# Alexandra Kay
**Alexandra Kay** (born 1991) is an American country music singer-songwriter from Waterloo, Illinois, who built her career through viral social media covers before signing with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. She released the independent debut album *All I've Ever Known* in 2023 and the major-label sophomore album *Second Wind* in 2025, and has toured with [Tim McGraw](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-mcgraw), Jelly Roll, and [Brad Paisley](https://www.edgepedia.org/brad-paisley).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Chesterfield, Missouri; raised in Waterloo, Illinois[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400) |
| Breakout | Facebook and TikTok country covers, including a "Jolene" cover viewed more than 60 million times[2](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/) |
| Debut album | *All I've Ever Known*, October 26, 2023; No. 1 on iTunes All Genre and Country charts globally, Top 10 on Billboard's Country Album, Emerging Artist, and HeatSeeker charts[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay) |
| Label | Signed with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville in February 2025[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay) |
| Sophomore album | *Second Wind*, October 24, 2025, produced by Andrew DeRoberts, 14 tracks[4](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/alexandra-kay-on-growth-grit-finding-her-second-wind-interview/) |
| Radio debut | "Straight for the Heart" earned 71 first-week country radio adds in November 2025[5](https://countrynow.com/alexandra-kay-reveals-her-near-rock-bottom-moment-and-what-saved-her-music-career/) |
| Reach | Over 8.6 million social media followers and over 350 million collective streams as an independent artist[6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay) |
| Other ventures | Coffee shop The Coffee Girl in Waterloo, Illinois[6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay) |
## Early life and first attempts
Kay grew up in Waterloo, Illinois, about 40 minutes from St. Louis, and began writing songs at 15 as a way of coping with adolescence[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay). She worked in commercials and voice-over as a young performer and auditioned for *American Idol* in 2011[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400). In 2013 she signed an independent deal with Nettwork Entertainment, which released her debut single "No More" the following year; the song spent three weeks at number one on the New Music Weekly Top 40 pop chart[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400) • [7](https://entertainment-focus.com/2025/05/23/interview-alexandra-kay-talks-new-music-new-record-deal-learning-from-jelly-roll/).
Before country music, she worked the St. Louis R&B and hip-hop scene, singing hooks for free in Nelly's studio, Dirty Entertainment, to get her name passed around[2](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/). She later described the period as a way into any music scene while her real interest stayed with country[2](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/).
## The social media breakthrough
After leaving her first record deal in 2014, Kay began uploading covers of 1990s country songs to Facebook, at one point posting multiple covers a week[2](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/) • [8](https://substreammagazine.com/2021/01/interview-alexandra-kay-2021-exclusive/). Her 2016 barn recording of [Dolly Parton](https://www.edgepedia.org/dolly-parton)'s "Jolene" reached millions of viewers and has since been viewed more than 60 million times[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400) • [2](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/). The video drew the attention of the executive producer of *Westside*, a Netflix reality series about aspiring singer-songwriters in Los Angeles, and she joined the cast in 2018[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400).
The period also held setbacks. A 2017 audition for NBC's *The Voice* ended without a chair turning, and after *Westside* and a second label deal fell through, she returned to Illinois[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400) • [5](https://countrynow.com/alexandra-kay-reveals-her-near-rock-bottom-moment-and-what-saved-her-music-career/). For two years she drove four and a half hours to Nashville every Monday to write songs, couch-surfing when she could not afford a hotel[9](https://www.opry.com/artists/opry-nextstage). A batch of four songs written just before she considered quitting music became her first independent releases; the first, "I Kinda Don't," went viral and topped the iTunes charts, and labels began contacting her[5](https://countrynow.com/alexandra-kay-reveals-her-near-rock-bottom-moment-and-what-saved-her-music-career/).
Her "coffee covers" became a signature: videos of her singing while making morning coffee, including a Tim McGraw "Don't Take The Girl" cover with more than 12 million views. McGraw posted a reaction video, then personally called to invite her on his 2022 amphitheater tour[2](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/). The coffee theme carried into her brand and later into her shop, The Coffee Girl, in Waterloo[6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay).
## Albums
Kay released the EP *Dive Bar Dreamer* in 2021 and found wider attention with the singles "Backroad Therapy" and "That's What Love Is" in 2022[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400). Her debut album, *All I've Ever Known*, arrived independently on October 26, 2023, produced by Andrew Capra, Andrew Baylis, and Jason Massey, and included the streaming hits "How Do We Go" and "I Hate Airplanes"[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400). Kay has described the record as a healing journey through her divorce, written for herself before friends persuaded her to release it[4](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/alexandra-kay-on-growth-grit-finding-her-second-wind-interview/).
In February 2025 she signed with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay). Her sophomore album, *Second Wind*, produced by Andrew DeRoberts and co-written on nearly every song, followed on October 24, 2025, with 14 tracks including "Straight for the Heart," "Cupid's A Cowgirl," "The Last," and "Feminine Energy"[4](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/alexandra-kay-on-growth-grit-finding-her-second-wind-interview/) • [6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay). The title came from a writing session with her partner Rocco Beall, Cheyenna Rose Arnspiger, and Kevin Gruft, and reflects both her renewed personal life and the fans who kept her going[4](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/alexandra-kay-on-growth-grit-finding-her-second-wind-interview/). The album charted at No. 36 on Top Country Albums, No. 10 on Top Current Album Sales, No. 11 on Top Album Sales, and No. 34 on Independent Albums[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay).
