Photo Credit: Pat Ryder (@patryderr)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // November 17, 2020
Alex Porat has been sweeping us off our feet for long enough to know she’s well worth our time. Because of this, we’re so thrilled to say this Canadian popstar-in-the-making’s brilliant new EP, bad at breakups, ranks as high as it can on any scale. With four stellar tracks, bad at breakups offers the very best of Porat’s loveable pop soundscapes.
On bad at breakups, Alex Porat reflected,
“Almost a month of ‘bad at breakups’ being out!! Thank you for streaming and for all your kind words!! So happy to have shared this music with you this year.”
To celebrate the release of her new music, we recently chatted with Alex Porat about YouTube covers, forgiveness, and of course, bad at breakups.
HH: Having started off posting YouTube covers, did you ever expect your music career to be as successful as it is now?
AP: Not at all. When I was posting them, I wasn’t really thinking too far into the future. I also never expected anything close to the amount of people that would end up watching the videos – so I’m super grateful.
HH: What’s your favorite memory from the bad at breakups livestream?
AP: My favorite memory of the show was after the show when we were wrapping up and a little squad of us stood outside and I got to watch the show on YouTube – it was my childhood dream of having my Jimmy Kimmel moment. It really looked so beautiful, Electa makes every set such a dream!
HH: Opening with “forgot to forgive,” we know exactly what to expect from bad at breakups, but you give us that… and more! Can you share your creative process behind this mesmerizing EP?
AP: This EP came together so naturally, starting with the concepts being born from real life experiences. The creative process really started with some tough situations as inspiration and it was nice that through the process I recognized that I had healed from those situations. It also creates some really great friendships because whoever’s in the studio that day really gets the insight to your life. I actually enjoy that part a lot because the whole point of me writing music is to share these stories.
HH: bad at breakups may only feature four songs, but these carefully-picked tracks speak for themselves like we’ve never heard before. How have your listeners been reacting to the EP?
AP: They’ve been so amazing! I get DMs every day about the songs and it makes me so happy that people are listening and finding comfort in the music. I’ve also seen some of the playlists people have made and added the songs to and it’s so interesting to see that some people really love listening to some songs in the car or certain songs when they’re sad. I’m the same way, I have playlists that are soundtracks to my life so it’s super nice to see that I can play a role in someone else’s soundtrack.
HH: Between the playful melodies in “never say ily again” and the charming electronics in “only hanging out cause i’m lonely,” bad at breakups has us in absolute awe. Is there a specific track that resonates with you the most?
AP: They all play their own role for me and most of them are situational except for “forgot to forgive,” which is the one I would say I resonate with most often. I struggle with forgiveness and even when I think I’ve forgiven someone, I sometimes haven’t. Forgiveness is just so broad because it can apply to a relationship with loved ones, significant others, or friendships, so struggling to forgive is so easy to experience.
HH: It seems like most of your music videos are directed by Iris Kim. What about her creative approach do you appreciate? What’s it like to work with her on these visuals?
AP: Yes! I appreciate her imagination and ability to create emotional depth while also being so versatile. Everything we’ve done together has been so different and I love that they’re unique from each other but still tie together and feel cohesive. Working with her is the best; she really gets me and the music, and we just both understand each other. I have a lot of trust in her.
HH: If you could have anyone in the music industry be your mentor, who would you pick?
AP: I think I’d love to pick Miley Cyrus’ brain. She has such an amazing career and story to tell. I would love to hear what she has to say honestly about anything. I grew up as she grew up and so I watched her grow into her career and I’d just love to know more and have her insight.
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
AP: “Hiccup” – Valley, “Please Don’t Make Me Fall in Love” – Meg DeAngelis, “Easy” – Babygirl.
The Hidden Hits 