Micki XO is an extremely skilled artist with a very well-curated sound, sexy and vibrant vocals, and raw lyrics. The artist just released her latest and 5th single “Light Me Up”, a very personal song for the artist where she opens up about her journey and struggles with mental illness and addiction, which only takes an extremely powerful character to be able to share this with others.
- Your first single release dates to 2020, what did you do before deciding to pursue a career in music?
Before I decided to pursue a career in music, I pursued a career in advertising and graphic design. My jobs in the industry actually landed me some photography jobs, and that is still my day job. The music side of what got me into music, is that I did karaoke for a couple years before the pandemic, and it was (and still is) a big way for me to relieve stress. When the pandemic hit, obviously there was no more karaoke, so I decided to start making my own music, and Micki XO was born!
- You are extremely brave for sharing your previous experience with addiction and talking openly about it, how did that affect your music?
Honestly, that period of my life happened before I jumped too heavily into music. I’d say that while I wasn’t addicted, per say, I was definitely not using alcohol and marijuana in a healthy way. I would binge with it, and I would use it to escape my problems. To anyone out there doing the same, I recommend you stop and seek professional help, as that was the only thing that got me to address my problems head on and led to a life I enjoy and don’t have to be high or drunk to escape. It has affected my music a bit, in the sense that writing poetry was what got me through that part of my life. Later, when I was pursuing music and creating it, I drew from those dark times and the poetry I wrote to create this song. It’s almost like an ode to my past self and looking at how far I’ve come since those dark times.
- You mentioned that music was your savior and it helped you get out of the dark side, can you tell us more about your encounter with music and how you discovered your interest in it?
Absolutely! I’ve always loved music – I don’ think that’s unique, but what was unique to me was that I was battling demons that I didn’t know how to address. I was misdiagnosed for years as depressed, when I was actually bipolar. I heard a song by Halsey called “Control”, and I couldn’t figure out what it was about that song at the time that made me feel so…understood. For the first time, I felt like someone was able to put into words how I felt about myself and my mental illness. Years later, when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it made sense. Halsey is also bipolar, and to know that someone that had the same mental illness as me – one that is debilitating and, at times, soul-crushing…it made me feel like maybe I had a chance to make something of myself. For the first time, I felt like my mental illness wasn’t a handicap, but something that made me interesting. When I began music initially, it was a therapy for me. To get all the dark and bad stuff out, so that I can be fun and bubbly in person. However, it’s become so much more than that now. The biggest compliment to me is having someone tell me that my music made them feel better, that they felt understood. That I could make someone else feel the way I did is my ultimate goal. I want to normalize these feelings and break the stigmas of mental health, so that people aren’t afraid to talk about it, and people going through something have someone they trust to reach out to.
- How is “Light Me Up” different from your previous singles, in terms of music, context, and lyrics?
I’d say this song is much darker than the rest. My other singles do discuss dark topics, but there’s more of a fun vibe in the instrumentals that kind of breaks up the dark lyrics. With this track, it’s pure darkness. The deep bass, the dark lyrics, and the way the song deteriorates slowly instrumentally throughout the track. It’s open and honest and not trying to hide behind anything.
Read ‘Light Me Up‘ review here.
- Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you come up with your lyrics and musical ideas/melodies?
It’s different every time, honestly. A lot of times, I will start with pieces of poetry I’ve written and find lines that I really think are strong, and then write the song based off of those words. Sometimes, I start with a concept, like mental illness or addiction or toxic relationships, and then I build lyrics around that. I have also started many times with an instrumental and then written lyrics that go along with it. It just depends on how the inspiration strikes!
- What’s next for Micki XO? Any upcoming live performances? Album release?
Oh man, so much! I’ve been blessed to have performed about 20 shows this year, and I have many more coming up! I’m also currently working with a number of artists on collaborations, ranging from rap to emo punk to R&B to pop. I am also working with a few different producers on some solo music. Just taking all the opportunities I can to grow and learn as an artist and create some awesome music for fans!
Photo credits: Michael MacDonald, Matt Stoner, and Logan Kirk Somers.