Its lead single, "Straight for the Heart," impacted country radio in November 2025 with 71 first-week adds, placing Kay among the biggest solo female radio debuts in recent years[5](https://countrynow.com/alexandra-kay-reveals-her-near-rock-bottom-moment-and-what-saved-her-music-career/) • [10](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/news/alexandra-kay-announces-straight-for-the-heart-tour-uk-and-ireland-dates-april-2027).
## Touring and live career
Kay made her [Grand Ole Opry](https://www.edgepedia.org/grand-ole-opry) debut on November 19, 2022, and has returned repeatedly since, with appearances scheduled into late 2026[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay) • [6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay). Her support and headline work has grown steadily: the McGraw amphitheater tour in 2022, headline runs including the Backroad Therapy Tour and Dive Bar Dreamer Tour in 2023, a slot on Jelly Roll's Beautifully Broken Arena Tour in 2024, and a summer 2025 run opening for Brad Paisley[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay) • [6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay). Her early independent touring with fellow TikTok artists Cooper Alan and Thomas Mac on the 2021 In Real Life Tour tested whether social media followers would buy tickets; the 2021 club run sold out rooms in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and other cities[11](https://musicrow.com/2022/01/alexandra-kay-the-time-for-independent-artists-is-now-interviewx/) • [2](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/).
Internationally, she performed at C2C in London in 2023, played Hyde Park supporting [Morgan Wallen](https://www.edgepedia.org/morgan-wallen) in 2024, and appeared on the main stage at BST Hyde Park in June 2026 supporting [Garth Brooks](https://www.edgepedia.org/garth-brooks)' sold-out London show[3](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay) • [7](https://entertainment-focus.com/2025/05/23/interview-alexandra-kay-talks-new-music-new-record-deal-learning-from-jelly-roll/) • [10](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/news/alexandra-kay-announces-straight-for-the-heart-tour-uk-and-ireland-dates-april-2027). Her Straight for the Heart Tour reaches the UK and Ireland in April 2027 with nine headline shows, her largest international run by venue capacity, closing at the 3,400-plus-capacity British Airways ARC in London[10](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/news/alexandra-kay-announces-straight-for-the-heart-tour-uk-and-ireland-dates-april-2027).
## Recognition
Kay was named to Pandora's "2025 Artist to Watch: Country" list and CMT's "Next Women of Country: Class of 2025"[6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay). She was featured on the GRAMMY-nominated *Twisters* movie soundtrack, on the Jelly Roll track "Leave The Light On"[6](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay) • [12](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/alexandra-kay/721976548). AllMusic describes her voice and style as evoking Dolly Parton, Lee Ann Womack, and [Alison Krauss](https://www.edgepedia.org/alison-krauss)[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400).
## References
1. [Alexandra Kay Biography, AllMusic (James Christopher Monger)](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alexandra-kay-mn0003789400)
2. [Rising Country Star Alexandra Kay: From TikTok To Tim McGraw, Pollstar News (April 25, 2022)](https://news.pollstar.com/2022/04/25/rising-country-star-alexandra-kay-from-tiktok-to-tim-mcgraw/)
3. [About Alexandra Kay, alexandrakayofficial.com](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/about-alexandra-kay)
4. [Alexandra Kay On Growth, Grit & Finding Her 'Second Wind' [Interview], MusicRow.com (October 24, 2025)](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/alexandra-kay-on-growth-grit-finding-her-second-wind-interview/)
5. [Alexandra Kay Reveals Her Near Rock-Bottom Moment, Country Now (December 10, 2025)](https://countrynow.com/alexandra-kay-reveals-her-near-rock-bottom-moment-and-what-saved-her-music-career/)
6. [Alexandra Kay, Opry.com](https://www.opry.com/artists/alexandra-kay)
7. [Interview: Alexandra Kay talks new music, new record deal & learning from Jelly Roll, Entertainment Focus (May 23, 2025)](https://entertainment-focus.com/2025/05/23/interview-alexandra-kay-talks-new-music-new-record-deal-learning-from-jelly-roll/)
8. [Interview: Alexandra Kay on TikTok, country music, and turning viral success into a music career, Substream Magazine (January 2021)](https://substreammagazine.com/2021/01/interview-alexandra-kay-2021-exclusive/)
9. [Opry NextStage, Opry.com](https://www.opry.com/artists/opry-nextstage)
10. [Alexandra Kay Announces Straight for the Heart Tour: UK and Ireland Dates, April 2027, alexandrakayofficial.com](https://www.alexandrakayofficial.com/news/alexandra-kay-announces-straight-for-the-heart-tour-uk-and-ireland-dates-april-2027)
11. [Alexandra Kay: 'The Time For Independent Artists Is Now' [Interview], MusicRow.com (January 5, 2022)](https://musicrow.com/2022/01/alexandra-kay-the-time-for-independent-artists-is-now-interviewx/)
12. [Alexandra Kay, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/alexandra-kay/721976548)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Country, gospel, and western singers › Country pop and crossover singers › 2020s crossover singers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 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