Alejandro is showing off his virtuosity during his amazing Fall tour as ScaryPoolParty. I have been overwhelmed by the concert videos shared from all over the United States. Alejandro is gaining more fans than just those of us who fell in love with him on American Idol. His new fans are attracted to his mad guitar skills at first then hooked by his showing us his ability to write and perform bombastic grunge to soulful acoustic rock music akin more to Nine Inch Nails and Chopin rather than a troubadour or a busker.
Sherri Brody said on facebook this week, “Gotta admit, the shy quiet acoustic homie is the one I fell in love with on Idol. I thought I had some idea of who he was from that image he portrayed. Now I see that he was holding a lot of himself back. He definitely has a lot to say through his music. I find him a fascinating person and appreciate all of his musical styles…”
The day I discovered Alejandro Aranda on American Idol, I went online and found as much as I could about this god-man of a musician. I found his videos on YouTube, his music on Spotify, on Instagram, and then SoundCloud which opened a whole new world in discovering the “dark” side of Alejandro. I knew about “Vampire Shade,” “Cheater” and “Sun Stop Rising” from the very beginning. It was this music he had shared online previous to American Idol which I fell in love with. It was his “dark” music which moved inside my every fiber which healed me from my many diseases inside and out. It was ScaryPoolParty that healed me. His appearances on American Idol inspired me. The community of his fans I joined on social media is what gave me love and support. They were the only ones in my life who didn’t think I had totally lost my mind with my obsession of the Alejandro guy.
The person on TV gave me a sense to his personality and of course gave us a glimpse into his history. But I knew from his songs like “Hey Mama” and “Sun Stop Rising” that his life growing up had not been perfect. He had shadows and he wasn’t afraid to share them through his lyrics and the dark music. The screaming I hear at the end of “Something Real” is beautiful but so painful for me to hear that I usually have to turn it off or just fall apart in tears myself. I believe “No Puedo Vivir sin Ti” is a masterpiece through Alejandro’s lyrics as well as the music which begins as a ballad then morphs into a journey through the pain in his soul. Many of his songs begin as a light pop feel then turn into a work of genre genius.
Alejandro brought tears to so many who listened to his uniquely personal and emotional Instagram concerts. He brings tears to my eyes when I hear his pain that sometimes leads to screaming in his vocals. Now through songs like “Diamonds” and “godamericaguns” we get to connect with Alejandro as he overcomes those scars. He has morphed from a very sad troubadour singing songs from a broken heart to a man recovered from depression singing songs about self-discovery and survival. I celebrate his confidence and his right to evolve as a human being as well as an artist.
We all are aware of Alejandro’s dislike of the internet. He is mainly referring to social media. He despises the negativity and mean spirited comments from many people, including some of his fans toward him. Several artists have quit social media including Michael Stipe of R.E.M. ("I've had enough of it. I think we deserve better.”). Selena Gomez has quit Instagram off and on. She said, "…it had become so consuming to me. It's what I woke up to and went to sleep to. I was an addict, and it felt like I was seeing things I didn't want to see, like it was putting things in my head that I didn't want to care about. I always end up feeling like s*** when I look at Instagram..." Ed Sheeran quit in 2015 stating, "I'm taking a break from my phone, emails and all social media for a while. I've had such an amazing ride over the last five years, but I find myself seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes, so I'm taking this opportunity of me not having to be anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything I missed." After Coldplay’s 2017 A Head Full of Dreams tour was over they posted for the last time, "God bless you all," they wrote on Facebook. "Be kind to each other. We're in this together. We're one big band. Everything is possible, if you never give up. And if you believe in Love."
Alejandro spoiled us with his nightly Instagram concerts into his heart. They will be remembered by many people as how they fell in love with this vulnerable human being with god-like skills to express his feelings. During this time he wrote “Millennial Love” in regard to how people are glued to their phones rather than experiencing real life (“I’m right, I’m right, I’m right in front of you.”).
We fell in love with the troubadour from American Idol and with the emotionally vulnerable singer-songwriter from Instagram. Very few of us had fallen in love with ScaryPoolParty and their dark compositions of pain and sadness as well as overcoming the darkness through music until recently.
To those who are confused by Alejandro’s electronic performances on his fabulous Fall Tour hang on. Remember you fell in love with Alejandro’s genius, his virtuosity, his journey discovering his ability to create in multiple genres of music. His range is remarkable and we fell in love with that. But if you are still one of those who just don’t love his more rock/electronic music keep hanging on. With each tour this fall he has surprised us with integrating many of his more acoustic songs into his electronic chants. We are witnessing a master create his art right before our very eyes. So keep hanging on, don’t be dismayed. Great art takes time and patience.
Remember the same happened to many of Bob Dylan’s fans. Bob Dylan was considered a troubadour playing folk music on his acoustic guitar including 1963’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They are a-Changin”. In 1965, he shocked the music world by performing at the New Folk Festival with an electric guitar. He was the world’s most popular songwriter and called the “spokesman of a generation.” What some would call his fall from grace brought us some of his most famous songs like “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” “I Want You,” “Just Like a Woman” and everything following his now infamous “Bringing It All Back Home” album which dedicated an entire side to Bob with his new electric band. He might have lost a lot of his devoted followers, but he gained millions more.
Alejandro has had a magical summer “acoustic” tour to please his American Idol following. He is presently touring as ScaryPoolParty with his band to please his true fans. His set list usually begins with his reportedly next single release, “Millennial Love,” transformed from earlier acoustic versions to a more grunge meets soul rock song. Several of his songs which he recorded before American Idol as ScaryPoolParty have been resurrected as well as ending with an acoustic set including a new arrangement of “Ten Years,” “Falling Down” as well his beloved “Out Loud.” His set lists on these fall tour concerts range from rock to classical to jazz and to acoustic. He is a man of many talents, so many in fact that one never knows what to expect when attending these concerts. That’s part of his mystique and his mad, magical talent.
That’s the way of musical genius and talent. It changes “like a rolling stone.” It morphs “just like a woman.” Alejandro is a man with many ways of communicating the music inside his soul. We all love that about him.
No matter how we personally want Alejandro to be, he will always be his own man. He certainly seems to be in control of his direction. He appears to have a sweet agreement with his record company to be the virtuoso, the shape-shifter he has been gifted to be. No matter what we feel, Alejandro will continue to change, to develop his skill and genius, to share his love. That’s the way of talent and genius. That’s the way of Alejandro Aranda aka ScaryPoolParty.
ScaryPoolParty releases their first album, “Exit Forms” on November 22. It will contain “Black Cross,” “Diamonds,” “Dance the Night Away,” “Vampire Shade,” “Beneath The Skin” (aka “Alone”), “True Religion,” “Heart Storm” (aka “Cheater”), “Millennial Love,” “10 Years (remastered),” “Tonight,” “Cholo Love” and “Out Love (remastered).” Looks like a smorgasbord of delight for his fans new and old. I personally am counting down the days!
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