Boombox Blitz: Alexa Melo goes a bit ‘Crazy’

Welcome to Boombox Blitz, an artist spotlight series showcasing overlooked singers, songwriters and musicians who are quietly taking over the world.

Flipping and rearranging pop songs is a modern template to prove artistic chops. Sometimes, the reinvention is a complete misfire, shattering the intent and power of the song; other times, a new layer of meaning is grafted from an artist’s ability to dig deep and unearth a richness not exactly present in the original. Fortunately, Alexa Melo‘s version of Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 hit “Crazy” sits comfortably in the former category. Her fingernails plummet through the typically-jaunty and boisterously-layered production for a more somber and alluring siren song, with an accompanying visual dipped in spooky sepia tones. “Maybe I’m crazy,” she sings, exposing a jarringly brittle nature, as she is seen in various poses with her electric guitar in hand and bathing in bubbles in the camera’s pointed gaze.

The lyrics become far more introspective, controlled observations of herself, rather than volatile hisses and teardowns of another person. “‘Crazy’ has always been one of my all time favorite pop songs, and I really wanted to explore the juxtaposition of taking a fun, disco-pop song that everyone knows and perform it as a dark, sultry trip-hop-inspired track,” she says of the video, co-produced and directed by Daniel Garcia, known for his work with Best Coast, LCD Soundsystem, J Dilla and many others. The resulting images are faded and worn, as if filtered through the very fleeting nature of Melo’s own mind’s eye. It’s both a wholly ominous and delicately affecting performance.

Melo’s “Crazy” (buy now) anchors a new EP called Mute, out later this summer.

Watch below:

Photo Credit: Noah Diamond

Follow Melo on her socials: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website