Alejandro Aranda
Alejandro Aranda (born August 11, 1994), known by his stage name Scarypoolparty, is an American singer, musician, and reality television personality from Pomona, California, and runner-up on the seventeenth season of American Idol. His debut album Exit Form was released on November 22, 2019.
Alejandro Aranda | |
|---|---|
| Also known as |
|
| Born | August 11, 1994 Pomona, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Labels | Hollywood |
Early life
Alejandro Aranda was born on August 11, 1994 in Pomona, California. While he has attested to having two parents as well as a sister, not much is known about his past. In an interview with Launch Left, he talked about his family and the fact that he was not close to them.[2] However, he drew a lot of inspiration from his past to determine the type of person he wanted to be.
He started playing the piano and picked up guitar around the age of 19 or 20. Busking on the streets of Pomona, CA he got comfortable with being himself in front of people, he also played at Open Mic Nights and backyard concerts, basically wherever he could. Of this time, he said it took him a year to get comfortable with singing and playing in front of people. He won artist of the year with CSUN and Five of Five Entertainment in 2017. [3]
He started taking music seriously when he almost injured his hand in a factory working and the sleeve of his shirt was caught. He said of this incident:
“When I turned 20, I almost lost my hand,” Aranda, now age 25, reveals to Yahoo Entertainment. “I was working at a warehouse and I got my hand stuck in the conveyor belt, and I could've really lost my hand. … It got stuck in between, and then it caught my flannel shirt; I was wearing a long sleeve and it caught. If I wasn't wearing that, it would have basically ran my whole hand through it.”
While Aranda was thankfully able to extricate himself from the machinery without any serious injuries, the situation served as a wake-up call. The incident was referenced in the lyrics of his song "Millennial Love".
On Mar 15, 2016 he posted Blesser on YouTube (hair in bun). Many consider this to be his most brilliant song to date. The judges were so blown away by his performance that Lionel Richie called it “History in the making.”
His song “10 Years” premiered March 17, 2019 on YouTube. The song “10 Years” was written for a friend going through a divorce.
In 2017, he was named Artist of the Year by California State University. This was the first time he had a break in the music industry.
In 2018, Twin Shadow asked him to go on the road with him as a musician. He played festivals and even made an appearance on the Conan O’Brien Show.
American Idol
He received a private audition through someone who attended a backyard concert that he performed, and on April 6, 2019 he auditioned on Season 17 of American Idol in Los Angeles, CA. Alejandro performed two original songs, “Out Loud” and “Cholo Love.” Immediately, the judges were drawn to him. Luke Bryan said, “I just feel like I’m in the presence of greatness.” and “It was like watching my favorite movie that I did not want to end.” Katy Perry said, “Okay Alejandro, I think you're the winner. I think you're really special. I think you're an absolute genius.”[4]
His audition video was released on April 6, 2019, and as of August 22, 2019 it had reached 14 million YouTube views, 8.5 million more than any other Season 17 contestant’s audition.[5]
Unlike other contestants, who typically perform covers of other artists' songs, throughout Aranda's Idol journey, he performed seven different original songs.[6][7] He played 10 years on American Idol in Hollywood Week and also in the finale with an orchestra, making him the only contestant to perform four original songs in the finale of the show. In total, he played seven original songs on the show.
