Ukrainian singer Alice Change: I consider my new album, ALICE REVENGE, to be the best and most serious work of my life

Alice CHANGE is a Ukrainian rock singer who will present her new album "ALICE REVENGE" at the beginning of October. The album carries a story of love and the destruction of relationships. The artist herself considers this album to be the strongest work of her entire career. Alice shared with Drive Music Media about the evolution of her style, her concerts, the album presentation taking place in Kyiv on October 4, and why she chose a solo path.

Interviewer: Tell us about the evolution of your image – from ball gowns to bold rock outfits. What are your signature looks?

Alice: My image has evolved just as much as my musical style. When I studied opera singing in college, I naturally performed in appropriate attire – elegant gowns. Even after I moved on from opera and relocated to Kyiv, I still hadn’t fully stepped away from that “strict” image. The stylists on The Voice of Ukraine even created a formal look for me, as that was probably the vibe I exuded at the time. Later, when I started my pop career, I finally began exploring how I actually liked to dress, since, up until that point, others had dictated my style. That’s how I ended up in vibrant outfits with colorful rouncd glasses and flower wreaths. But even in that look, I didn’t feel 100% authentic; it felt a bit too pompous and didn’t fully reflect my personality. In 2022, everyone finally got to see Alice Change with colorful eyebrows, two ponytails, and more cute outfits that people refer to as “teenager” styles. But I don’t categorize clothes by age – I just wear what I like. And now, thanks to the brows and ponytails, people regularly recognize me on the street, so I’ve finally found my style.

Interivewer: Why Alice Change?

Alice: Many people think this pseudonym is related to the iconic band Alice in Chains, but that’s absolutely not the case. I came up with it in my childhood, long before I knew of that band. It started with the name Alice – I was a big fan of the Twilight saga, especially the character Alice. Under that name, I began performing at anime festivals when I was 15. A couple of years later, I realized there were too many "Alices" out there, so I needed to make my pseudonym unique. The second part, “Change,” was inspired by Michael Jackson. He often said he wanted to use his music to change people and the world for the better, and that became my goal as well. So, I added “Change” to “Alice”. Over time, it gained new meanings – I CHANGE my eyebrow color daily, my mood CHANGES regularly due to borderline personality disorder, and I’ve CHANGED my image and music genre multiple times. However, I’m still considering changing the pseudonym because of its similarity to Alice in Chains.

Interviewer: The image in music is one thing. But how did you find your genre? What is the process of creating your songs? How were they a few years ago, and how are they now?

Alice: As I mentioned earlier, I studied opera singing, but I never planned to perform in theaters. I always dreamed of becoming a pop singer, which I pursued after moving to Kyiv from occupied Donetsk. However, I didn’t achieve success in pop music, even though I released a major debut album. During the early days of the full-scale invasion, my friend and I were out of work, and I asked him to write some rock music for a song that had recently come to my mind – just for fun. I didn’t expect it to become the biggest hit of my career. Before its release, a snippet of the song "Не вистачає кисню" (ed. – "I'm Out of Oxygen") gained hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok. That’s when I realized I needed to continue working in this genre.

To this day, my friend – who is also the guitarist in my live band – and I create music together. The process is simple: I come up with a song, record a demo with my ukulele, and he writes the arrangement, which we then polish together.

Interviewer: I’m not a band. You’re building a solo career – tell us why you chose this path?

Alice: Being a band leader would be incredibly stressful for me because it involves working as a team, finding compromises, and losing the freedom to create songs exactly as I envision them. That’s why I’ve always been a solo artist – so that I can make all the decisions in my career myself. However, I still have wonderful musicians with whom I perform, and our lineup hasn’t changed even once.

Interviewer: First concert. What was your first experience performing as Alice Change like? How did you feel?

Alice: I’m not quite sure what to focus on exactly, as I’ve been performing under the name Alice Change since I was about 19. I can share about my first performance after transitioning to the rock genre. It was in 2022 when I was invited to perform at Bel Etage Music Hall in Kyiv, and that was when the need to assemble a live band arose. It was my first big stage, my first "serious" dressing room, and the first time the audience knew the lyrics and sang along with me. It was an incredible experience.

Interviewer: On October 4, you will be presenting your new album, Alice Revenge. Tell us about the story behind its creation. How many songs are included?

Alice: At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I fell in love with a soldier and released a love song about waiting for him to return from service. This album tells the story of our relationship from that first song to the last, from acquaintance to breakup, and from infatuation to hatred. There are seven tracks in total, and the title ALICE REVENGE symbolizes how I respond to people with my music when they cause me pain. I consider this album to be the best and most serious work of my life.

Interviewer: You have a very energetic song called "Silly Brain". Most of your songs are in Ukrainian. Why did you decide to sing in English?

Alice: Generally, I rarely decide what language a song will be in; the ideas simply come to me in my head. I have many songs in English, but I specifically created this one for Eurovision. The lyrics just started appearing in my mind, and I didn’t even try to translate them into my native language – if they’re in English in my head, then they should stay that way. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the national selection, but the song became one of my biggest hits.

Interviewer: Tell us about the creative process during the filming of your music videos. How does the idea come about?

Alice: I have a lot of music videos, so it’s hard to generalize; each one is shot differently and with completely different people. I’m not very good at coming up with creative ideas, but I clearly know what I want to convey with each song, as they always reflect real stories from my life. My job is to involve creative people in the process and explain what I want to show to the audience. Some of my videos haven’t conveyed what I wanted due to budget constraints or pressure from the people involved, which is very disappointing.

Interviewer: What projects are you currently working on?

Alice: I’m considering ending my music career because I’m out of energy and money. I’ll try to apply for Eurovision again, and I’ll hold the planned concert on October 4th, which is my 29th birthday. Beyond that, there’s complete uncertainty.

Interviewer: If your creativity could be described in one word, what would that word be?

Alice: Vulnerability.

Pictures were taken by Mari Mabari, Dmytro Pliushch, Hrushovenko Yaroslav