INTERVIEW: Brand new single from Lexi Nguyen

Lexi Nguyen has been building her voice for as long as she can remember; growing up in Washington, she started singing at just four years old, long before she stepped onto stages or released her own music. Back then, she describes herself as shy and sheltered, someone who found it difficult to open up but music changed that entirely. It became both an outlet and a bridge, slowly pulling her out of isolation and into connection, shaping both her artistic vision and her sense of self.

Drawing from a wide range of influences from 80s pop, 90s R&B, soul, funk and early 2000s sounds, her work carries a sense of familiarity without ever feeling stuck in the past. Artists like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Tiffany Young, NIKI Zefanya, Ariana Grande and Alicia Keys have all left their imprint, feeding into a style that blends modern pop and R&B with a reverence for earlier eras.

Appearances at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party and Seattle Center’s Winterfest placed her in front of large crowds, while opening for Grammy-winning artist Macy Gray at the Bing Crosby Theater added to her rising profile. Her transition into original music came in May 2020 with the release of “Floating on Air,” a debut single produced by TOLE that blended 80s, techno and gospel elements into something bright and uplifting.

Subsequent singles like “Fever,” “Floating on Air,” and “Right There” have continued to explore themes of love, confidence and self-discovery, each one offering a slightly different angle on personal experience. Now, her latest release, the brand new single titled “One in a Million,” feels like a natural progression of that journey, while also signalling something new. Serving up a fusion of 90s and 2000s R&B, disco, Vietnamese pop and 80s rock, the track highlights her range as both a vocalist and songwriter.

It’s confident and self-assured, instilled with themes of self-worth and emotional growth and driven by the idea of choosing yourself without hesitation. Brought in by the shimmer of bright instrumental tones, the twinkling textures glide alongside Lexi’s silky vocalisations before the track flows into a laid back verse of alluring retro R&B, brimming with charming vocal performance and elegant melodic leads.

Building up the energy with danceable beats and the subtle crunch of distorted guitars, her stunning voice glides above to spin instantly catchy hooks, resulting in an infectious jam that brings together past and present to deliver a magical musical moment that’s impossible not to love. “One in a Million” also marks the beginning of a new chapter, introducing the era of her debut EP.

This upcoming project is set to explore themes of independence, understanding and personal development, both as an artist and as an individual. It suggests a deeper dive into the ideas she’s been circling so far, expanding them into a wider body of work that’s sure to win over new and existing fans around the world.

We caught up with Lexi Nguyen to find out more about her musical journey so far, her new single “One in a Million” and what she’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Lexi Nguyen below.

Hey Lexi, how’s things?

Things have been good! It’s actually been pretty sunny in Washington state, which is rare haha. I finished filming my music video for “One in a Million” with my Music Video Director, Carlos Salinas. I also wrapped up my EP photoshoot with photographer, Camille Watson. Overall, just planning how I should market my EP singles and my EP.

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

Ooh, great question! For me, it’d be when I was a young girl in Elementary School. I’d pat on the school bus seats, trying to imitate different drum patterns I heard from my favorite songs from the radio. While doing that, I’d sing quietly to myself. Also, hearing “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey & “Part of your World” from The Little Mermaid movie, inspired me to start singing at age 5.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

I draw the most inspirations from Mariah Carey, Ciara, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Thuy, Kim Petras, and Janet Jackson.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Honestly, just living my life outside of my music career. All my released music thus far are written about my personal life experiences.

What do you love about the Washington music scene?

I love there’s so many performance opportunities, to showcase your unique sound. Among this music scene, support here is so reciprocal & so kindl. I remember going to one of my friends show in Seattle and she went to my show too. The community here is also smaller than Los Angeles, so everyone here knows eachother. You meet someone at their show and ask if they know so and so. 9 times out of 10, they know that said musician.

