English singer-songwriter Rex Orange
County is back again with a new single,
album and tour. e singer, also known
as Alexander James O’Connor, posted to
social media on Jan. 3 hinting new things
are coming.
After speculation, fans soon found out
that the singer would release the new
song, “Keep It Up” on Jan. 26.
e last time Rex Orange County
released music was in October 2019 when
his third album “Pony” was released.
is long break for the singer and his
fans allowed some students on campus
to express their feelings about the new
updates from O’Connor.
“I really enjoyed the song, especially the
ending,” said Drew Haritos, sophomore
English and psychology major. “ The
ending was something that I need to hear
from time to time.”
The song acts as a motivator towards
people struggling through hard times.
Hard times can hint at simply living in a
pandemic to anything in one’s daily life.
Haritos shared that this song has a
melodic vibe but the lyrics eased the
listeners mind with the lyrics.
Sophomore biology major, Christina
DeCresenza, was pleasantly surprised by
the style of the song.
“Learning self respect and learning
to put yourself first is a strong message
that I have taken from the song,” said
DeCresenza. “I definitely have had times
like how O’Connor describes his thoughts
in his songs.”
P1 pharmacy major, Megan Makovsky,
is a new fan of Rex Orange County.
“I was looking for new music to listen to,”
said Makovsky. “A friend recommended it
and I thoroughly enjoyed the song. I am
definitely looking forward to the rest of
the album.”
Once fans digested the new song, Rex
Orange County did not stop there. e
singer announced on Jan. 28 that he will
be going back on tour and releasing his
fourth album titled “Who Cares.”
e release date for this album is
March 11. e album includes 11 songs,
including a special feature from Tyler The
Creator.
This will be the third collaboration
Rex Orange County teases new album and upcoming tour

between the two musicians. O’Connor
first appeared on Tyler The Creator’s 2017
Grammy nominated album “Flower Boy.”
O’Connor featured on “Boredom” and
“Foreward.”
is time around, Tyler e Creator will
make a special appearance on Rex Orange
County’s album. “Open A Window” is
the second song on the tracklist that the
collaboration is on.
DeCresenza is a huge fan of Tyler
The Creator and Rex Orange County
alike and thoroughly enjoyed their past
collaborations.
“They both have such different voices
and styles but I think they balance each
other well,” said DeCresenza. “I am really
looking forward to hearing this feature.”
Rex Orange County’s 2019 album
“Pony” covers multiple themes from
mental illness to homesickness. However,
as the music industry proceeds to go along
its course, we and more artists telling
the struggles of fame and the public eye
through the use of lyrics and melodies.
“Who Cares” is rumored to shine light
on the same themes covered in “Pony”
but with elements of “Apricot Princess,”
O’Connor’s second album, thrown in.
“Apricot Princess” tells the story of
life lessons learnt from love and the
heartbreak that follows. If we combine
both themes to create a new era for
O’Connor, it appears that the end result is
who cares. O’Connor’s use of journalistic
thoughts and sweet metaphors will
express the story he wants to tell.
“I am hoping that it will be like the
previous albums but would also be
interested in what this album presents if
it was not,” said Haritos.
“Keep It Up” served as a good reminder
to remember who you are in the moments
of doubt.
DeCresenza is most excited for the
studio version of “Amazing.” She heard
a version of the song on one of his
livestreams.
“The song is from what he said is ‘for
the lovers’ and I have always thought
that O’Connor does a wonderful job
of portraying all of the feelings that
encompasses falling and being in love,”
said DeCresenza.
DeCresenza is thankful for the new
album to say the least. All of his albums

in the past have differed a lot from each
other when it comes to his lyrics.
“Naturally this comes from what he has
going on in his life at the time being,” said
DeCresenza.
As time progresses, the tracklist names
can simply be broken down to what
theme may be presented in the song as
more things become available.
e new album was created by
O’Connor and Benny Sings. Sings is a
Dutch pop musician who has worked
on his own pieces and others including
Rex Orange County, Mac DeMarco and
GoldLink.
Merchandise for the new album
includes a thumbs up with a smiley face
and legs attached to the bottom. Pieces
that O’Connor has shown on social media
with the logo include a metal ring, a varsity
jacket, phone cases and t-shirts. However,
merchandise has yet to be announced and
everything is just for show at the moment.

DeCresenza will not be attending his
tour but is very envious of her friends
that are doing so. Haritos’ friend will be
attending and she is very excited to see
the visuals of the concert.

O’Connor last appeared on tour late-
2019 through the beginning of 2020 for

the Pony tour. However, due to COVID-19
and the lockdown regulations, the tour
was put to a halt.
e “Who Cares” tour will take ight
in late spring through the majority of
the summer. O’Connor will be traveling
through North America, United Kingdom
and Ireland. e tour will start on May 4
in Miami and wrap up in London on Aug.
13.
Concert tickets went on sale Feb. 4

through Ticketmaster. Fans can pre-
order the album or singles digitally at

www.rexorangecounty.com. e link can
be found on his instagram account @
rexorangecounty.