# Alex & Sierra
**Alex & Sierra** were an American indie folk-pop vocal duo made up of Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton, best known as the winners of the third and final season of the U.S. version of *[The X Factor](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-x-factor-american-tv-series)* in December 2013. The Florida-based pair were real-life partners as well as musical collaborators, and their run on the show and its aftermath made them one of the most-watched acts to come out of American reality-TV singing competitions.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Members | Alex Kinsey (born 1991, New Smyrna Beach, Florida) and Sierra Deaton (born 1991, Philadelphia, raised in Orlando)[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540) • [2](https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucfs-alex-sierra-win-x-factor-singing-competition/) |
| Competition win | Winners of season 3 of *The X Factor* USA, December 2013, mentored by Simon Cowell; prize was a $1 million recording contract with Sony Music[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-sierra-wins-season-3-of-the-x-factor/) |
| Audition song | A slow, sultry reworking of Britney Spears' "Toxic"[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540) |
| Debut album | *It's About Us*, released October 7, 2014 on Syco Music and Columbia Records; 13 songs, 41 minutes[4](https://music.apple.com/us/album/its-about-us/895611637) |
| Chart result | *It's About Us* debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200; it had sold 86,000 copies in the United States as of August 2016[5](https://pop-culturalist.com/album-review-alex-and-sierras-as-seen-on-tv/) • [6](https://encoreindex.com/contestants/alex-and-sierra) |
| Known for | "Scarecrow", "Just Kids", and "Little Do You Know"[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540) • [7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bzIpYiPUUo) |
| Split | The duo and the couple separated; announced September 1, 2017, with the romantic relationship having ended over a year earlier[8](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/the-x-factors-alex-sierra-break-up-w500925/) |
## Formation
Kinsey and Deaton met in 2009 on a beach in Florida, where Kinsey was singing [Jason Mraz](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-mraz)'s "I'm Yours" on the back of a truck; they became best friends and later, as students at the [University of Central Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-central-florida), began dating and performing together. Kinsey, who had played public stages for six years, would bring Deaton to his gigs and ask her to sing along[9](https://sciences.ucf.edu/news/he-was-hers-from-the-moment-they-met-alex-sierra-a-look-at-ucf-knights-x-factor-journey/). According to AllMusic, they began uploading cover videos online in 2009[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540). Before *The X Factor*, both had auditioned separately for the twelfth season of *American Idol*, which does not accept groups; Deaton was not selected, and Kinsey made it to Hollywood Week before being eliminated[9](https://sciences.ucf.edu/news/he-was-hers-from-the-moment-they-met-alex-sierra-a-look-at-ucf-knights-x-factor-journey/).
Their video audition for *The X Factor*, singing the Civil Wars' "Barton Hollow" in front of a rubber ducky shower curtain in Kinsey's dorm, earned them a spot on the show[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-alex-sierra-x-factor-winners-20141007-story.html).
## The X Factor run
During the 2013 season, Kinsey and Deaton were among the show's most popular acts. Covers of songs by [Destiny's Child](https://www.edgepedia.org/destinys-child), Britney Spears, and [Marvin Gaye](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvin-gaye) became fixtures on the iTunes singles chart, some reaching No. 1 and collectively selling more than 1 million copies[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-alex-sierra-x-factor-winners-20141007-story.html). [Simon Cowell](https://www.edgepedia.org/simon-cowell), their mentor in the Groups category, called one performance the best of the season and predicted they would win after their version of "Say Something" hit No. 1 in the iTunes store[9](https://sciences.ucf.edu/news/he-was-hers-from-the-moment-they-met-alex-sierra-a-look-at-ucf-knights-x-factor-journey/).
They received the most votes every week of the competition, and in the December 2013 finale they defeated [Jeff Gutt](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-gutt) and Carlito Olivero to win the $1 million recording contract with [Sony Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-music)[3](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-sierra-wins-season-3-of-the-x-factor/) • [9](https://sciences.ucf.edu/news/he-was-hers-from-the-moment-they-met-alex-sierra-a-look-at-ucf-knights-x-factor-journey/). They were the first group to win the American version of the show; *The X Factor* USA was canceled after their season[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-alex-sierra-x-factor-winners-20141007-story.html).
## It's About Us
Rather than rushing a post-win release, the duo spent ten months writing and recording before putting out their debut album, *It's About Us*, on October 7, 2014. [Julian Bunetta](https://www.edgepedia.org/julian-bunetta) hosted a two-week writing camp at his Malibu home, where twenty songs were drafted in the first five days and eight made the final cut; the pair had writing credits on all but four tracks[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-alex-sierra-x-factor-winners-20141007-story.html). They also worked with writers and producers including Toby Gad, Sam Hollander, Claude Kelly, Steve Mac, and [John Legend](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-legend), alongside Jason Mraz[4](https://music.apple.com/us/album/its-about-us/895611637) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540).
The album's debut single was "Scarecrow", written with Sam Hollander and Martin Johnson, which sold 30,000 copies in its first week after its June 23, 2014 release[6](https://encoreindex.com/contestants/alex-and-sierra). The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200[5](https://pop-culturalist.com/album-review-alex-and-sierras-as-seen-on-tv/). Its best-known track was "Little Do You Know", whose official music video has more than 128 million views on YouTube[7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bzIpYiPUUo). Reviewers highlighted the duo's harmony work and their acoustic material such as "Bumper Cars"[11](https://thatmusiccritic.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/album-review-its-about-us-by-alex-sierra/).
