#x.ari

Talk to myself, There's no one else. Knows me the way I do when I feel overwhelmed. Made the wrong turn, And it got burned. Every decision weighing on me in my world. So I just try to breathe, And I will try to see, All of the reasons we are where we are meant to be. I know I lost the race, Backfired in my face, But I will find my way – eventually.

Oo-oh! The regret in my head got me taken over! Oo-oh! I'm alive and surprised, and it makes me wonder, Oo-oh! If you say everything that you learned this life, Makes you wise – I'm doing it, doing it right!

Made enemies. They don't scare me. Cause I got everyone I need here on my team. And we won't fight. We're meant to thrive, In any circumstances you throw us in tonight.

Inside of my mind, I'll be searching For the words that will cure all my hurting Tough love got me feeling deserving, Rip back the curtain, that's how I’m learning. Reflect on the mess I've created, Respect for the deaths I hated, Making all the winning decisions without precision – not that I'd listen.

Oo-oh! The regret in my head got me taken over! Oo-oh! I'm alive and surprised, and it makes me wonder, Oo-oh! If you say everything that you learned this life, Makes you wise – I'm doing it, doing it right!

Need the best, 'cause the stress I've been holding, I'm the one, only one – I've been chosen, Tell the sorrow there's always tomorrow, always tomorrow, for another go. Recognized that I'm built like a champion, Realized that I'm here, and I'm standing And my story is only starting, now that I'm parting, heading for stardom. Gonna give my all, If I ever fall, You better believe, I'm getting, getting back up! x2

Oo-oo-oo-oh! x2

Oo-oh! The regret in my head got me taken over! (Taken over!) Oo-oh! I'm alive and surprised, and it makes me wonder, (Makes me wonder!) Oo-oh! If you say everything that you learned this life, Makes you wise – I'm doing it, doing it right! (Doing it right!)

Getting To Know...

X.ARI

Toronto-born electro alt-pop artist/songwriter X. ARI has released her new single 'Break-Point'.

It is X. ARI’s mission to not only raise awareness about mental health but also to focus on using her platform to empower others to turn their pain into power. Musically, X. ARI deftly dances in and out of genre lines, from entrancing alt-pop to gritty hip-hop to electronic elegance. At the same time, her visceral lyrics transmit messages of hope as often as they ponder tragedy. It is the mixture of those two elements when X.ARI’s sound and voice come to life.

We had a chat with X.ARI all about her journey thus far, the story behind 'Break-Point', her future plans and more. Read the Q&A below.

You've had a crazy couple of years since you started releasing music back in 2016. What has your journey been like so far?

"I'd definitely call it a crazy couple of years. Two years ago, in November, 2016, I had a mental health breakdown and then I had a relapse in May, 2018. Having two psychosis episodes in a year and a half qualifies to me as a wild ride. It's been a lot of adjustment and transformation. I'm very grateful that I've found my healing conduit through music and sharing my story to inspire others to find their healing and power. Despite my challenges I've released two EPs since 2016 and I have another one lined up for release early summer. It's a concept record based on yin yang duality and I'm very excited about it."

You've just released your new single 'Break-Point'. What is the track about?

"Yes, that's right! The song is about the spiralling down that happens right before you lose your mind. I'm telling the story of my meltdown in 2016 and my experience with PTSD at that time. Writing this track was really cathartic for me."

You spend much of your time on your Pain Into Power campaign. Can you tell us a bit more about why you started the campaign and why it's so important to you?

"After I went through a breakdown I had no idea how to find my light again. I think creating my Pain Into Power campaign spawned out of my need to find healing and empowerment. For a while I felt disabled by traumatizing experiences and I had no idea how I'd recover. I just couldn't accept them as part of my life story. Once I created this campaign and dove deep into it I found it very therapeutic to share my journey and connect with people on that kind of level."

What do you hope listeners will take away from your music?

"That's a hard question. I hope my shows are a healthy escape for people and that they feel empowered at all times."

Finally, what's next for X. ARI?

Photo by: Bradford Hunter Wray

  Los Angeles based vocalist A.Xri has released her new single “Vapors,” which you can listen to below. She will donating all of her performance proceeds to Jack.org, an organization helping young people with mental health.