Manchester-born, South London based artist and creative Alex Ko delivers his stunning debut EP SENTIMENTS – dropping on Friday 31st of January.

Equal parts rich and tender, the rising talent’s introspection is seamlessly displayed across the six-track EP. Comprised of soul, R&B and pop-inflected soundwaves, SENTIMENTS narrates three years of loving and learning as well as moments of vulnerability, strength and understanding that have shaped the Manchester-native’s life and worldview. Opening track “Weapons Down” is a tapestry of intricately produced elements and flawless backing harmonies. Heartfelt and moving, Alex’s spellbinding vocals and emotive lyricism gleam in peace and tranquillity.

The smooth and whimsical production on “Fantasy” quickly follows suit, creating an apt environment for Alex’s perfectly pitched, sensitive confession when longing for an ex-lover and hoping for a different outcome. In a heartfelt plea, the rising talent sings “I want you to live one million stories with me, I want you to look back proud” - a flash of glistening synths and syncopated R&B percussion elevating the intimate textures.

Across the stripped-back “Better Know”, elegant production sets pace for Alex’s impressive vocal cadence as he glides between full voice and falsetto, effortlessly dancing through intricate riffs. Stacked with layers of sophisticated R&B harmonies, the track’s lyrical vulnerability shines through as Alex tells the empowering story of moving on from a broken relationship and finding your worth. ‘Falling from your lips, spilling from your eyes, no limit to the feelings you won't imitate to throw scent off your lies, but I'm wise to it now’, he pleads as we reach the 30hertzbeats-produced track’s emotional apex.

Next up “High On You”, soul-infused instrumentation emerges with intimate wordplay showcasing depth and honesty within his blossoming artistry. “I get high on you, it’s the vibe you give out, energy like oud, sends me to another place while still connected” he sings while exploring connections with loved ones and the uplifting affirmations that solidifies Alex’s shining introspection.

With the gentle yet uplifting track “Understood” blending syncopated synth leads and mesmerising vocals, Ko plays with melodies going between legato and staccato phrasing on the song’s catchy chorus. “Got more than I ever thought I could, feel so understood” Alex sings as he reaffirms the positivity and comfort love can bring.

Drawing SENTIMENTS to a close with “Powerful”, Ko reflects on finding the courage to manifest his authentic values. Told through the lens of owning his distinctive personal style, the song explores the liberation that comes with unashamedly celebrating one’s uniqueness. Produced by multi-platinum artist Mantra, the mastermind behind “Selfish” by Future featuring Rihanna, the RnB/pop gem climaxes in a soaring chorus - ‘my fit makes me feel so powerful’.

Delving into the stories behind SENTIMENTS Alex Ko tells us: “I’ve lived each song’, The concept for the EP was channelled into every aspect, nuance and recording session, where I focussed on creating intimate but understatedly epic soundscapes. Most importantly, I wanted it to be emotive and authentic. I hope people feel like they’re in the room with me when they’re listening, because the experience of creating Sentiments has been like creating a diary.”

Alex Ko’s journey began as the lead in the acclaimed West End production "Thriller”, and the rising talent has since toured the world to sold-out audiences while perfecting his all-round performance skills, honing in on his own distinctive soulful vocals and relatable lyrical style.

Already garnering key support from the likes of WONDERLAND, ONES TO WATCH, WORDPLAY MAGAZINE and SPINDLE MAGAZINE, SENTIMENTS continues the exciting trajectory that Alex Ko is carving as a undeniable talent in the R&B landscape and setting himself up as a significant one to watch for 2025.

Alex Ko sat down with Wordplay Magazine to chat about all thing’s music:

So tell me, where did it all start, what sparked your love for music?

What sparked my love for music is probably my family – I’ve been in a musical family, not because they’re good at music, but because they love music, so it’s been very eclectic throughout my whole life. My mother loved Nina Simone and Nat King Cole, my Dad loved Celine Dion, my sister loved Nirvana and Limp Bizkit, and then there’s me in the corner with Britney Spears and Venga Boys, it was just a bit all over the place. I grew up in such a noisy household so I’ve always been around it – it’s always been a way for me to express myself.

Who are some artists that influence you and that you would like to work with in the future?

I’ve always been heavily influenced by Alicia Keys and I remember back in the day my dream was actually to be signed to J records so I could get into the studio with her. As time goes on she’s someone who I’d love to work with on a writing front, if I ever got to do something like perform with her that would be crazy. People who I’d say directly influenced this sound that I’m coming out with right now would definitely be people like Miguel, just because they have such an emotion, such a soulful R&B sound and the way that they write and the way they deliver their lyrics really inspired me to search a bit deeper, rather than just writing the ‘I walked down the street today’, you know, I just wanted to do something that was a little more refined.

You’re dropping a new EP “Sentiments” on the 31st of January. What can fans expect from the EP?