There’s also many music & organizations that hold music and creatives networking events. One of my favorite quarterly music events are hosted by Seattle Theater Group, called “Resonate.” They invite 4 panelists to talk about their experience in the music industry. Afterwards, we get an hour to network with others.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

The perfect setting would be at a party with a lot of pink and gold glamour or even a late night drive, or at the club. Or, even late at night with your headphones on & dancing to my music in your room.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

My first single, “Floating on Air,” is such an optimistic, light, and fun 80’s inspired pop song. At the time, I was only 19 and I was listening to a lot of Mariah Carey and Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” I was obsessed with 80’s techno music, gospel piano keys used in Mariah Carey’s music, and the Toms used from Rick Astley’s song. “Floating on Air” is also one of the first songs I’ve ever written, so I took the more conventional Pop song structure approach to that song. Now, I feel like I’m really leaning into the 90’s & 2000’s R&B and Pop, as well as 80’s rock. “One in a Million” is actually a combination of all of those genres. I listened to those type of music growing up, so putting that into my music now is like coming back to little me.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

My dream artist to collaborate with is Pharrell Williams. When he was a part of The Neptunes, he produced amazing songs like “Rock your Body” by Justin Timberlake and “Say Somethin” by Mariah Carey & Snoop Dogg. He also produced most of Ariana Grande’s album, “Sweetener,” which is my favorite album from her. Sonically, I’ve loved all of these songs that he’s done. In one of his interviews, he said he loves to push an artist to try something a bit different from what they’d usually do in their music. With Pharrell, I feel like he would unlock another part of my sound I haven’t tapped into yet. He’s so creatively unconventional, in the most innovative & brilliant way possible.

How did you find making your new single “One in a Million”?

I experienced a guy playing games with me at my college’s Halloween party a few years ago. I came home frustrated and I wrote “One in a Million” that same night. The lyrics easily spilled onto my page. I had this song as a demo for almost two years, knowing that I’d align with the right music producer to bring it to life.

In January, a music producer, Josh Hill messages me on instagram & compliments how good my song “Fever” is. After some back and forth messaging, I decided to work on “One in a Million” with him. I showed him my playlist of what songs it should be inspired by. I put “Slipping Away” by Mariah Carey, “Fastlove” by George Michael, “Rock my World” by Michael Jackson, “Experience” by SG Lewis, Victoria Monet, and Khalid, and “Weak” by SWV. I wanted the verses to have a 90’s R&B vibe, then the choruses switch to Disco, Dance, and a bit of 80’s Rock. Josh and I worked on the song for 2.5 months. Nosu mixed and mastered the song & that took another 2.5 weeks.

I was so intentional with this song & wanted to take a lot of creative risks. There’s so much genre blending, tempo changes, and a cinematic outro that has an edgy Rock & R&B feel to it. This song is a homage to all the genres I grew up listening to, blending into my own unique sound as an artist.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

I want people to feel empowered when they hear “One in a Million.” We’ve all been wronged or have had our heart toyed around with. My song reminds myself and others to walk away from that and to know you’re worth one in a million. Your time is precious on this planet Earth and anyone who tries to waste your time, isn’t worth your time.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

Ooh, great question! I’ve been bopping my head to Kim Petras’s music a lot lately, especially her song “Future Starts Now.” That song always inspires me to keep going after my dreams.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

My favorite live performance so far would be opening up for Grammy-award winning artist, Macy Gray. My Drummer, Abi, my guitarist, Khaner, my Dad, and I took a 3.5 hour roadtrip to Spokane, where I’d open up for her. I did a 30 minute set at the Bing Crosby Theater, to over 250 people in the audience. The audience had their hands in the air, waved their phone flashlights, and I had the privilege of meeting Macy Gray during her intermission. She was so lovely and down to earth.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Yes, I do! My advice is to be consistent most days. This means writing a song most days, practicing your vocals most days, emailing magazines, radio stations, and going to music networking events most days. Allow 1-2 days a week to just be a human and take a breather from pursuing your dreams. Don’t gatekeep the music connections you know, share who you know and what you know to the right people. Go out and support other local artists shows. Cultivate great relationships with venue bookers. Have a very strong, consistent brand image that people can easily recognize you by. For me, my brand is pink. So, all my performance outfits are pink. My website is pink. My social media content has pink text on them.

Finally, what do you have lined up next?

After “One in a Million,” I’m planning on releasing another single. Let’s just say I’m coming from a more healed and happy place with this second single. Also, this second single may be more bright, fun, and upbeat. That’s all I can say for now. So, make sure to stay tuned haha.

Listen to One in a Million below