After guesting on an album by the British electronic producer Gareth Emery, they released a second EP, *As Seen on TV*, in 2016, made up of songs they had covered on television plus new originals[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540). Sources differ on its release month: AllMusic places it in March 2016[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540), while Yahoo and other coverage place it in September 2016[12](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/x-factor-couple-alex-sierra-announce-personal-professional-split-061244146.html).
## Split and afterward
In July 2015, [Columbia Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-records) dropped the duo, who continued releasing music and touring independently[13](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-are-alex-and-sierra-now/). On September 1, 2017, they announced on their joint Twitter account that their romantic relationship had ended more than a year earlier and that they would stop making music together, writing, "No band lasts forever"[8](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/the-x-factors-alex-sierra-break-up-w500925/). Their final tour behind *As Seen on TV* had wrapped in March 2017[12](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/x-factor-couple-alex-sierra-announce-personal-professional-split-061244146.html). The two remained friends, and each has said the split carried no bitterness[13](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-are-alex-and-sierra-now/).
**Afterward, Kinsey** formed the band BoTalks in 2017, whose lead single "Know U Anymore" with [Sarah Hyland](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarah-hyland) drew over 5 million streams, and launched a solo career in 2019 with the single "Simple" and the EP *Party of One*[14](https://alexkinseymusic.com/about-1).
**Afterward, Deaton** released her first solo single, "Don't Hurt", in 2018 under the project name Essy[15](https://www.upcoming100.com/news-detail/11961/sierra-deaton-explains-leaving-alex--sierra-talks-solo-single-dont-hurt/). She later became romantically involved with [5 Seconds of Summer](https://www.edgepedia.org/5-seconds-of-summer) vocalist [Luke Hemmings](https://www.edgepedia.org/luke-hemmings), whom she began seeing in 2018[13](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-are-alex-and-sierra-now/); the two have since married and, in 2025, announced the birth of their first child[16](https://los40.com/2025/08/23/luke-hemmings-5sos-y-sierra-deaton-dan-la-bienvenida-a-su-primera-hija-en-secereto-por-una-buena-razon/).
## Legacy
Alex & Sierra remain a frequently cited example of a reality-TV act that outlasted its show's short lifespan: the series that crowned them was canceled months later, and the duo instead chose to delay their debut for nearly a year, writing their own material rather than accepting a rushed EP. "Little Do You Know" in particular has continued to circulate long after the duo ended, both as a streaming single and through its use in fan-created videos[7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bzIpYiPUUo).
## References
1. [Alex & Sierra Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-sierra-mn0003280540)
2. [UCF's Alex & Sierra Win 'The X Factor' Prize, UCF News](https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucfs-alex-sierra-win-x-factor-singing-competition/)
3. [Alex & Sierra wins season 3 of "The X Factor", CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-sierra-wins-season-3-of-the-x-factor/)
4. [It's About Us, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/its-about-us/895611637)
5. [Album Review: Alex & Sierra's As Seen On TV, Pop-Culturalist](https://pop-culturalist.com/album-review-alex-and-sierras-as-seen-on-tv/)
6. [Alex & Sierra: what happened after The X Factor, Encore Index](https://encoreindex.com/contestants/alex-and-sierra)
7. [Alex & Sierra - Little Do You Know (Official Video), YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bzIpYiPUUo)
8. ['The X Factor' Winners Alex & Sierra Announce Split, Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/the-x-factors-alex-sierra-break-up-w500925/)
9. [Alex & Sierra - A Look at UCF Knights' X Factor Journey, UCF College of Sciences News](https://sciences.ucf.edu/news/he-was-hers-from-the-moment-they-met-alex-sierra-a-look-at-ucf-knights-x-factor-journey/)
10. ['X Factor' winners Alex & Sierra aim to escape the here-gone cycle, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-alex-sierra-x-factor-winners-20141007-story.html)
11. [Album Review: It's About Us by Alex & Sierra, That Music Critic](https://thatmusiccritic.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/album-review-its-about-us-by-alex-sierra/)
12. ['X Factor' couple Alex & Sierra announce personal and professional split, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/x-factor-couple-alex-sierra-announce-personal-professional-split-061244146.html)
13. [Are Alex and Sierra Still Together? Where Are the X-Factor Couple Now?, The Cinemaholic](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-are-alex-and-sierra-now/)
14. [About Alex Kinsey](https://alexkinseymusic.com/about-1)
15. [Sierra Deaton Explains Leaving Alex & Sierra, Talks Solo Single 'Don't Hurt', Upcoming100](https://www.upcoming100.com/news-detail/11961/sierra-deaton-explains-leaving-alex--sierra-talks-solo-single-dont-hurt/)
16. [Luke Hemmings y Sierra Deaton dan la bienvenida a su primera hija, LOS40](https://los40.com/2025/08/23/luke-hemmings-5sos-y-sierra-deaton-dan-la-bienvenida-a-su-primera-hija-en-secereto-por-una-buena-razon/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Musical duos, supergroups, and collaborative projects › Pop and rock duos › Pop and vocal duos*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license