Alexander 23's "Hate Me If It Helps" Is a Heart-Rending Search For Closure
Photo: Stefan Kohli
A curative, cinematic piece of art. It's the best way to begin to describe Alexander 23's latest track. He's always been the rare sort of artist whose spellbinding sonics couldn't help but create an image in your head, and his new song might just be his best one yet. Scoring the whirlwind of thoughts making its course through the already clustered caverns of your head, Alexander 23 puts it all out on the line on "Hate Me If It Helps."
Co-written by superstar Olivia Rodrigo, the dynamic duo creates an instant hit that will leave you so deep in your emotions, you'll be thinking about every relationship you've ever experienced. It isn't the first time the two have entered the studio together only to exit with a groundbreaking track, with Alexander 23 featured as a co-writer on Rodrigo's certified platinum hit "good 4 u."
The song begins in classic Alexander 23 fashion, focusing in on his wanderlust while an acoustic guitar builds up backed by a bass drum thumping like an anxious heartbeat on the verge of a complete panic attack. The song suddenly explodes into a full-band combustion, firing off the feeling like you've finally cracked and broken down for a quick second. The orchestration throughout the whole track is one of the most impressive things we have heard from the bedroom pop pioneer to date. Every instrument is arranged so carefully, intelligently, and beautifully.
Alexander 23's remarkable artistry doesn't stop there, as the single's accompanying video is a feast for the eyes. From the scenery to the color choices, the music video displays him in complete solitude, portraying the feeling of finding yourself isolated in your own thoughts - wandering the vast and empty world completely and utterly alone, with intrusive thoughts soaring by you at a million miles an hour. It's a maelstrom of lingering feelings, words left unsaid, and the difficult, unpaved road to closure.
Watch the "Hate Me If It Helps" video below:
