Fast-rising EDM star, Alyssa dives into her striking debut EP, musical influences and exciting projects on the horizon.
Italian-Australian house and EDM icon, Alyssa has dazzled fans with her long-awaited, self-titled debut EP, ALYSSA. The five-track collection of highly-danceable tunes will have you entranced as you move and sing along with her at her next live show.
Bursting onto the Aussie music scene in 2021, Alyssa created huge waves with her smash hits, Got Me Feeling and Ti Amo. With a string of additional singles and show-stopping live performances, the Sydney-based songstress rapidly generated a cult following internationally.
Finally, Alyssa has given us what we’ve all been waiting for – her initial, full-body work through her debut EP ALYSSA, launched via Biordi Music/Virgin Music Australia. Representing over 150k monthly listeners and accumulating over 13 million streams over the course of one year, Alyssa is displaying infectious growth across the country and the globe.
Join Happy as we chat to Alyssa about her debut EP, musical influences, bringing more Italian to mainstream EDM, and exciting projects on the horizon.
HAPPY: Congrats on the launch of your debut EP, ALYSSA. What are the main messages or themes you want to convey to your listeners with this collection of tracks?
ALYSSA: Thank you so much! I love my music to make people happy and excited. I personally want people to feel empowered by my music, especially women. My songs are intended to give people confidence and make them feel sexy in their own skin. Also for them to have a good time!
HAPPY: The EP strongly showcases your passion for the house and EDM genre. Which artists in this genre do you enjoy listening to and drawing influence from the most?
ALYSSA: My favourite artist of all time is for sure INNA, she has heavily inspired me my entire life! Other artists I love are Raye, Mabel, Jax Jones, Calvin Harris and so many more – the list is endless.
HAPPY: Your Italian heritage is such an important piece of your identity, and I love how you’ve incorporated that into this EP, with the first and last tracks, La Vida and La Luna, combining both English and Italian lyrics. How has being bi-lingual influenced your songwriting or creative process? Have you found that it allows you to be freer with your approach to making music, since you don’t limit yourself to the English language?
ALYSSA: I love bringing my Italian heritage into my music because I’m proud to be Italian! My grandfather came to Australia when he was 20 and also was a musician, so he is also a big inspiration to me and this project! I see so many other cultures fusing their language and culture in pop songs, so I want to bring more Italian to mainstream EDM for sure! And yes I love integrating the Italian language in my music for sure – it allows me to explore so many more different melodies and phrases!
HAPPY: You’ve been crafting this EP over the course of a year, in between performing a number of sold-out shows across Australia. Your EP trailer offers us a glimpse into your whirlwind musical journey. Your naturally energetic stage presence is so infectious, and fans gravitate to you from everywhere. At what age did your musical journey start? Is this what you’ve always wanted to do?
ALYSSA: Thanks so much! I’ve been dancing since I was 2 years old, I love being onstage. It honestly is where I feel so free and at home! I’ve always wanted to be on a tour as part of my future career, I just never knew what that exactly meant for me! I dropped out of school to pursue full-time dancing at 16 and did that for 4 years but it wasn’t enough for me. I started my musical journey in 2020 not having ever made a song, and I’m so grateful for the decision and the opportunities that have followed after dropping my first single, Got Me Feeling.
HAPPY: What books or TV shows are you enjoying at the moment?
ALYSSA: I religiously watch celebrity documentaries! I love seeing successful people’s journeys – I think it’s also so important to watch why stars became the icons they are today! I also watch some chick flick Netflix shows as well haha.
HAPPY: If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
ALYSSA: London for sure!!!
HAPPY: What’s on the horizon for 2023? Are you working on any other projects or upcoming shows at the moment?
ALYSSA: Always working on something! I’ve got a few exciting things happening next year, currently working on a few products that we’ve been developing this past year and can’t wait to share them with everyone! Definitely can expect more collaborations with various artists as well.
HAPPY: Thanks so much for your time!
Stream ALYSSA via Spotify below.
Interviewed by Amy Davidson.
Photos supplied.