| Episode | Theme | Song Choice | Original Artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "Out Loud" | Himself | N/A | Advanced |
| "Cholo Love" | N/A | ||||
| Hollywood Round, Round 1 | Contestant's Choice | "Sorry" | Justin Bieber | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Round 2 | Group Performance | "Go Your Own Way" (with Eddie Island, Shawn Robinson, Drew Chambers, & Aronn Mendoza) |
Fleetwood Mac | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Round 3 | Contestant's Choice | "10 Years" | Himself | N/A | Advanced |
| Showcase Round / Top 40 | Contestant's Choice | "Yellow" | Coldplay | 21 | Advanced |
| Top 20 Solo & Duet | Contestant's Choice | "I Fall Apart" | Post Malone | 16 | Advanced |
| "There Will Be a Light" (with Ben Harper) | Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama | 18 | |||
| Top 14 | Contestant's Choice | "One Dance" | Drake | 11 | Safe |
| Victory Song | "Cholo Love" | Himself | 13 | ||
| Top 10 | Disney Night | "Remember Me" | from Coco | 3 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Queen Night | "Under Pressure" | Queen | 5 | Safe |
| Movie Duets | "Mrs. Robinson" (with Walker Burroughs) | from The Graduate | 10 | ||
| Top 6 | Woodstock | "White Rabbit" | Jefferson Airplane | 5 | Safe |
| Showstoppers | "Poison" | Himself | 8 | ||
| Top 5 | Bobby Bones' Choice | "No Woman, No Cry" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3 | Safe |
| Elton John Night | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | Elton John | 8 | ||
| Hero Dedication | "Blesser" | Himself | 14 | ||
| Finale | Contestant's Choice | "Millennial Love" | Himself | 3 | Runner–up |
| "Tonight" | Himself | 6 | |||
| "Out Loud" | Himself | 8 |
Post-American Idol
Pomona declared May 19, 2019 "Alejandro Aranda Day".[8] Aranda was scheduled to go on a seven-date US tour in July 2019.[9] After tickets went on sale on the morning of May 23, they all sold out in minutes.[10] American Idol judge Katy Perry jokingly begged Aranda to be a "roadie" on his tour.[9] Because of the overwhelming amount of support, he announced on June 11 that he would put on a free concert in Nashville on July 3, joined by Bizz & Everyday People.[7] On June 23, Aranda announced that he was working on a new album,[11] and on June 24, he announced he would go on a twenty-eight stop tour from October 10 to November 21,[12] and on June 25, he added a twenty-ninth stop in Los Angeles for November 22. He also performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 3, 2019,[13] and will perform at Life Is Beautiful in September 2019[14] and Austin City Limits Music Festival in October 2019.[15] He has been announced as one of the supporting acts for Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds on their fourth annual destination tour in Mexico in February 2020.[16] He was featured on Lollapalooza's 2020 online festival, which showed previously recorded concert sets.[17]
He released the single "Tonight" under the name Scarypoolparty on June 28, 2019, after signing with Hollywood Records. The song was co-written and co-produced by Twin Shadow.[18][19] On August 7, 2019, he released the ballad "Cholo Love".[20] On October 4, 2019, he released the single "Diamonds".[21]
On November 5, 2019, he announced his debut album, Exit Form, which was released on November 22, 2019.[22]
| Date | Location | Description | Tour Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 14, 2020 | Los Angeles, CA | Jimmy Kimmel Live | Appearance |
| January 1, 2020 | Pasadena, CA | The Rose Bowl Parade | Appearance |
| November 22, 2019 | Los Angeles, CA | Belasco Theater - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 21, 2019 | Los Angeles, CA | Belasco Theater - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 19, 2019 | San Diego, CA | House of Blues - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 16, 2019 | Dallas, TX | House of Blues - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 15, 2019 | Austin, TX | Emo's - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 13, 2019 | Houston, TX | White Oak Music Hall - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 12, 2019 | New Orleans, LA | House of Blues - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 10, 2019 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Revolution | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 9, 2019 | Orlando, FL | The Plaza Live - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 7, 2019 | Atlanta, GA | Buckhead Theatre - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 5, 2019 | Charlotte, NC | The Underground - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 4, 2019 | Raleigh, NC | Lincoln Theatre - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 3, 2019 | Charlottesville, VA | Jefferson Theatre - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| November 1, 2019 | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore Sound Stage - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 30, 2019 | Boston, MA | Royale - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 29, 2019 | Philadelphia, PA | Union Transfer - Sold out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 28, 2019 | New York, NY | Playstation Theatre - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 26, 2019 | Cleveland, OH | House of Blues - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 25, 2019 | Detroit, MI | Majestic Theatre - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 23, 2019 | Chicago, IL | Vic Theater - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 22, 2019 | Minneapolis, MN | First Avenue - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 21, 2019 | Kansas City, MO | The Truman - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 19, 2019 | Boulder, CO | Fox Theatre - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 18, 2019 | Aspen, CO | Belly Up | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 16, 2019 | Salt Lake City, UT | The Depot | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 14, 2019 | Seattle, WA | Neptune Theatre - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 13, 2019 | Portland, OR | Crystal Ballroom - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 11, 2019 | Sacramento, CA | Ace of Spades - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 10, 2019 | Berkeley, CA | The UC Theater - Sold Out | Fall Tour 2019 |
