Begonia unveils new single + video “Cold Night”
“Cold Night,” the new single from Begonia—the solo project of alt-pop Canadian artist Alexa Dirks—premieres today with an accompanying video directed by Tyler Funk.
“This song is the breakdown of a horrible life-changing relationship in three parts,” Dirks says. “Like…stages of grief I guess? Verse One is when you’re not ready to let go and just the thought of being ‘left behind’ makes you feel so desperate and detached, like you’re not even human anymore. Verse Two is reflecting on the reality of the relationship itself and particular stories that come up only with time to reveal the truth. The last part of the song after the strings hit is all about accepting it for what it is and moving forward.”“Cold Night” follows recent single “Right Here,” and comes after a run of live performances across Canada. The album is written and produced by Begonia, Matt Peters and Matthew Schellenberg (Royal Canoe) with contributions from Jason Agel (Björk, Kelly Clarkson, Prince) and Joe LaPorta (FKA twigs, beabadoobee, Solange).Of the album, Begonia says: “The name of this album needed to be something that encompasses all of the feelings that these songs give me when they are put together. When I listen to them as a unit, they send me back to the words, the color. To me, this album holds a muted nostalgia, musings on childhood, the complexities of new love, self-love, religion, virginity and sexuality. There’s an indulgence in emotional depth and pain yet also an indulgence in love and a poppy lightness —two sides I’ve always tried to balance. I feel like I let my guard down even more with this record and decided to not hold back on either end.”In celebration of the new album, Begonia is set for a run of U.S. shows in select cities in 2023. The dates include a performance at Los Angeles’ Hotel Café as well as further shows at Portland’s Hawthorne Lounge and Seattle’s Sunset Tavern. More dates to be announced soon.Powder Blue follows Begonia’s 2017 EP Lady In Mind and debut album Fear, released in 2019 to widespread critical praise. Fear received a nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards and also earned Begonia a nod for Polaris Music Prize.As Begonia, Alexa Dirks creates bold, surprising pop that is tempered with sensitivity and wisdom. In her music, Begonia leans hard into a sense of arrival. Whether it’s learning to come into her own or processing a brutal heartbreak, Dirks’ intimate lyrics and audacious sound allows for her audience to relate to the messiness of life with an honesty that is refreshing. Despite the turmoil from which it emerged, Powder Blue represents Dirks feeling settled by coming to terms with her past and present—from religious conflict, to exploring sexuality and managing mental health, the new album finds Dirks wresting with life’s thornier moments in more evocative ways.
Album art photo credit: Calvin Lee Joseph, design credit: Jadyn Klassen