Alexa Dark Brings Femme Fatale Energy to Life in “Villain”
When we think of dark femininity, we closely associate the archetype to be brutalized and heavily commercialized that does not encompass the multifaceted nature of rage and assertion that women possess. Spanish/American singer and songwriter Alexa Dark channels a darker side of her femininity and is unapologetic in her appearance in her newly released track “Villain.” Dark explores the multifaceted nature of women and the villain, the more shadow side of herself. Dark’s past obstacles and lessons to heartbreak and relationships shape this version of herself.
Dark finds power in her dark femininity. She has grown up hearing what different versions of the feminine ideal should be like and how the typical woman keeps her rage internalized and silent. She found that the archetype possesses a deeper power that touches on her shadow and accepting the unknown.
“Villain” sounds like a classic 60s-inspired track, honing in on Dark’s influences which range from Nancy Sinatra to Portishead. A stripped back tune that would be at home on a James Bond soundtrack, Dark’s ethereal vocals and buttery lyricism envelop you, depicting a story of feeling as though she isn’t the hero in her own story, but rather watching herself self-sabotage. The track represents Dark’s desire to be good, but feeling lured in the direction of being ‘bad’ – and enjoying the darker side of life.
“‘Villain’ is realizing you might be the villain of your own story,” Dark says. “It’s accepting the shadowy parts of who you are, while hinting towards a darker, painful underlying origin story which makes the villain, the villain.”
The accompanying music video, directed by Mateo Marquez sees Dark at her most alluring in a twisted, murderous fantasy. Taking inspiration from retro Bond movies, the video aims to convey the concept of becoming the ‘villain’ that is reflected in the three-minute-long track. In an eerie dive bar, Dark (the protagonist) plays the character of an elegant femme fatale spy whose mission is to seduce and kill her lover via poison. The music video plays with the concept of time, portraying a dance of seduction throughout, while also illustrating Dark’s struggle with what she came to do and the villain she ultimately has become.
“I wanted this to be the lead song to my EP, as I think it captures the arc of the story I’m trying to tell throughout the seven songs - the darker side of femininity, how heartbreak and loss might shape us into being something other than ‘the hero’ in our story, and how most often times the battle between the good guy and the bad guy takes place inside of us, facing off ourselves,” Dark says.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Thank you for sitting down and talking to Unpublished Magazine. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar, what inspires your artistic style and creative persona?
[ALEXA]: I'm really inspired by everything retro and especially old Hollywood movies and classic films, really all those 40s, 50s film noir and also 60s French new wave films. I feel like films have a really big impact on my style and persona, and especially those femme fatale characters. I feel like that really weaves into me as an artist and what I'm putting out sonically and visually.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Who are some of your favorite old Hollywood starlets that inspire you artistically or you can resonate with?
[ALEXA]: I've always loved Lauren Bacall who has that classic femme fatale look, but she's also got that deep voice and that edgier persona. I feel like that's a really cool sense of power.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Who are some artists that inspire you, either lyrically or instrumentally?
[ALEXA]: I really love everything from 60s pop, so I love Serge Gainsbourg. When I discovered those pop artists, I really felt like the way they recorded and wrote music was really unique and interesting. I’m also inspired by so many different types of music, so I feel all over the place.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I would love to know more about your recent single release “Villain,” and you explore a lot of sides to yourself. It speaks to the multi-dimensional natures women possess and the overall female experience. What was the inspiration behind the song for you?
[ALEXA]: Through the lyrics, I should be the hero in the story I’ve written but I am actually watching myself turn into the villain that I’d written years ago in my notes. Last summer, I feel like I was self-sabotaging a lot of things that should have felt perfect but were very flawed. I found those lyrics and started writing “Villain” and then in the midst of that I went through heartbreak, so it kind of was all really coming to fruition in this way. It really was about exploring a darker side of myself and an angry side of myself, like what makes a villain? So it's more than just being bad, it's also demanding more.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You cite that you pull inspiration from a darker side of femininity. In your recent work, how would you describe your dark femininity and how it's helped you experiment or take more risks with your music?
