Meet Lexie Liu, the Chinese «Happy Star»

Chinese, English, Spanish. And a musical experiment that brought to life “The Happy Star”, Lexie Liu’s first full album in three years.

If you never heard of Lexie, you need to check as soon as possible her works. Singer, songwriter, and rapper, her provocative and cross-cultural sound is something so remarkable that gained her the title of Chinese talent taking over the world. Lexie, born Liu Boxin, first appeared on the music scene in 2015 when she competed in the South Korean reality show K-pop Star 5, then participated in The Rap of China in 2018, which launched her career as a solo artist. Since then, she released eight singles and four albums, and EPs. Lexie’s music often explores themes of love, relationships, and self-discovery, with lyrics that are both introspective and relatable. She is also known for her captivating performances, incorporating dance and visual elements to enhance the overall experience. In addition to her musical pursuits, Lexie Liu has also become a prominent figure in the fashion and beauty industry. She has been named as an ambassador for several high-profile brands, including Dior, Fendi, and MAC Cosmetics. With her unique sense of style and fashion-forward sensibilities, Liu has become a sought-after collaborator for a variety of campaigns and projects. Her ability to seamlessly blend her artistic talents with her interests in fashion and beauty has further solidified her status as a rising star in both the music and entertainment industries, gaining a large and dedicated fanbase both in China and internationally, and her career continues to flourish with each new release.

We spoke with her.

Hi Lexie, nice to meet you. Can you please introduce yourself to the Italian public?

Ciao Italy! This is Lexie Liu. I sing, write songs, and make music!

You are what we can define as a multi-hyphenated artist, but I want to start by talking about your music. The public and media acclaimed the Happy Star. Can you tell us more about the process behind the creation of this album?

I started writing the 1st track in The Happy Star about 2 years ago and then formed the idea of building a theme of tarot cards as an inspirational gateway for writing the other songs. Then I started to produce the album, and I worked from home with talented musicians from all around the world and recorded and comped everything myself during the pandemic. It was some workload for me! Fortunately, it turned out great, so it’s worth it.

The album has 12 tracks. Which one do you feel most attached to and why?

It’s hard to select just one! They are all like my babies. I’ll say that the song I’m most attached to might be ‘i wanna tell u’ because it’s inspired by a lovesick experience I had, and I’ll probably never forget it.


MAGICIAN and FORTUNA were the single tracks of The Happy Star. How did you choose them?

For singles, my mindset is that most ‘pop’ songs will be ‘singles’, just like how it works mostly in the industry. ‘Fortuna’ and ‘Magician’ are my new style after this reinvention that represent me, and they are quite ‘pop’?


In FORTUNA, you sing in three different languages. It’s something so unique. How did you handle being multilingual, and why did you choose to sing in Mandarin, English, and Spanish?

I’m currently still learning Spanish because I’m not super fluent yet. I enjoy getting to know languages because it’s so fascinating! The unique vows, sounds, and rhymes in each language bring new inspiration to my music. I always believe there’s perfect language to sing a certain line or deliver a certain message. Mandarin is my native language, and I’ve been learning English since two years old. As for Spanish, I got attracted to it by watching Spanish tv shows. (she laughs)


You write both the music and the lyrics. Where do you get the inspiration from?

Everywhere, every moment and every feeling.


In your work seems there is a solid connection to traits. Do you believe in destiny?

I do, but at the end of the day, the true power lies within ourselves.


You are also the visual of a lot of high fashion brands. How do the fashion and music worlds collide?

Fashion and music are both ways to express ourselves. I can see who a person is just by this person’s style. For me, everything is constantly changing, and we are also changing, so re-inventing my style in both fashion and music is important for me.


You are very young but have already had a lot of achievements. What do you want to achieve next?

Thank you! I wish to stay connected to my true self all the time, and that would guarantee my creativity flows through me.

Who’s Lexie now?

A soul that wishes to be everything!