| Birth name | Alexandra Isley |
|---|---|
| Birth date | April 16, 1987 (age 39) |
| Birth place | Westwood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1] |
| Genre | R&B · soul · neo soul |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter, producer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Label | Free Lunch Agency · Warner |
Alexandra Isley (born April 16, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and producer. She released her debut EP The Love/Art Memoirs in 2012. Isley has worked with artists including Scarface, Terrace Martin, Masego, 9th Wonder, Rapsody, Tank and the Bangas, and Lucky Daye. Isley has been nominated for two Grammy Awards.
Early life and education
Born Alexandra Isley, she is the daughter of Ernie Isley of the prolific soul group the Isley Brothers.[2] Isley was born in New Jersey, but spent most of her childhood in Los Angeles.[1] She named Stevie Wonder, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah, and Mariah Carey as early favorite musicians.[1][3] She loved singing from childhood and her family supported her pursuit of music as a professional career.[1]
She began classical vocal training at age 12 and later graduated from LA County High School for the Arts.[4] Isley received her bachelor's degree from UCLA, where she studied in the jazz department.[5]
Isley has synesthesia, and described the phenomenon to LA Weekly: "There's a canvas in my mind, and the whole thing is painted, or it's a continuous wave of color...Sometimes I'll start composing something and I'll have to change the key because the color won't sit right with me."[5]
Career
Isley released her self-produced debut EP The Love Art/Memoirs in 2012.[5] Okayplayer reviewed the EP positively: "please believe Alex’s lush vocals over her own calming production is capable of spawning a generation of love babies much like “Between The Sheets” did."[6]
Isley described her music as r&b with hip hop and jazz influences.[1] Samantha Callender of Essence referred to her voice as "silky smooth vocals that ride neo-soul melodies."[1] She has collaborated with artists such as 9th Wonder on the track "Rain Clouds"; Lucky Daye and Masego on "Good & Plenty (Remix)"; Chromonicci on "Interstellar"; and Christian Kuria on "Toroka."[1][7][8][9]
In November 2019 she released the joint EP Wilton with producer Jack Dine.[10] In May 2020 Isley performed a remote concert and a studio concert June 2025 for NPR's Tiny Desk series.[2] In 2020 she was also a featured vocalist for the Cautious Clay track "Reaching", on the soundtrack for Insecure's fourth season.[11]
In 2022 she released Marigold, a collaborative album with Jack Dine. Jackie B. of Soul Bounce reviewed the project positively: "Alex Isley and Jack Dine remain as a melodious match made in heaven as they take us through a cycle from sprout to blossom to full bloom on Marigold."[12] She was featured on Tank's recent single "No Limit" from his 10th album R&B Money.
Isley released the album I Left My Heart in Ladera with Terrace Martin in October 2023. The album, her first to chart on Billboard, debuted at number two on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums list and at number 22 on Jazz Albums.[13]
She earned her first two Grammy Award nominations as a featured artist on "Back to Love" by Robert Glasper at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. The song was nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance.[14]
In February 2025, Isley signed to the imprint Free Lunch Agency which is distributed by Warner Records.[15][16]
Personal life
Isley resides in Los Angeles.[2] She has a daughter with singer Kenyon Dixon (b. 2017).[1]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con. Jazz [17] | Jazz [18] | ||
| Dreams in Analog[19] |
| — | — |
| L U X U R Y |
| — | — |
| Marigold (with Jack Dine) |
| — | — |
| I Left My Heart in Ladera (with Terrace Martin) |
| 2 | 22 |
| When the City Sleeps |
| TBD | TBD |
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Love/Art Memoirs |
|
| The Beauty of Everything, Part 1 |
|
| The Beauty of Everything, Part Two |
|
| Wilton (with Jack Dine) |
|
| WHEN |
|
| Live from NPR's Tiny Desk |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "La Brea" | 2015 | L U X U R Y |
| "Feel No Love" | 2017 | |
| "On II U" | The Beauty of Everything, Pt. 1 | |
| "We'll Always Have Paris" | align='center"| 2018 | The Beauty of Everything, Pt. 2 |
| "Think of Me" (with Jack Dine) | 2019 | Wilton |
| "Gone" (with Jack Dine) | 2020 | |
| "People Get Ready" (with Terrace Martin and Robert Glasper) | I Can't Breathe / Music For the Movement | |
