If you have been following Alex Sampson’s journey as closely as we have, you know that the small-town Canadian boy from Atikokan, Ontario, has officially blossomed into a full-blown pop star.
We first introduced you to Alex way back in 2021 when he was just starting to transition his overnight TikTok fame into a real, tangible music career. Since then, we’ve watched him command the America’s Got Talent stage, deliver a stunning retro pop tribute with 2024’s Hopeless Romantic, and kick off his first-ever North American headline tour.
Now, Alex is back with his most mature, vulnerable, and deeply personal chapter yet: his new EP, Growing Pains, out now via Warner Records.
When Alex spoke with us about his sophomore EP, Hopeless Romantic, he opened up about leaning heavily into a 1950s and ’60s retro-pop sound inspired by Elvis and The Beatles. He told us that Simon Cowell himself had advised him to stay in that exact lane to find major success.
But with Growing Pains, Alex is expanding his palette. Produced by hitmaker David Pramik (Selena Gomez, Bebe Rexha), the new EP trade-ins some of that theatrical “modern retro glow-up” for raw, ultra-modern diary entries about growing up in real time.
“Writing the Growing Pains EP was my favorite,” Alex tells us on the red carpet at the world premiere of Descendants: Wicked Wonderland in Los Angeles yesterday (July 14). “I went out to Vancouver for about a week and wrote some amazing songs like ‘Misery’ and ‘How Lucky Am I?’. The whole project is about growing up and going through things that I feel like everyone has to go through. It’s called Growing Pains for a reason.”
Instead of just singing about the concept of love, the new EP is incredibly close to home.
“It’s about falling in love with my girlfriend, getting my heart broken, and growing up. There’s even old clips of me and my mom talking in there when I was a baby. I love it so much,” he gushed.
In 2021, Alex confessed to us that his ultimate dream was to turn his social media followers into an adoring, real-life fanbase by hitting the road. In 2024, he set a massive goal for himself: “My goal for next year is for you to get sick of my face, sick of my voice, and sick of me.”
He’s certainly delivering on that promise. After wrapping up his own headlining tour earlier this year, he’s preparing to join pop star Freya Skye on the road as direct support.
“I’m so excited. You can expect some new songs, some unreleased songs,” Alex teases. “I’m trying to make this the best I’ve ever sounded with the music. Freya’s music doesn’t have a lot of slow songs, and so I want to match that energy. I want to get people hyped up for the time that she comes on stage.”
And don’t worry, OG fans — he knows exactly what you’re waiting to hear.
“Obviously, I’m gonna be singing ‘Pretty Baby’ because it’s my biggest song,” he laughs. “You guys can stop asking me!”
For more on Alex Sampson and his new music, make sure to watch our full interview below — and don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving Growing Pains EP by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
Interview quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.
