Rex Orange County

Rex Orange County is the stage name of Alexander James O'Connor, an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Haslemere, England. Born in 1998, he grows up in Grayshott, Hampshire, near Haslemere. His music sits within alternative pop, bedroom pop and indie pop, with elements of leftfield, neo soul and pop, and it is also described as drawing on hip-hop and jazz.

Early life and name

O'Connor begins making music at a young age. At school, he joins the choir when he is five, later becomes a drummer, and teaches himself piano. He starts playing guitar at 16 and begins producing his own music using Apple's Logic software. He also attends the BRIT School, where he studies drumming and is one of four percussionists in his year. The name Rex Orange County comes from a teacher-given nickname, “The OC”, based on his surname.

Career

He self-releases his debut album, bcos u will never b free, in 2015 on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. The release brings him to the attention of producer Two Inch Punch, who helps connect him with management, and the two continue to work together on tracks including “UNO”, “Best Friend” and “Untitled”. The album also draws the attention of Tyler, the Creator, leading to O'Connor travelling to Los Angeles to work on Flower Boy. He co-writes and contributes vocals to “Boredom” and “Foreword”, and also features on other tracks from the album, which helps raise his profile in 2017.

He releases the singles “UNO” in 2016 and “Best Friend” in 2017, followed later that year by his second album, Apricot Princess. In 2017 his work is compared to post-genre artists such as Kevin Abstract and Steve Lacy. “Loving Is Easy”, released in 2017 with Benny Sings, follows and becomes his first release after the success of Apricot Princess and Flower Boy. He later makes his television debut with the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In 2018 he releases a cover of “You've Got a Friend in Me” with Randy Newman, and he is also included in Spotify’s Rise Program.

In 2019 he releases “New House” and then “10/10”, the lead single from Pony. The album follows later that year as his first major-label release through RCA Records and reaches the top five in the UK and US. In 2020 he issues Live at Radio City Music Hall, a live album and accompanying documentary based on his performance in New York during the Pony tour. The documentary covers the run-up to that show and the early end of the tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He begins working on his fourth studio album, Who Cares?, in 2020. The album is released in 2022, becomes his first to reach number one in the UK, and also reaches the top five in the US. It is his third studio album after Apricot Princess and Pony. Across these releases, his music is linked to influences including Queen, ABBA, Stevie Wonder, Weezer and Green Day.

Collaborations and related work

O'Connor’s career is closely connected with other artists. Two Inch Punch assists him early on and remains a recurring collaborator. Tyler, the Creator plays a major role in introducing him to a wider audience through Flower Boy. He also works with Benny Sings and Randy Newman. During his rise, he is described by NPR Music journalist Zoë Jones as making “a bright blend of hip-hop, jazz, and bedroom pop”.