Under the Rex Orange County moniker, O'Connor has released one mixtape, bcos u will never b free, and three studio albums: Apricot Princess, Pony, and Who Cares?. Both Pony and Who Cares? made the top 5 in the UK and US, and the latter topped the UK Albums Chart. O'Connor also released a live album, entitled Live at Radio City Music Hall, in 2020.
Alexander James O'Connor was born on 4 May 1998, to Nina and Phil O'Connor, a professional sports photographer. He grew up in the village of Grayshott, Hampshire near Haslemere. O'Connor's interest in music began at a young age. At age 5, O'Connor joined the choir at the school where his mother worked. He became a drummer and later taught himself piano. The name Rex Orange County is based on a teacher-given nickname, "The OC", after his surname O'Connor.
At age 16, O'Connor began playing the guitar and started to produce his own music using Apple's Logic software. At this age, he also began attending the BRIT School where he studied drumming and was one of four percussionists in his year; the relative rareness of his primary instrument provided him with wide exposure to various projects of others in his school which he credits with exposing him to new music.
On 4 September 2015, O'Connor self-released his debut album bcos u will never b free on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. Upon listening to the album, fellow English musician and producer Two Inch Punch got in touch with him, providing him with a management team. The two have continued to collaborate throughout O'Connor's career in the form of the tracks "UNO", "Best Friend", and "Untitled". The album also caught the attention of American rapper Tyler, the Creator, who sent him an email describing his enjoyment of the project. This led to him flying O'Connor out the following year to Los Angeles to collaborate on his album Flower Boy, with him co-writing and contributing vocals to the songs "Boredom" and "Foreword". On 17 November 2016, O'Connor released the single "UNO", a song Clash magazine described by writing, "The buoyant keyboard riff underpins a hypnotic half-spoken vocal, one that veers from topic to topic in a hazy burst of creative mania." On 25 January 2017, he released the single “Best Friend” (premiering on Apple Music's Beats 1 station), followed later in the year by the release of his second album Apricot Princess. His work was compared by Aimee Cliff of The Fader in 2017 to "other artsy, post-genre teen artists, such as Kevin Abstract or Steve Lacy".
O'Connor's first release following the success of Apricot Princess and Flower Boy was on 11 October 2017 with the single "Loving Is Easy", created in collaboration with the Dutch artist Benny Sings. On 16 April 2018, he performed the song in his television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. On 31 May 2018, he released a cover of "You've Got a Friend in Me" in collaboration with Randy Newman, the creator of the song. He was also featured in Spotify's Rise Program.
On 9 October 2018, O'Connor was scheduled to appear on the French television program Quotidien, but refused to perform because it featured a sketch by comedian Alison Wheeler parodying the Ku Klux Klan, which he called "tasteless".
On 14 February 2019, O'Connor released the single "New House". Later that year on 12 September, he released "10/10"; the lead single from his third album Pony. Released on 25 October 2019, Pony was his first major-label album released through RCA Records.
On 30 September 2020, O'Connor released an EP with recordings from his performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City during his Pony tour titled Live at Radio City Music Hall alongside a documentary released on YouTube. This documentary showed the events leading up to this performance as well as the early conclusion of the Pony tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2020, O'Connor confirmed that he was in the process of recording a fourth studio album titled Who Cares? In January 2021, he liked a Tweet seemingly confirming that it would be released at some point later that year. However, this did not materialize. On 13 January 2022, he began officially teasing the album, sending out postcards containing a phone number that when called, a snippet of the song would play. The album was released on 11 March 2022, and was his first to top the UK Albums Chart, entering ahead of Impera by Ghost.
Growing up, O'Connor listened to Queen, ABBA, Stevie Wonder, and American alternative artists like Weezer and Green Day. He cites these artists and others as core inspirations for his own music.
Always
Rex Orange County Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
It's hard to make yourself believe
That it'll get better when you feel defeated
And carrying on is easier said than done
It took a while to see that I was in need of help from somebody else
But she keeps reminding me that I'm not the only one
If I had know that it would
But now there's less time and more things that I need to say
And I'm afraid
That there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me that I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Oh-oh
Ooh-ooh
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
My apologies, it's such a shame
I never planned to feel this way
But the more that I try
The more I'm seeing the difference, I'm not gonna lie
And now I get to sit down
And I'm happy to admit now, I'm on my way
It seems I'm not invincible but I'm bored of the pain
And I need to explain
Yeah, there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me why I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Yeah, yeah
Ha-ha, woo
Rex Orange County's "Always" is a song that captures the feeling of being lost and the struggle to believe things will get better even when they seem hopeless. The opening lines encapsulate the essence of the song and introduce its theme. It talks about the difficulty of self-belief when one has been defeated and the challenge of carrying on when life seems to have no meaning. It's a reminder that even though it may be easier said than done, we need to seek help and support from others when we feel alone, and that we are not alone in our struggles. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been in denial about the state of their life and is now coming to terms with the changes that have occurred.
