On “Crash,” Alexander 23 Finds Closure On The Demise of a Messy Relationship

If you’re remotely familiar with Olivia Rodrigo, the (arguably) biggest breakout pop star of the last year, you may have heard some of the names of her creative companions floating around as well. Dan Nigro may come to mind, as well as Alexander 23.

Long before Alexander was working on music with Nigro and Rodrigo (he helped co-produce “good 4 u” and is up for a Grammy this weekend), Alexander 23, real name Alexander Glantz, was releasing music on his own, starting with his debut EP I’m Sorry I Love You back in 2019. We even interviewed him for our previous Artist of the Month series back then, too.

Two and a half years later, with several songs released and over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, major production credits under his belt, collaborations with Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker, AND touring experiences supporting artists like MXM Toon and John Mayer (currently), it’s safe to say that Alexander has paved a way for himself in the production, songwriting, and performance spaces as an indie/alternative pop artist, and his newest single, “Crash,” is certainly no exception.

It’s clear that as we continue to evolve as humans, so does the music we relate and listen to. In “Crash,” Alexander 23 sings about the loneliness of missing someone after the end of a relationship, but the beauty that comes with growing and realizing when people are not right for you. While I consider this to be a breakthrough while dealing with the emotions that follow a messy breakup, it doesn’t mean that it’s all sunshine and roses: like kacey Musgraves said, the whirlwind of emotions is justified.

I miss you but I don’t miss us
Cause apart we’re great but together we suck
I’m sorry for the way it ended but ending it? Baby, not so much
Cause me and you weren’t built to last
We were too fast cars on the way to crash into each other, and yeah it sucks
I still miss you, but I don’t miss us

“Crash” is a step into a more mainstream sound for Alexander 23, coming off of his previous single “Hate Me If It Helps,” a song that had such a viral moment on the internet, people assumed its anonymous promotion was for a new Kanye West song.

“Crash” has moments reminiscent of artists like Walk The Moon, Ed Sheeran, and Gracie Abrams. Not sure if Alexander took a cue from his touring mate John Mayer, but take a listen to the guitar-heavy bridge and let me know what you think.

“Crash” is out now.