Rex Orange County Doesn't Care What You Call Him (Anymore)

When the first minutes of my phone call with Rex Orange County were marred by squelching static and fuzz, I explained the concept of Mercury retrograde, a perceived backwards orbit of that planet that some believe creates lapses in technology and communication. Rex, born 21 years ago as Alex O'Connor, was polite enough to listen, but let the hesitation in his voice peek through. "There's something to be said about things happening for a reason. I think the nature of fate is pretty fascinating," he observed, both thoughtfully and skeptically indulging my astrological detour.

As fate is what led him to make his own music, he would say that. While attending the prestigious BRIT school in 2016 for percussion, O'Connor decided to self-record, produce and release his first album, bcos u will never b, under the Rex Orange County moniker. (The appellation was adapted from "the O.C.," a schoolyard nickname born from his initials and the early-2000s television show.) The bright blend of hip-hop, jazz and bedroom pop, coupled to lyrics with no shortage of adolescent angst, helped quickly put him on the musical map.