The chorus drives the central message of the song, where Rex reflects on his past, present, and future. He recognizes that there will always be a part of him that refuses to let go of the past and continues to believe that everything is fine, even when it's not. He acknowledges that his life has changed, but he's yet to understand why he's different now. Despite this, he remains hopeful that he'll find the words to express what's going on in his mind and will eventually learn to navigate the challenges he's facing.
Overall, "Always" by Rex Orange County is a heartfelt and reflective song that gives insight into the struggles of living in the present and coming to terms with the ever-changing nature of our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
It's hard to make yourself believe
It's difficult to convince oneself
That it'll get better when you feel defeated
That things will improve when feeling overwhelmed
And carrying on is easier said than done
Continuing to move forward is more challenging than suggested
It took a while to see that I was in need of help from somebody else
Assistance from another individual was necessary, but took time to realize
But she keeps reminding me that I'm not the only one
She offers reassurance that others share similar struggles
And babe, I would have told you this was gonna happen
Had I known, I would have warned you
If I had known that it would
If I had been aware of the situation
But now there's less time and more things that I need to say
Less time available to communicate important thoughts
And I'm afraid
Fearful of the outcome
That there will always be a part of me that's holding on
A component of oneself will remain hesitant to change
And still believes that everything is fine
Desire to maintain a false sense of normalcy
And that I'm living a normal life
Image of living an untroubled existence
But until somebody sits me down
Waiting for someone to explain the circumstance
And tells me that I'm different now
Communicating the change that has occurred
I'll always be the way I always am
Remaining unchanged without proper clarification
My apologies, it's such a shame
Expressing remorse and disappointment
I never planned to feel this way
Emotions were not intentionally chosen
But the more that I try
Despite efforts made
The more I'm seeing the difference, I'm not gonna lie
Greater awareness of individual dissimilarities
And now I get to sit down
Time available to reflect on the situation
And I'm happy to admit now, I'm on my way
Content to acknowledge moving forward
It seems I'm not invincible but I'm bored of the pain
Vulnerability is recognized, yet loss of desire to endure suffering
And I need to explain
Desire to offer explanation
Yeah, there will always be a part of me that's holding on
The apprehensive facet of oneself will persist
And still believes that everything is fine
Maintain belief that everything is normal
And that I'm living a normal life
Living without adversity or hardship
But until somebody sits me down
Explanation from another remains necessary
And tells me why I'm different now
Learn the reason for current condition
I'll always be the way I always am
Remain unchanged without clarification
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alexander James O'connor, Benjamin Charles Francis Baptie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nico titik
Ooh-ooh
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
It's hard to make yourself believe
That it'll get better when you feel defeated
And carrying on is easier said than done
It took a while to see that I was in need of help from somebody else
But she keeps reminding me that I'm not the only one
And babe, I would have told you this was gonna happen
If I had know that it would
But now there's less time and more things that I need to say
And I'm afraid
That there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me that I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Oh-oh
Ooh-ooh
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
My apologies, it's such a shame
I never planned to feel this way
But the more that I try
The more I'm seeing the difference, I'm not gonna lie
And now I get to sit down
And I'm happy to admit now, I'm on my way
It seems I'm not invincible but I'm bored of the pain
And I need to explain
Yeah, there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me why I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Yeah, yeah
Ha-ha, woo
Ichsan Nur Ainun Yulianto
Always - Rex Orange County
[Intro]
Ahh!
[Refrain]
Ooh-ooh, ooh (Yeah)
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
[Verse 1]
It’s hard to make yourself believe
That it’ll get better when you feel defeated
And carrying on is easier said than done
It took a while to see that I was in need
Of help from somebody else but she keeps
Reminding me that I’m not the only one
[Pre-Chorus]
And babe, I woulda told you this was gonna happen
If I had known that it would
But now there’s less time and more things that I need to say
And I’m afraid
[Chorus]
That there will always be a part of me that’s holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I’m living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me that I’m different now
I’ll always be the way I always am
Oh, oh
[Refrain]
Ooh-ooh, ooh (Yeah)
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
[Verse 2]
My apologies, it’s such a shame
I never planned to feel this way
But the more that I try, the more I’m seeing a difference
I’m not gonna lie
[Pre-Chorus]
And now I get to sit down
And I’m happy to admit now, I’m on my way
It seems I’m not invincible
But I’m bored of the pain and I need to explain
[Chorus]
Yeah, there will always be a part of me that’s holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I’m living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me why I’m different now
I’ll always be the way I always am
Yeah, yeah
[Outro]
I, I
Woo
Knoah Lucho
Alex:
That there will always be a part of me that’s holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I’m living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me that I’m different now
I’ll always be the way I always am.
