Welcome to mixed feelings’ Hyperspecific, a profile series of increasingly intimate questions in which we ask our favorite artists, scientists, musicians, and the like to unveil their innermost selves — their weird existential musings.
To catch Alice Longyu Gao would be like grabbing mist in the wind. There’s something ethereal, intangible — spectral, even — about the singer-songwriter and performance artist’s charm that seeps into your pores and kicks your adrenaline up a notch. Maybe it’s the fact that Alice, with their club-meets-kawaii outfits and maximalist musical style, could be a digital avatar, uploaded straight from a video game into our present reality. Or that they’re never afraid to say the damn thing: “pretty white boy got hella issues,” they croon on “Never Coming Back” from their debut EP. One of their many bars.
Alice is their chosen name, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. It’s fitting, seeing as their journey since has taken them down rabbit holes — from the hyperpop music scene where they’ve collaborated with artists like Fraxiom and 100 Gecs’s Dylan Brady to re-recording their music in Simlish for their songs to appear in the game.
I’ve known Alice for years, after meeting serendipitously at a beauty event they were also attending. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch. I’ve quietly watched from the sidelines as they grew into the artist they were always meant to be, gathering high-caliber fans along the way, like Selena Gomez and Vernon from Seventeen.
Now, they’re releasing their latest mini album: Assembling Symbols Into My Own Poetry — a meaningful departure from their past super-sweet, hyperpop-infused sound. Like any Alice oeuvre, they’ve got a few power anthems with chanted choruses in “<3 Korean Girls” and “Lesbians <3”. But the tracks that stick out to me are decidedly more vulnerable, like “Clingy”. “So what I’m clingy, but you’re so indie, promise me pinky, that i’m the favorite girl on your mind,” they sing on the track.
In celebration of the new album, Alice came to the studio to do our Hyperspecific questionnaire. Read it in full below. — Mi-Anne
LEVEL I
Something you’re always hoping people bring up in conversation when you first meet.
If I first meet somebody, I hope they bring up Bladee in our conversation and also Drain Gang, Sad Boys, and Shield Gang. If you know, you know. It's not just music, it's a vibe. It's all around 360.
A positive trait people always tell you you have.
People always tell me that I have charm. The first time I [was told this was] when I was obsessed with this person and I couldn't reach them. But I was hanging out with their friends all the time, and they were telling me how unique my charm is. I was like, “Okay, then why do you think they're not into me?” Tell 'em.One destructive trait you know you possess and wish you didn’t.
I love exercising so much. I have to move all the time. And this year I had horrible injury from touring. And even during my recovery, I would still try to figure out if and when I could run on treadmills.If a bodega were to name a dish after you, what would it be? (Be specific.)
I invented this taco recipe. You get a taco shell and then you put marinated Japanese octopus and marinated Japanese seaweed in there. It's super crunchy. And then I would also put Thai-style sweet and sour sauce on the taco. I wish this recipe could be available at every bodega in New York and people can try my fabulous cooking invention.One song that makes you feel understood.
”Flexing & Finessing” by Bladee. And also “Be Nice To Me” by Bladee. The point is “I don't want to talk if you are not going to talk to me nice.”Something you think is wildly underrated.
I think Korean body scrubs are wildly underrated. I love Korean spas in general — and every time I go I get the Korean body scrub treatment. After that, your skin is just so smooth — especially if you go on a date after, if they touch your body, ooooh!!! I had a whole conversation with Charli XCX two years ago about our love of going to the Korean Spa.
LEVEL II
A movie you watch when you want to self-soothe.
I don't really watch movies, to be honest. I don't watch TV that much. I'm obsessed with watching YouTube videos though. I watched last night, I watched a 2Hollis live video on YouTube until 2:30am. I listen to the same song over and over and over and over again. “Jeans” and “Crush” by 2Hollis [are on repeat right now.]Your problematic fave artist/actor/musician (dead or alive). And why?
I don’t like problematic people…[But] I love Blair Waldorf. Blair Waldorf is my professor. [She taught me to] wash my hair, make sure my hair looks good. I think right now I'm going through my rockstar phase, so I like my hair to be a little messy, but [she taught me to] always look nice when you show up.What’s the first fandom you lost yourself in.
I'm just having an intense phase for 2Hollis but I’ve always loved Drain Gang, Bladee, Yung Lean, Thaiboy Digital and Ecco2k. When I was a kid, I was really into J-pop and J-rock, like this Japanese glam rock [group] called Visual Kei. So they have very amazing makeup and very amazing costumes, and those were very inspiring to me. Also, I really like Takazakura [Revue]. It's a Japanese all-female stage troupe, and all the roles are played by women.Something you bought recently after LOTS of research.
I got Botox without any research, without knowing what it is. I just had this idea, what if I get Botox? Will I get prettier? Will my life change if I got prettier? So I basically just researched a Botox doctor, and went to whoever popped up first…Then after the Botox I was like, wait, what is Botox? Then I started doing my research. It’s funny…my doctor said it’s going to dissolve anyway, after a few months. [Do I feel prettier?] No.
Who do you main in your favorite video game.
Princess Peach. But Princess Peach is also very feminine. I'm queer. Is Princess Peach queer? I mean, some might say she is. [I play Peach] in Super Mario…Also you can listen to my music in the Sims and Fortnite. My music is actually in a lot of video games. I did my song DTM in Simlish! They gave me a translation, and I had to learn it. I had a Zoom lesson with one of the Simlish teachers from the Sims. Then I learned it really quick and rerecorded it in my garage.Dream game night rotation.
Bladee. 2Hollis. Yung Lean. Vernon from Seventeen. Vernon's taste in music is incredible. He likes my music.
LEVEL III
What’s an anecdote you usually tell to describe how you were as a kid?
My mom always tells people that when I was little, my head was too big to my body, and I would always fall over. So my head was really bumpy because of all those the injuries. I mean, my head is still really big. If you look at my body, the proportion of my body is a little off.What is your low-key hell and actual heaven?
Low-key hell is all the mixing sessions that I need to do for my songs, because you really zoom in on the little things and you go back and forth with the mixing engineer. It's very exhausting because sometimes you listen to the same song over and over and over again. I wake up, I work, I work when I'm sleeping, because I put my phone next to me, and then I literally check my emails in the middle of the night. It is not healthy at all.Actual heaven is when I have a day that I don't have any work schedule. I can just try to think about what else I can do with my life.
Random thing you hate so much for no apparent reason.
Boba Tea. I hate boba tea. Boba is gnarly.How you exit a party.
I feel like I'm usually the one who leaves right after the peak of the party. I just leave. I don't say anything. My vibe at a party is so unique. That's what I would call it. I would be like, woo! And then dancing, dancing, dancing, and going crazy. Then the second after, I’ll literally walk out, put in my AirPods, and listen to my favorite songs.How you wanna go (either un-seriously or seriously).
I think about the concept of death when I think about life. When I was little, I would have panic attacks. I was so afraid of death. But recently I learned, how can you say that you lived if you are not going to die? Which to me is very rock and roll. So I like that.And then also, you can die alone, but you cannot be dead alone…So my ideal way of leaving this earth would be similar to the way that I leave a party. I just don't want to realize that I'm leaving this earth because I love life. I love people. I love my friends. I love music. I love being myself. I love getting dressed. I love being in my bed.