GALXARA on her path to intergalactic pop domination

“Don’t you know that my time's like a million dollars, I could spend it anywhere,” sings rising star GALXARA in the opening line of her infectious debut single, Waste My Youth. Luckily for me, today she’s choosing to spend some of her time talking about the path to intergalactic pop domination.

Although her name and style evoke the heavens, GALXARA (pronounced ‘gal-ex-arra’) hails from far humbler roots. Born in Miami and growing up in Florida with her Nicaraguan mother and American father – both of whom were constantly blending the styles and genres of music of both backgrounds – a young GALXARA took an interest in music early on. She says she began singing as soon as she could speak, and took up piano at age seven.

“I 100% was that child,” she admits with a chuckle whilst she sips her morning coffee. “I always said, ‘there's no plan B’ – and still to this day, there is no plan B because I didn't go to college. I actually don't know anything else besides music, so this is gonna have to be the thing for me!

"Still to this day, there's nothing else I want to do; I was just like, ‘get me on the stage; that's all that matters’. As soon as I got on there, it was another world and I was a different person. That's what I love, besides creating music – performing is really where my heart is.”

After many years of competing in small, local talent competitions, she finally caught the eye of an A&R at Atlantic Records. As she recalls, she had only been writing original songs for about a year prior to that and realised very quickly the importance of being a songwriter and having the ability to write her own music.

“I've always been very opinionated,” she shares, “and I've never done something I don’t want to do to please someone else – that's the type of person I am. I always knew that I wanted to be an artist and I wanted to write and sing my own songs. But I never realized how much I needed to write my own songs…” she trails off.

“I don't think I would have been able to continue on this journey with somebody else writing my music for me and me having no say in it. I don't think I'd be able to stay sane doing that.”

GALXARA “worked her butt off” every day to become a better songwriter, which is something she’s super grateful for now.

“It's very important for an artist to be able to write for themselves, to have their own mind and have their own thoughts and opinions, and not just go along with whatever anyone says. I think the essence of a true artist is somebody who speaks the truth. True artists are not afraid to do what their heart desires.”

A magnificent Marina and the Diamonds–Lady Gaga hybrid, GALXARA’s go hard or go home vocals are as bold as her hair, and have been shaped by boundary-pushing greats of the past – notably Freddie Mercury, who she became obsessed with as a child.

“I remember hearing Somebody To Love when I was about seven,” she recalls. “That song stuck out for me: the melodies, the chanting, the stacks and the harmonies – it was amazing. They were ahead of their time.

"Lyrically and melodically they were writing stuff that could have totally been out today and still would be huge because it's just downright, good songwriting. Those lyrics touch you, and that's something you can't deny. I want to be able to create that kind of feeling.”

GALXARA had her chance to do so on her bold debut single, Waste My Youth – a soaring track that evokes the sounds of Queen and David Bowie, with shades of Lorde and Lady Gaga thrown in for good measure.

“I often try to remind myself that I won’t be this young forever,” she notes of her debut. “It’s such a cliché, but you really are only young once, so whatever or whoever you choose to waste your youth on, do it with no fear. Have no regrets. Don’t waste time on things that are petty or negative. Be happy and appreciate the love and life around you.

"People will always have assumptions, but Waste My Youth isn’t about me spending my time on any one specific person, it’s about every moment I’ve spent and will one day spend feeling unregretfully fearless.”

Her debut effort was just a hint of what's to come from GALXARA, who in her artistry brings with her an interest in all things celestial, futuristic and vast. She’s interested in unanswerable questions and the possibilities of something limitless, going off writing love songs early on:

“When I was younger, I knew I didn't want to write about love – I was so against it,” she shares. I was in a relationship at that time from 15 to pretty much 19 years old, and I can tell you, it wasn't the healthiest relationship, but I didn't know any different because I was young.

"There were things that I didn't want to admit or come to terms with, and I definitely didn't want to do it in front of strangers in a studio booth! So I just completely blocked that side out and I wrote about empowering people and things that I could talk about.”

Now in a happy and healthy relationship, things couldn’t be more different for the young singer:

“It's just so funny because right now, all I want to do is write about love; all I want to do is write about this person, the way that she makes me feel, the fact that I'm so happy, and how proud I am to be with her. I'm in a very happy place with my writing and I think I've grown a lot.”

2020 ballad, Loving Nobody was a perfect vehicle for GALXARA’s new willingness to open up a bit more, and it’s one of the most honest, real and emotional songs she has ever written.

“All I know is I just want people to hear this song and not only experience, but welcome all the heartbreaking, raw and deep emotions like I did when I wrote it because it comes from a very real place in my heart. It's not an anti love song,” she points out, 

“it’s just saying I am loving nobody – there's nobody for me to love, which is such an honest thing. That song came from a really real place because the person that I was with – as many times as we said, I love you, it didn't feel like love. Writing the song was me releasing all those emotions that I had. I would listen to this song, and I would cry, man. I came to realise that this song was coming from the deepest part of my heart, and I just didn't know it.”

What’s clear is GALXARA wants to create music that surges with confidence, and that tells her listeners to be themselves no matter what. Her songs are bold, because she herself is bold.

“I definitely do look up to other artists that do that. I'm still writing songs about female empowerment and empowering people. I want to use my platform for a good reason, or for a good purpose, like telling people that no matter what they think, or no matter what anyone says, you are beautiful, you are strong, and you have the power to change the world.”

I can’t help but believe every empowering word. Coming back down to earth, GALXARA is ultimately a young woman who delivers everything straight from the heart.

“Although GALXARA is fantastical, she’s still me,” she insists. “She’s not a character. Instead, she’s the person I choose to be."