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Today, Vancouver-based rising pop artist Xana shares anthemic, rebellious dark-pop/rock track "Homewrecking Era" out everywhere now. Alongside the release, the artist officially announces The Sex Was Good tour that will move across the U.S. this June and July beginning on June 1 in Portland, OR, with tickets on sale now via xanaofficial.com/tour. Find a full list of dates below. Xana's intimate, empowering sophomore album The Sex Was Good Until It Wasn't is due out May 10 and available for pre-order now. The forthcoming gripping collection sees Xana confront dark truths and deep pain as she learns to process and heal past wounds through shimmering melodies, captivating vocals and candid, clever lyricism.
Out today, "Homewrecking Era" is a shameless, playful exploration of toxicity and sees Xana step into a villainous role. Dripping with her signature seduction, the lyrics–paired with breathy, flirtatious vocals–depict a character who gets what they want, no matter the cost. Xana says the track is the record's "bratty child," as it dives into the forbidden pleasures of a toxic love affair one that, Xana states, "becomes the magnetic force that keeps two souls entwined, despite the impending chaos." Describing its spirited sonic qualities, Xana adds, "The anti-pop-rock soundscape provides the perfect backdrop for this seductive odyssey, with gritty guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and a rebellious energy that mirrors the defiance in the narrator's moral compass."
The forthcoming project The Sex Was Good Until It Wasn't goes where Xana has never gone before, touching on incredibly personal–and at times traumatic–subject matter. Over fifteen vivid tracks, she puts herself in the driver's seat, taking charge of her own story while offering listeners a place of refuge and freedom. Unbound to a single genre or a particular moment, the album unapologetically builds a heartfelt world that is as explosive and bright as it is profound and dark, providing the necessary space for all–Xana included–to heal. The artist sees this body of work as a refined, fully formed evolution from her past work, in part due to her brutally honest songwriting and the free-flowing trust built with producers Liam Moes and Shane Stephenson. Thrilled to welcome listeners into this new cosmic world, Xana explains, "It's an album that I've been wanting to write for a long time and I went into it knowing exactly what its purpose would be."
Xana shared the risqué track and video–"Better Kind Of Best Friend"–as the first taste off of the forthcoming album on Valentine's Day. It's a building, steamy ode to confidence and queer empowerment that celebrates sexual pleasure and bodily autonomy. The song's inclusion on the album adds a new dimension, bringing levity, pleasure and depth to a project that delves into heavy topics, leading Xana to ask, "What’s an album about the horrors of sex without a song about the wonders of sex?" With queerness, and queer sex in particular, rarely spoken about positively publicly if at all, Xana hopes to shed light on the beauty and joy of queer sex. Xana adds, "As a queer person, my relationship with sex all my life has been a challenging road to navigate, and I think it’s really important to remind people that sex isn’t the end all be all and sex is allowed to be–and supposed to be–fun and lighthearted and pleasurable for all parties." Upon release, the track was supported by several leading tastemakers including Exclaim!, GLAAD and Mundane Magazine.
Directed by Lindsey Blane, the accompanying dreamy visual matches the empowering, unapologetic message of the track. Revealing the inspiration and team behind the video, Blane says, "Xana came to me envisioning a video that would evoke a very Garden of Eden meets the Last Supper meets Renaissance-era painting vibe, which we brought to life with the help of a crew and cast comprised of entirely women and queer/LGBTQIA+ folks." Canadian weekly publication The Georgia Straight praised the video, writing, "Visually, it’s like if the Yellowjackets girls had access to burlesque gear. Which, in itself, is a show sapphics have really sunk their teeth into. It’s a fun reminder that queer people have never wanted to kiss the straight main girl on a TV show: we’ve always wanted to do weird shit in the woods."
Xana will embark on a U.S. tour to support the new album this summer beginning on June 1 in Portland, OR. The tour will make its way down the West Coast stopping in Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA Los Angeles, CA and more. In mid-June, Xana will make two stops in Texas and two stops in Florida, and will then perform in cities including Nashville, TN, Chicago, IL and Brooklyn, NY with a final stop in Salt Lake City, UT on July 3. Find a full list of dates below and grab tickets here.
Xana's assertive 2020 debut single "Goddess" thrust her onto the scene and cemented her as an artist to watch. Today, the track has 13M+ streams on Spotify alone and the artist now has 254K monthly listeners. Atwood Magazine took notice of Xana's uniquely relatable writing and growing fervent fanbase, writing, "It’s her authenticity and vulnerability that allows her to connect with her fans, giving raw and relatable material through storytelling lyricism and themes of female empowerment, LGBTQ romance and the everyday experiences of navigating life." A string of singles followed in 2021, including "Kitchen Light," which Out Magazine named as one of their 30 Best Sapphic Bops of the year and its official music video has been viewed over 2M times on YouTube.
Tantrums, Xana's soaring debut album, arrived in 2022 and firmly established her in the pop space. Longtime tastemaker When The Horn Blows wrote the project is, "An unapologetic expression of emotion, [that] boldly takes listeners on a journey of love gone bad with honest vulnerability at the heart of each track." In early 2023, Xana shared the Western-inspired "Bad Bandit" prompting Eat This Music to write, "Xana’s command of pop music is undeniable, and “Bad Bandit” is a showcase of her versatility as an artist..immediately drawn in by the roaring rhythms and pounding bassline." In June 2023, Xana shared "babyblue" which Variance Magazine called "beautifully melancholy" and added "This driving pop anthem is the perfect mix of uplifting melodies and bittersweet, sentimental lyrics, delivered through crashing percussion and indie guitars." Now, in 2024, gearing up for another world takeover, Xana continues to carve her own path propelled by self-discovery, queer liberation and bringing listeners closer to themselves.
The cheeky, chaotic track "Homewrecking Era" sees Xana act out a mischievous role in the midst of a toxic relationship and is out everywhere now. Filled with self-reflection, intimate storytelling and sex positivity, Xana's highly anticipated sophomore studio album The Sex Was Good Until It Wasn't will arrive on May 10 and is available for pre-order now. Don't miss Xana live on tour this summer across the U.S. with tickets on sale now here. Connect with Xana on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube and stay tuned for much more to come from the rising pop singer-songwriter.
Watch "Better Kind Of Best Friend" (Official Music Video) | Listen
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