Rex Orange County - Pony

Blending elements of jazz, hip-hop, and soulful bedroom electronica into a literate brand of singer/songwriter fare, Rex Orange County is the performance alias of English musician Alex O'Connor. O'Connor was still a teenager when he gained attention online in 2015 for his self-produced album, bcos u will never be free. He built upon his viral buzz with 2017's Apricot Princess, which cracked the Top Ten of Billboard's Independent Albums chart. As word of his distinctive style spread, he followed it up with songs like 2016's "Uno" and early 2017's "Best Friend" and "Sunflower" before releasing his second self-made LP, Apricot Princess, that April. Among his fans by that time was Tyler, the Creator, who featured Rex Orange County on two tracks from his Flower Boy album, released in July 2017. The following year, O'Connor finished second in the BBC Sound of 2018 poll behind Norwegian singer Sigrid. February 2019 saw the arrival of the bittersweet Valentine's Day-themed single "New House," which was followed in September by "10/10." His third album, PONY, arrived in October that year and continued the concise ten-track format of O'Connor's previous work.