Alexandra Kay On Second Wind, Self-Belief And Country Music’s Biggest Stages

Fresh from making her BST Hyde Park debut alongside Garth Brooks, Zac Brown Band and Ashley McBryde, Alexandra Kay is firmly establishing herself as one of country music’s fastest-rising stars. With her sophomore album Second Wind now out and a growing international audience behind her, the Illinois singer-songwriter continues to prove that persistence can be every bit as powerful as overnight success.

Speaking with Rockshot Magazine ahead of her appearance at Hyde Park, Kay is remarkably grounded, reflecting openly on the setbacks, heartbreaks and hard-won lessons that ultimately brought her to one of the biggest stages of her career.

For many fans, Kay’s journey began through her viral Coffee Covers series, filmed from her kitchen and shared online. Today, she’s performing to tens of thousands and building an international fanbase on her own terms.

Looking back at how quickly everything has changed, Kay admits she’s only now beginning to appreciate the scale of what she’s achieved.

“Honestly, it makes me a little emotional to think about it because I do have a tendency to just keep moving very quickly,” she says. “When I take the time to look back, I go, wow, my gosh, I’ve really done a lot.”

Taking The Hard Road

While social media has transformed the careers of countless artists, Kay doesn’t believe it offered her an easy route into the music industry.

“I think I took the hardest way possible,” she says with a smile. “And I’m glad and I’m happy that I did because I learned so much and it gave me such an edge as an artist.”

Years of independently building her audience taught her far more than simply how to write songs or perform live. She became immersed in every aspect of the business, understanding streaming data, audience engagement and the value of her own brand.

“I was able to say, here’s what I’m worth, and I know that this is how much I’m worth because I’m this much invested in the analytical side of my career.”

That knowledge ultimately helped secure her current partnership with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, one she says has strengthened rather than diluted her artistic identity.

“My label’s doing an incredible job of supporting me, not running my artistry, but supporting it in a great way.”

Heartbreak Beyond Relationships

The road to success wasn’t straightforward. Kay speaks candidly about losing multiple record deals, moments that forced her to question whether she wanted to continue chasing a music career at all.

“I was just so sick of being heartbroken,” she admits. “But every time that I would have those moments of like, I think I’m done, I would just kind of laugh and be like, nah. What else would I do? This is my purpose in life.”

That resilience forms the emotional backbone of Second Wind. While the album draws inspiration from the end of her marriage and finding love again, it also reflects the professional setbacks that shaped her.

“I think I discovered how truly happy I was opening my heart up to someone else,” she explains. “It made me realize that I did make the right decision in leaving my last relationship. It really solidified that this was supposed to be my path in life.”

The title itself carries multiple meanings.

“Second Wind doesn’t just mean I caught a second wind by falling in love with Rocco,” she says. “It also represents all of the moments in my career when I lost record deal number one, record deal number two… all of these times that the fans brought me back to life.”

She pauses before delivering perhaps the defining quote of our conversation.

“They were my second wind.”

More Than Just Country

Although Second Wind firmly sits within contemporary country music, it also reflects the broad range of influences that shaped Kay growing up. Rather than consciously blending genres, she simply followed whatever felt authentic during the writing process.

“I was trying not to put too much pressure on what it was. If it felt good, I rolled with it.”

That freedom allows songs such as Measure Of A Man to embrace classic country storytelling, while Feminine Energy channels Christina Aguilera-style pop vocals and Right Now introduces touches of hip-hop and R&B.

“You hear the Christina Aguilera in Feminine Energy. You hear my hip-hop influences in Right Now. You hear my nineties country influences in Measure Of A Man and What He Does. I’m just kind of showing you who I am all across the board in this record.”

Finding Strength Through Honesty

One of the album’s standout moments comes with Tomorrow Problems, a song about learning to stay present rather than becoming consumed by what lies ahead.

It’s advice Kay admits she’s still trying to follow herself.

“I’ve been a worrier my entire life,” she laughs. “My sisters and my mom used to call me a worrywart.”

Later in life she was diagnosed with OCD, something she now understands as both a challenge and a driving force behind her determination.

“I think it’s what has made me so ridiculously honed in on one thing my entire life.”

That willingness to openly discuss subjects many artists shy away from has become central to her songwriting.

“I think my honesty. I think it’s just everybody finding somebody who’s been through what you’ve been through.”

That honesty has transformed her audience into something much deeper than a fanbase.

“All I’ve Ever Known has taken my fans from fans to friends.”

Building A Legacy Beyond Music

Away from touring, one of Kay’s proudest achievements has nothing to do with record sales.

Her independently owned coffee shop in Illinois represents years of hard work and has become one of the accomplishments she’s most proud of.

“We built that out of nothing. It’s my biggest accomplishment in my life.”

Success has also allowed her to give back to those closest to her, particularly her father, who now manages the business full-time.

“I got to get him out of a job that he’s been in my entire life basically, that he was so miserable in. Now he runs my shop for me.”

When asked who has benefitted most from her success, her answer comes instantly.

“My entire family. It’s very cool.”

Looking Forward

Having now made an impressive BST Hyde Park debut, where she introduced herself to thousands of UK country fans with a confident, high-energy set that included fan favourites and a memorable cover of Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club, Alexandra Kay’s upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing.

Yet despite sold-out shows, major label backing and growing international recognition, it’s clear she remains focused on the things that matter most.

Reflecting on what she hopes she’ll look back on most proudly in years to come, chart positions aren’t at the top of the list.

“I’ll be most proud of my coffee shop turning one year old. I’ll be most proud of my relationship with my father.”

Then she leaves one final thought that perhaps sums up both her career and Second Wind perfectly.

“I really hope that I took the time to be present and to appreciate that instead of push past it and wonder what’s next.”

For an artist whose career has been built on resilience, reinvention and unwavering self-belief, Alexandra Kay’s biggest success may not simply be where she’s arrived — but the determination that ensured she never stopped believing she’d get there.

Interview with Alexandra Kay by Henry Finnegan on 24th June 2026. Instagram: @finneganfoto | Facebook: @finneganfoto.  Photography by Kalpesh Patel.

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