[ALEXA]: I think exploring that side of myself was super important, personally and as an artist, and I think as an artist, I was able to explore it on so many different levels. For me, it's about finding power in femininity, which is often something so brutalized and commercialized. You get all these different versions of what kind of feminine features you should have or what kind of a woman you should be and I feel like those archetypes really inspired me deeper down to possess a lot of power. I feel there’s power in that and that darker side of yourself as a woman.
[UNPUBLISHED]: “Villain” also has an accompanying music video that takes a lot of influences from your inspirations of vintage and Bond films. What was your experience filming the video like?
[ALEXA]: It was so cool to bring this femme fatale fantasy to life and it was super inspired by these retro Bond films, not just in the visuals, but sonically. After I wrote the song, I went with my collaborator and producer in New York and recorded it, so I wanted to incorporate a killing your lover fantasy, but also for it to mean something more complex than an espionage, victim is your lover trope. We didn't show the face of the guy and we did certain things to make it more of a deeper message in there, but it was really fun to do that and to bring those motifs, the retro bond and the femme fatale aesthetic to life.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You also have an upcoming debut EP release and a huge congratulations is in order. “Villain” is the lead track that acts as a glimpse into this work and then Dark Vol. I acts as a bigger glimpse to a more vulnerable, intimate side of yourself. What can listeners expect from you in this new music era of yours?
[ALEXA]: I really feel like I've had the vision for this EP for a while and as my singles came out, and as I went through things myself, it's really evolved to be this origin story of weaving together, falling in love, getting heartbroken, becoming a different version of myself and exploring this different side of myself. I would love for this story to resonate with people and explore a darker side of femininity. It really is the ending of a chapter but also the opening of a whole new era of new music. I'm excited.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How do you channel this darker feminine side of yourself outside of your music that helps translate into your creativity?
[ALEXA]: I feel like artistically, it's such a place to explore this side, especially on stage and in my music and the lyrics, but I think that being a powerful and not always being a good girl is something difficult in society, so anytime I can push back on that I definitely try to.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What is your favorite song off the EP and why do you love this song? Is there a specific lyric or message that stands out to you the most?
[ALEXA]: I love this specific song called “Fantasy Girl,” and the idea has been with me for a long time and having it come to fruition was very exciting. I feel like it resonates with me throughout different time periods, so I'm really excited to release it, so I feel like the unreleased music is always some of your favorite.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What has been your favorite part of the creative process for bringing Dark, Vol. I to life?
[ALEXA]: For me, visuals are so important to the message, so I think bringing the actual songs to life, recording them, producing them and then finding the visuals that accompany it and creating these interesting scenarios. I think that the really exciting part of bringing it to life was the whole visual process. Seeing them like that is a whole different experience.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What has been one of the most rewarding moments of your career so far?
[ALEXA]: There's been a few that I've been like, wow, this is crazy, but one of them was when we filmed the first music video for the first song I put out, which is also in the EP and was the foundation of this whole idea. Me and the director worked so hard and curated the idea and brought it to life. We filmed in this beautiful, old theater in New York and standing there in the dress with everybody bringing this whole thing to life with the whole crew, that was really rewarding of wow, this is real. Definitely a main character moment came to life where it was in my head and now it’s somehow in everybody’s.
[UNPUBLISHED]: When you have creative inspiration hitting you, what do you need in your space?
[ALEXA]: I think the right pen and the right notebook is super important to me. I feel like I've always been a writer at core and I've always written by hand, but it kind of depends on the notebook. I feel like you need the right pages and the right settings, so if I have the right pen and the right notebook, I feel like I'm in the right place to get going.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you'd like to share with Unpublished?
[ALEXA]: I'm super excited and optimistic. I feel like this has been a real journey since releasing the singles into this EP and I'm just so excited to wrap up this era and to start a new one. I feel like it's all bubbling up and I'm really excited to share it.
