to it, he’d be an idiot not to. But I have no contact with him at all, I completely cut all ties the minute the break up kind of happened. He has not texted me, or drunk texted me, and I don’t think it would be smart of him to do that now.
TB: Alexander 23 co-produced this track which stemmed from him commenting on your TikTok asking to hear the full song. So what was the creative process like working with him, and what was your favourite thing he added to the production?
LJ: I’ve been a fan of Alexander 23 for so long. He’s so talented, I’ve seen him on tour, and he’s just been so supportive over the internet towards my music. He commented on my TikTok and was like “you need to send this to me right now” and I was like “okay, of course”. In the artist world we all just send each other music to get each other’s opinions, so it wasn’t that weird of a request. But then he wrote back and was like “this is so good! If you are interested, I would love to be a part of it”. I was so stoked and said “yeah, duh, of course”. So him and Nick Ruth worked back and forth on it to get it finished. I never got to work with him in person but he added these special little things to it which are really hidden but really complete the song.
TB: How many versions did the song go through altogether to get it to where it is now?
LJ: So this happened really quickly. I posted the first day demo on TikTok, and it literally had nothing on it production wise. I was actually sick when I recorded the demo version, so I was like I will just go back later and properly record it, but still decided to post it on TikTok for now. It did really well, and then a week later I flew to Nashville for a writing trip and my A&R was there with me and he was like “we need to get into the studio right now and get final vocals and turn this in”, and I was like “oh okay, so we’re doing this”.
We went into the studio over 2 days and spent hours throughout the night on Facetime with Nick and my co-writer Cate Downey fixing little lyrics. We changed a little bit of the structure and cut the first chorus into half, and we changed one little line. But there were a bunch of different production versions going back and forth, and then once Alexander came on board we were sending even more versions back and forth. But now we are here.
TB: And it has over 3 million streams in 2 weeks on Spotify!
LJ: I’ve never experienced anything like that before. I don’t even know how to take it, but I’m just trying to enjoy it. It’s so surreal and it feels mind blowing to me that I have a million monthly listeners and 3 million streams on a song I released 2 weeks ago. Like someone pinch me!
TB: The song has absolutely blown up on TikTok. So what has been one of your favourite videos you’ve seen that has used the song?
LJ: There are so many! There have been so many videos of girls crying on their bed while holding a bottle of wine or tequila and screaming the lyrics, and I love that because that is my entire mood. There were videos like that which just make me laugh, but there are really emotional ones of girls posting photos and videos of their exes, which hurts me as it’s so emotional. I’m so grateful that it’s hit people so deeply. I had a panic attack when like 5 people were using my sound, and now it’s just crazy.
TB: Late last year you released ‘walkin away’ which is an empowering break-up track about holding your ground. Sonically it reminds me of Kacey Musgraves. So who was actually inspiring you sonically?
LJ: Kacey Musgraves is always a huge inspiration for me, and I’m so glad you took that away with that song because it means a lot to me. I feel like ‘walking away’ was really natural. There wasn’t a specific reference, we just built the song from the ground up and added what felt genuine to it.
TB: “I was blind saying that you’ll always be forever mine” is a line that immediately stood out to me. That little vocal delivery draw-out with the word “forever” was stunning.
LJ: I LOVE that line. It’s my favourite part of the song actually.
TB: ‘newbury park’ is another very special track which has had an absolute life of its own through streaming. So what is a random fun fact about the track and its creative process that people may not know?
LJ: ‘newbury park’ was a fun one because I wrote it about a guy that I never even dated. That was one of those moments where I was going through a thing where you think you’re literally dating someone but you actually aren’t, but you still feel so heartbroken. And a fun fact is that the guy is actually not from Newbury Park. When we were writing it Newbury Park just sounded nicer and it was the same distance that I was driving to, and I grew up near Newbury Park so it just felt right.
It was funny though because on TikTok everyone was asking me who it was about, and there were people from Newbury Park in the comments going “I think it’s this guy” and I was like “it’s not that guy! Let’s stop naming names” *laughs*.
TB: Are you banned from Newbury Park now?
LJ: No, I’m not banned. Well, I hope I’m not banned as I helped make Newbury Park a popping thing over here, like, people now know where it is.
TB: How euphoric and cathartic is it for you to just scream out “So fuck you for wasting my love”
LJ: Literally the best line ever! When I performed that song on stage and had everyone screaming it back at me with my middle finger high, it was so healing.
TB: You released your debut EP ‘a teenage diary’ last year. What is the biggest thing you learnt about yourself as an artist from releasing this body of work and seeing it connect with so many people that has helped influence this next chapter?
LJ: The difference between this next project and ‘a teenage diary’ is that I was in a completely different place then to where I am now. ‘a teenage diary’ was about things I went through as a teenager like friendships, heartbreak, family and things about myself, and I really wanted to bring a spotlight to that as I felt like people my age weren’t talking about stuff like that. It was important to me. But I feel like this next project really shines a light on “who is Lexi Jayde”. It’s very empowering, nostalgic, emotional and vulnerable, and tells my story of what I went through. My music in general is the same but completely different. It’s all about heartbreak whereas before it was all about teenage shit. They both have their own special feelings to it.
TB: Thinking back to your teenage diaries, was there a word you were obsessed with using which you thought was so cool?
LJ: I feel like “lit” was my word. I would always be like; “that party was so lit”, “he was so lit”, “that dress is so lit”. Like what was I saying?! Another word would be “sick”, and I actually still say it all the time *laughs*.
TB: You are heading out on the road with Griff in February, so what aspect of this tour are you most excited for?
LJ: I’m just so excited to be opening up for someone as talented as her, it’s so cool! She comes from a huge fanbase in the UK, so I think it will also be really interesting to introduce myself to her fans. I just can’t wait to be back on the road again as it’s the coolest feeling.
TB: Let’s play a quick game of rapid fire questions. Are you ready?
LJ: Yes, let’s do it!
TB: The emoji that best describes my new single ‘drunk text me’ is…
LJ: The crying face, period, there’s no other way
TB: When I think of Australia I think of…
LJ: Koalas!
TB: The colour of my toothbrush at the moment is..
LJ: Purple and blue.
TB: My pre-show ritual involves…
LJ: Warming up and freaking out.
TB: A song I wish I wrote was…
LJ: ‘Ribs’ by Lorde.
TB: Pineapple on pizza is…
LJ: Not really my thing. I will eat it though, but it’s not my go-to. It’s an acquired taste, for sure. I’m just a cheese and pepperoni girl.
‘drunk text me’ is out now!