They can expect something a little bit more raw, a lot more real, I’ve been releasing music since 2015, trying to find my sound and trying to do something that’s very polished and hot and clean, because I felt like that’s what people wanted from my aesthetic. You know, you have A-pop artists and they’re very clean and polished. With this one I really took a step back and thought, where have I come from musically? What music makes me feel something? It’s the music where you can hear the imperfections, the realness – it’s not heavily compressed. The one thing that I’d love for people to hear when they listen to this is they can hear that every single song is different, there’s a song that’s softer, there’s a soft that harder, there’s a song that’s performed  more aggressively. Along with the lyrical content, along with the main thing for this one on a soundscape is I just want people to hear that there’s difference. It’s not just all one level. One of my favourite albums is the Emancipation of Mimi from Mariah Carey, and I always talk about that album because she goes from hip hop, then gospel, then R&B, then she’s soft then falsetto, and I wanted to do something that gives a head nod to that. I wanted to expand on that and maybe do something bigger next time.

The EP is about to drop, which is really exciting, but what else can we expect from you in 2025?

This EP has been 3 years of trying to Build something. You know what it’s like; you release something and the next day everyone’s like what’s next? And it’s taken you ages. What I really want to do is, the day before we do the release I’m going to be doing a launch event in the Oxford Circus area. My main goal is I want to create a buzz with that night, and I want to create conversations with this EP, to be able to have the ability and the platform to do something that just shows growth. Right now I’m still very new and independent, and doing it all myself. If I don’t wake up and pick up the pen and the phone, and do the emails, nothing would happen. I’d love to go to where I can see some kind of growth and movement throughout this year. Ideally I’d love to do more music, something in summertime that’s going to lift people up rather than tell them about all the woes of the last three years. I do have a fun side and I’d love to explore that.

Are there any plans to do a vinyl release at all?

For this project, no. I have no plans to do a vinyl release, unless something happens and there’s demand for it. It costs so much money, the overheads in general. Maybe in the future we could backtrack and do something like that, it just depends. That’s the beauty of the music industry right now – there aren’t really any rules.

What would you say is your proudest moment to date as an artist?

I’ve been very fortunate to have some great experiences, especially as a British-Chinese artist, the opportunities don’t come round often especially from when I started. I’ve been a lead singer in Michael Jackson’s musicals, West End and such, since 2012 until 2017. It was a big moment for me, but I have to say most recently this EP is my pride and joy. I stopped doing music four years ago to focus on life and ‘normal’ every day stuff, I wanted to try and focus on that. The fact that I managed to pull myself back and actually release something, that is a big achievement, it was difficult.

Do you have any advice for our readers who might be trying to play the mad game of music?

I would say educate yourself. There’s so many things out there now and so many ways of these companies luring you in, because as an independent you don’t have to go with a record label, but you feel you have to do certain things. One thing I’ve always done since I was a kid, because I loved music and the industry, I’ve always told myself Right – what do I need to learn here, like I need to learn graphic design and editing music. I’ve always been a bit before my time. It’s all about knowledge and educating myself, so before you go into a room you’ve created a little circle of knowledge and power for yourself so you have more to bargain with. When I walk into a room, whether it’s a networking room or a meeting, I always have such confidence because I know I bring so many different elements, and I know that I know so many little things that make me more of a commodity. Try to learn more, educate. The information is all online nowadays – it really is so easy. I say this like I’m old when I’m not – 10 years ago the information wasn’t there, I had to go and buy the management for music books.

Are there any artists on your radar right now that you feel we should be checking out?

I love Pop music. Any artist that I think you should check out you probably already know about. My ear isn’t to the ground listening to new artists; I tend to listen to the same artists over and over again. The one person I really love and want to support is Griff. One, I love her because she’s British and she’s Asian, but she’s actually really doing some great music. She’s on tour, she was opening for Sabrina Carpenter recently, she’s on a very good level. For me when I really think about it, I’m in this stage now that if I can support any type of artist, or listen to other people, it’s people who look like me as well. I want to see myself there and see what’s working for them. If they’re doing it, then I think cool – there’s a path there, someone’s broken down that door.

What albums have you got on heavy rotation on Spotify or Apple Music right now?

I’ve always got Janet Jackson everywhere, I’ve loved throughout the years and I love to listen to the Number Ones album, in the gym, on the bike – she’s got so many great bangers. One person that always has inspired me, artistically, was Bjӧrk. I’m very eclectic and love to listen to anything, and Bjӧrk is someone I’ve always loved visually and I love her albums – she did a collaboration called Wanderlust with Timberland, that was a hip hop fusion of music. The songs had a lot more structure, it was still very all over the place but it was more structured because it was produced by Timberland. If I could only get a little bit of what she has – for me what she does is just magical and I hate that a lot of people just don’t understand her. The album I listen to every month, without fail, would be the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, but once again it’s 20-25 years old, I’m not listening to anything new.

What do you like to do, when you’re not making music?

I love to eat, I love to drink. The main thing is that I’ve always been someone who gets quite bored when I’m just sat around, so I’m always on to go. I love to stay active, go to events, meet up with people – I like to be very social with my friends. I love to ride bikes, my favourite thing around London is I tend to not get any public transport because I hate people, but also because I can really clear my mind. When I’m going over a bridge I just feel really – Ok, freezing cold, but good.

What are three things that you can’t live without when you’re in the studio?

I like to always be in slippers, because studios are freakin’ cold. I need 100% to have a notebook with me – pen and paper. I don’t like to read off my phone, I don’t like to type on my phone. And then liquid – lots of liquid, always water.