| "Reaching" (with Cautious Clay and Raedio) | Insecure: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 4 | |
| "Mine" (with Jack Dine) | rowspan="4" | |
| "Interstellar." (with chromonicci) | ||
| "Toroka (Remix)" (with Christian Kuria) | 2021 | |
| "Good & Plenty (Remix)" (with Lucky Daye, Masego, and Jack Dine) | ||
| "At Your Best (You Are Love)" | Spotify Singles | |
| "Remind Me" (with Butcher Brown) | rowspan="2" | |
| "Fellowship (Remix)" (with Ambré and serpentwithfeet) | ||
| "Still Wonder" (with Jack Dine and Robert Glasper) | Marigold | |
| "Love Again" (with Jack Dine) | ||
| I WANT YOU BUT YOU'LL NEVER KNOW..." (with Rory and DRAM) | 2022 | I Thought It'd Be Different |
| "Brown Eyed Girl"(with Ernie Isley)[20] | 2023 | |
| "Back To Love" (with Robert Glasper and SiR) | Run The World: Season 2 (Music form the STARZ Original Series) | |
| "Paradise"(with Terrace Martin)[21] | I Left My Heart In Ladera | |
| "Same Mistake"(with Destin Conrad)[22] | 2024 | |
| "Hands" | 2025 | WHEN & When The City Sleeps |
| "Ms. Goody Two Shoes" | ||
| "Fool's Gold - A COLORS SHOW" | ||
| "Remember Love" (with Eric Benét) | The Co-Star | |
| "Thank You For A Lovely Time - Raphael Saadiq Version" | ||
| "JUST A DREAM" (with Isaiah Falls) | LUCKY YOU | |
| "The Christmas Song" | ||
| "Sweetest Lullabye" | 2026 | When The City Sleeps |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Duo or Group | "Still Believe" (with Jill Scott and PJ Morton) | |
| 2024 | Grammy Award | Best R&B Performance | "Back to Love" (with Robert Glasper and Sir) | |
| Best R&B Song | ||||
| 2026 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Female Artist | Herself |
References
- ^ Callender, Samantha (2021-02-22). "Alex Isley Is R&B's Breath Of Fresh Air". Essence. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Carter, Bobby (2020-05-15). "Alex Isley: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Sunnucks, Jack (2018-06-13). "young nyc creatives on what aaliyah means to them". i-D Vice. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Carter, Corein (2020-10-13). "Alex Isley is Expanding On the Isley Legacy and Bringing Us Her Unique Jazz-Fusion Style". Sheen Magazine. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Sumney, Moses (2012-11-02). "Alex Isley Has Her Own Thing". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Shamz (2012-07-10). "Alex Isley - The Love/Art Memoirs [EP]". Okayplayer. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Duong, Paul (2021-03-17). "Alex Isley, Masego, Lucky Daye "Good & Plenty (Remix)"". Rap Radar. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Robinson, Chloe (2021-03-18). "Christian Kuria unleashes a stunning remix of "Toroka" featuring Alex Isley". Earmilk. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ "Chromonicci & Alex Isley Soar On 'Interstellar.'". SoulBounce.com. 2020-12-28. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Ivory (2019-11-15). "Alex Isley & Jack Dine Explore Love On 'Wilton' EP". SoulBounce.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Alston, Trey (2020-04-10). "Cautious Clay And Alex Isley Argue About Love On Vibey 'Reaching'". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ B, Jackie (2022-04-05). "Alex Isley & Jack Dine Deserve Their Flowers With 'Marigold'". SoulBounce. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
- ^ Zellner, Xander (2023-11-01). "10 First-Timers on Billboard's Charts This Week: ScarLip, Alex Isley, Destin Conrad, Chriseanrock & More". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ^ "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ^ Denis, Kyle. "Alex Isley Launches Sensual New Era With 'Hands': Stream It Now". billboard.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ "HIP-HOP & R&B EXEC TIM HINSHAW AND HIS MULTIFACETED FREE LUNCH AGENCY, LAUNCHING FREE LUNCH RECORDS WITH FIRST SIGNINGS SYD & ALEX ISLEY". wmg.com. Warner Music Group. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ "Alex Isley – Chart history: Contemporary Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
- ^ "Alex Isley – Chart history: Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
- ^ "Alex Isley". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ "Brown Eyed Girl - Single by Alex Isley & Ernie Isley on Apple Music", 2023-06-14, retrieved 2024-02-17
- ^ "Paradise - Single by Terrace Martin & Alex Isley on Apple Music", 2023-09-15, retrieved 2024-02-17
- ^ "SAME MISTAKE - Single by DESTIN CONRAD & Alex Isley on Apple Music", 2024-01-12, retrieved 2024-02-17
External links
- Alex Isley on SoundCloud
- Alex Isley on Instagram