| October 4, 2019 | Austin, TX | Austin City Limits Music Festival | Festival |
| September 29, 2019 | Venice, CA | Abbot Kinney Festival | Festival |
| September 22, 2019 | Las Vegas, NV | Life is Beautiful | Festival |
| August 25, 2019 | Pomona, CA | Viva Pomona | Festival |
| August 3, 2019 | Chicago, IL | Lollapalooza - Lake Shore Stage | Festival |
| August 2, 2019 | Chicago, IL | Lollapalooza - After Show - Park West | Festival |
| July 18, 2019 | Pomona, CA | The Glass House - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 17, 2019 | Pomona, CA | The Glass House - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 15, 2019 | Los Angeles, CA | Moroccan Lounge - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 13, 2019 | San Francisco, CA | Swedish American Hall - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 11, 2019 | Chicago, IL | Subterranean - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 10, 2019 | Boston, MA | Sonia's Nightclub - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 9, 2019 | Brooklyn, NY | Baby's All Right - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 8, 2019 | Washington, DC | DC9 - Sold Out | Summer Tour 2019 |
| July 3, 2019 | Nashville, TN | Fourth of July Celebration | Festival |
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat [23] | ||
| Exit Form |
|
6 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Fading Away" | 2018 | Non-album single |
| "Out Loud" | Exit Form | |
| "10 Years" | ||
| "Tonight" | 2019 | |
| "Cholo Love" | ||
| "Diamonds" |
References
- "Scarypoolparty". Spotify. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- "iHeartRadio – Launch Left Podcast – Portrait: Alejandro Aranda". iHeart.com. January 14, 2020. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- "Who Is Alejandro Aranda? 10 Facts About 'American Idol's Rising Star". Talent Recap. March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- "ALEJANDRO ARANDA'S AMERICAN IDOL AUDITION | Idols Global". YouTube.com. May 6, 2020. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- "Alejandro Aranda Interview on 'American Idol' & Making Music as Scarypoolparty". Billboard.com. August 26, 2019. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- Larsen, Peter. "Alejandro Aranda loses the 'American Idol' crown but wins in originality". Daily Bulletin. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- Preston, Hannah. "'AMERICAN IDOL' RUNNER-UP ALEJANDRO ARANDA ANNOUNCES FREE CONCERT". Newsweek. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- Roe, Mike (May 14, 2019). "Pomona Throws A Giant Parade For Its Hometown 'American Idol' Finalist Alejandro Aranda". LAist. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
- Preston, Hannah. "'AMERICAN IDOL' RUNNER-UP ALEJANDRO ARANDA ANNOUNCES FIRST TOUR, KATY PERRY ASKS TO BE A 'ROADIE'". Newsweek. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- Santilli, MJ. "American Idol's Alejandro Aranda Tour Sold Out, Scalpers Asking Big Bucks". MJsBigBlog. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- @scarypoolparty (June 23, 2019). "Working on an album. Totally having a blast making music and producing everyday" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @scarypoolparty (June 24, 2019). "Tour in the fall. Pre sale tomorrow 10 am local. (code: SCARYPOOLPARTY) Public on sale Friday 10am local. New single Friday. bit.ly/SPPTour2019" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "Scarypoolparty". lollapalooza.com. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- "LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL FESTIVAL 2019". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- Stith, Deborah (August 9, 2019). "ACL Fest adds new artists, more Third Eye Blind". Austin 360. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- "Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Announce Support Acts For 4th-Annual Destination Event in Mexico". liveforlivemusic.com. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- "Lolla2020 online festival night". Chicago Reader. July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- Angermiller, Michelle (June 26, 2019). "Greyson Chance, 'Idol' Alums Gabby Barrett and Alejandro Aranda Sign Major Label Deals". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- Wass, Mike (June 28, 2019). "Scarypoolparty (AKA Alejandro Aranda) Drops Alt-Pop Anthem "Tonight"". Idolator. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- Polo, Maxamillion (August 9, 2019). "Scarypoolparty Pens a Deceptively Haunting Ballad in 'Cholo Love'". Ones to Watch. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- Campbell, Rachel (October 9, 2019). "SCARYPOOLPARTY ROCKS A SKATE SHOP IN GRITTY "DIAMONDS" VIDEO". Alternative Press. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- Wass, Mike (November 5, 2019). "Scarypoolparty (AKA Alejandro Aranda) Announces Debut LP, 'Exit Form'". Idolator. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- "Scarypoolparty Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.