From Seattle to Seoul: ParisAlexa's Journey Through Music and Identity
Photos provided by Parisalexa
By Emma Schwichtenberg
Just a month after her return from Korea, singer-songwriter Paris Alexa Williams aka Parisalexa is making waves with her chart-topping hit “Supernova” and gearing up for her performance at the upcoming Bumbershoot Festival in August.
She co-composed "Supernova," a track recorded by the South Korean girl group Aespa for their debut studio album Armageddon, alongside Kenzie and Dem Jointz, who also handled the arrangement.
This isn’t the first time a song she helped write topped the charts. She has worked closely with other musical powerhouses like Coco Jones and Normani before as well.
At 25, Williams is just at the beginning of her career and branching into new genres of music. While rooted in R&B, she is now exploring hyper-pop and hip hop, in addition to her work in K-pop.
She was introduced to music through musical theater at the young age of three.
"I've always been humming, even before I could talk," Williams said. "When I started musical theater, I got my start on the stage, and I absolutely loved it. I did it until middle school, and then after middle school, I was like, ‘Alright, I want to do music.’"
She attended Cornish School of the Arts during her freshman year of high school. Taking part in the summer camp there reignited her passion for songwriting, leading her to attend a different intensive songwriting program each summer thereafter.
“Songwriting has always been a big thing for me,” Williams said. "Growing up in Bellevue, as a Black girl, there weren't a ton of people doing what I wanted to do who sounded or looked like me — there wasn't a lot of representation for specifically Black girls. Even in R&B and hip hop, I was looking up to people like Choklate and Isabella Du Graf, but even they weren't necessarily hitting mainstream success yet. I just wondered, ‘Wow, could I even do that?’"
Those songwriting camps were a turning point for her; it was there that she finally found her community.
“I found people that were just as passionate about music making as I was,” Williams said. “I just hadn't even been exposed to that until then. I think that's what started my artistry, I just wanted my songs to be heard.”
As a senior, she competed in the Pacific Northwest Battle of the Bands at MoPop, where she earned second place. This opened doors to festival placements, allowing her to perform at larger shows. Eventually, she moved to LA to write songs for major label artists.
“I feel like I have two different sonic identities,” Williams said. “There are certain people in certain places that I feel really recognize me for my artistry. Whether they know my songs I write for other people or the songs that I've saved for myself, I think that those can kind of be two different identities.”
The process of writing with others required her to consider intention and maintain a consistent thread throughout the entire creative process.
“I like to say it's like speed dating,” Williams said. “I learn about someone's deepest, darkest secrets right away. Even though we just met, I ask them what they think and feel. We build a trust where I can articulate their emotions through my words. I take that experience seriously and do my best to capture their thoughts accurately, paying close attention to how they express themselves."
Williams tends to sit on some ideas, allowing the songs to evolve and improve over time. She'll create a demo and then listen to it for the next few days, assessing what needs to change. Williams believes in not rushing the process, instead taking the necessary time to perfect each track.
“It’s a little bit different than when I'm writing for myself,” Williams said. “When I'm with myself, it's almost like a self-therapy session. I find it more introspective when I'm writing alone because it forces me to be honest with myself. I usually write in solitude, whether in my car, my room, or the studio, and there's no escaping that self-reflection.”
For Williams, influence can be found in vocal powerhouses like Brandy of Whitney Houston. The harmonies they layer into their songs provide the strength and clarity she seeks in her own music.
In the past, Williams has focused on creating pop-soul music. She categorizes it this way because she views R&B as a broad term encompassing music with a certain BPM. Recently, she has been exploring hip hop and jazz fusion, incorporating rap cadences and different beats with warm musicality, gradually moving away from the pop world.
Her move into the K-pop genre developed after she was invited to a writing camp in South Korea.
"We wrote a bunch of songs in one session, and a year later, Aespa selected the tracks for their debut album. One of my songs was chosen, and I'm really proud of it,” Williams said. “I had the chance to work with the resident K-pop songwriter Kenzie, who is incredibly talented. Working with her gave me the opportunity to secure that placement."
One thing Williams learned about K-pop during her time in South Korea is its deep-rooted influences from African American culture. African American soldiers stationed in Korea taught young Koreans American dances like the Running Man and how to make fried chicken, which has now become a staple in Korea. Similarly, K-pop artists have openly expressed how much they draw inspiration from New Jack Swing, Whitney Houston, and the '90s sound. This blending of cultures and styles is a testament to the genre's rich, diverse heritage.
"When I first went to Korea, I wondered what the connection would be," Williams said. "I thought, 'How am I going to write, especially if it gets translated? How will I feel that connection?' But writing for K-pop turned out to be another extension of Black history and Black American history.”
The song samples elements from the 1982 track "Planet Rock" by American hip hop artists Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force. It is a dance and hyper-pop anthem that features heavy kick and bass, a catchy top line, and a synth melody.
“I wrote this song at the end of 2022, and now it's actually happening,” Williams said. “It’s a strange, potentially anticlimactic, but beautiful feeling to realize that the effort I put in back then is finally paying off. When I think about my younger self, at age 12, and being alone, I wonder how I would have reacted to hearing this type of music from someone from my hometown. I want to make music for the girls who don't have that representation."
This past year, Williams created a songwriting workshop to encourage young girls to pursue their songwriting dreams. The idea for the workshop came about from her interactions with aspiring songwriters who frequently asked her how she achieved her success.
"Since I started, it's been so encouraging,” Williams said. “It's helped me look around and feel like I have a community and camaraderie. We're constantly inspiring each other now and really pushing ourselves to excellence. I'm really proud of that."
The workshops were a comprehensive six-part series lasting four to five hours each, held bi-weekly, and received enthusiastic participation. Encouraged by numerous requests, Williams plans to offer the workshop virtually this year.
"I’m learning how to slow things down and reclaim control of my career,” Williams said. “I released one song this year, my first in three years, and it’s been great to reinvest in myself."
Williams is set to perform at Bumbershoot in August and will release new music and visuals in the coming months, beginning a new era for her artistry.