Me: 😭
Aep Saputra
Ooh-ooh
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
It's hard to make yourself believe
That it'll get better when you feel defeated
And carrying on is easier said than done
It took a while to see that I was in need of help from somebody else
But she keeps reminding me that I'm not the only one
And babe, I would have told you this was gonna happen
If I had know that it would
But now there's less time and more things that I need to say
And I'm afraid
That there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me that I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Oh-oh
Ooh-ooh
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
My apologies, it's such a shame
I never planned to feel this way
But the more that I try
The more I'm seeing the difference, I'm not gonna lie
And now I get to sit down
And I'm happy to admit now, I'm on my way
It seems I'm not invincible but I'm bored of the pain
And I need to explain
Yeah, there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me why I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Yeah, yeah
Ha-ha, woo
Terjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia
Yunus Andreas Sinurat
Ooh-ooh
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
-
It's hard to make yourself believe
That it'll get better when you feel defeated
And carrying on is easier said than done
It took a while to see that I was in need of help from somebody else
But she keeps reminding me that I'm not the only one
And babe, I would have told you this was gonna happen
If I had know that it would
But now there's less time and more things that I need to say
And I'm afraid
-
That there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me that I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Oh-oh
-
Ooh-ooh
Yeah (ooh-ooh-ooh)
-
My apologies, it's such a shame
I never planned to feel this way
But the more that I try
The more I'm seeing the difference, I'm not gonna lie
And now I get to sit down
And I'm happy to admit now, I'm on my way
It seems I'm not invincible but I'm bored of the pain
And I need to explain
-
Yeah, there will always be a part of me that's holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I'm living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me why I'm different now
I'll always be the way I always am
Yeah, yeah
-
Ha-ha, woo
Siprianus Andreas
In case you need it...
[Intro]
Ahh!
[Refrain]
Ooh-ooh, ooh (Yeah)
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
[Verse 1]
It’s hard to make yourself believe
That it’ll get better when you feel defeated
And carrying on is easier said than done
It took a while to see that I was in need
Of help from somebody else but she keeps
Reminding me that I’m not the only one
[Pre-Chorus]
And babe, I woulda told you this was gonna happen
If I had known that it would
But now there’s less time and more things that I need to say
And I’m afraid
[Chorus]
That there will always be a part of me that’s holding on
And still believes that everything is fine
And that I’m living a normal life
But until somebody sits me down
And tells me that I’m different now
I’ll always be the way I always am
Oh, oh
Rion Sebastian
This song always reminds me of a certain someone that's always been there for me.
Before actually, I never thought I needed any sort of help from someone else
but her entering my life is a highlight that I will never forget.
Struggles come and go in life, times come when we're at our lowest and the only thing we can do is carry on ( as mentioned in the song )
A certain someone keeps reminding me that I'm not alone in this journey we call life. As we adventure into the unknown, we grow to become new versions of our past selves but a lot of times we aren't aware of this.
Because of her I realize that I'm someone new, a better me. The fact that I need someone to constantly tell me that I'm better is frustrating, like why can't I tell that myself ?
I learned to love it though and I was able to realize on my own that I'm a better version of me now.
Even then, she always keeps telling me that I am, every single day.
Nágila Jorge
Sempre
Aah!
Ooh-ooh, ooh (sim)
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
É difícil se fazer acreditar
Que vai melhorar quando você se sente derrotado
E continuar é mais fácil falar do que fazer
Demorou um pouco para ver que eu estava precisando
Da ajuda de outra pessoa, mas ela mantém
Lembrando que eu não sou o único
E querida, eu te diria que isso ia acontecer
Se eu soubesse que seria
Mas agora há menos tempo e mais coisas que preciso dizer
E eu tenho medo
Que sempre haverá uma parte de mim que está aguentando
E ainda acredita que está tudo bem
E que eu estou vivendo uma vida normal
Mas até alguém me sentar
E me dizer que eu sou diferente agora
Eu sempre serei do jeito que sempre sou
Oh oh
Ooh-ooh, ooh (sim)
Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Minhas desculpas, é uma pena
Eu nunca planejei me sentir assim
Mas quanto mais eu tento, mais vejo uma diferença
Não vou mentir
E agora eu tenho que me sentar
E estou feliz em admitir agora, estou a caminho
Parece que não sou invencível
Mas estou cansado da dor e preciso explicar
Sim, sempre haverá uma parte de mim que está aguentando
E ainda acredita que está tudo bem
E que eu estou vivendo uma vida normal
Mas até alguém me sentar
E me dizer por que sou diferente agora
Eu sempre serei do jeito que sempre sou
Sim Sim
Steph
I love every single song on Pony....but this one hits different🥺✨
afifah
yes
miowin subaan
Untitled still much better 😌💖💖
Eternity Chilton
This one, it’s not the same, and Pluto projector my top 3.
Luvv4._Maddy
Pluto projector hits different
Riska
TOTALLY AGREEE
Bella Campbell
it’s impossible for him to make a bad song
Rex 💜
can't make a bad song but did a bad crime lol
Apollo
but it is possible for him to make a bad judgment call am i right guys
Good Ftoest
@Rizdog untitled is good. But majority of this album is pretty wank