Stefan Alexander Shares New Single 'Photograph'

"Cry Again is the aftermath of a traumatic period in my life, getting back in touch with my emotions, all these emotions I had bottled up for so long and didn't allow myself to feel," says queer NYC artist STEFAN ALEXANDER to American Songwriter about his new EP Cry Again, which gets released independently in late March. "It's this fear that if you let it go, the floodgates will open, and it will all come out and you won't be able to stop it. There was this subconscious thing happening where my body would not let me cry, and would not let me go there."

The first single off the EP, the R&B-infused "Photograph", is about how all those dating apps can often lead to "empty promises." He explains to American Songwriter who premiered the track, "All you have is four or five photos and three sentences. It's so irrational, and then you're left waiting to see if they swipe right like you did on them."

"Photograph" is supported at first by only the barest minimum amount of R&B instrumentation and Stefan's squeaky-clean vocal, lingering on every word just long enough to add a dramatic flair, but soon transitions into a full-fledged synth-pop anthem that'll make anyone think twice about swiping.

Though they feel like one cohesive package, the songs on Cry Again actually took five years of writing and recording. Stefan released his debut single "Skeleton" four years ago (which has racked up over a million streams on Spotify) and has garnered press from sites such as Earmilk and Indie Shuffle, but his career trajectory was cut short when he succumbed to a mysterious pain disorder that made it impossible for him to perform music, much less most physical activity. After three years of countless doctors' visits and incorrect diagnoses, it was determined that he suffered from "Central Sensitization Syndrome", a relatively new diagnosis where the brain can hardwire injuries, so it continues to send pain signals even after the body is healed. Now that he knows what is ailing him, he has learned to harness it so it has minimal effect moving forward, hoping to pick up where he left off.

This sophomore EP features a collection of transparent, autobiographical pop that he wrote over a large chunk of his 20s. "'Photograph' and 'Signs' were made during my worst years of chronic pain and 'Cry Again' and 'Up and Away' were made during my recovery," he explains. Each of the tracks were musically influenced by whatever album he was repeating at the time each song was written. "Everything from 60s folk and rock to jazz to classical." He brings an old style of songwriting to a contemporary, R&B-influenced sound.

"Signs," he says, is about his difficulty as a young gay person, "not wanting to be part of the fast-paced, late night culture and wanting to find someone to be with who could move at the same speed," while the title track is about Stefan's emotional recovery that followed on the heels of his physical one. "Up and Away" was a song he wrote to motivate himself politically and to remember that even as an individual he has power.

In 2019, Stefan broke the surface with his much-lauded Thunderclap EP (released last Summer) signaling his return to form, with All Things Go heralding, "Alexander is back and better than ever". The New Nine praised the EP as "an emotional pop masterpiece that will get stuck in your head but also make you cry if you let it sneak up on you." Last November he also put out a very modern, cover of the classic Tweet (ft. Missy Elliot) single "Oops (Oh My)".

"Cry Again EP" tracklisting:

Cry Again
Photograph
Up And Away
Signs

That sentiment of introspection and self-improvement runs through all of Stefan's music. He says, "Above all, I try to be as vulnerable as possible in my songwriting and my vocal delivery to inspire others to think about their own lives and maybe even get up and dance."

Photo Credit: Michael George