Alexz Johnson

Alexz Johnson, a Canadian pop singer and actor, first gained worldwide recognition through her starring turn on the music-centered teen drama Instant Star along with the accompanying soundtrack collections. Born Alexzandra Johnson on November 4, 1986, in New Westminster, British Columbia, she pursued musical studies early and later added acting to her pursuits. Her initial major opportunity arrived in 2000 when Disney cast her as Annie Thelan for the third season of its series So Weird. In 2004 she landed the role of Jude Harrison on CTV’s Instant Star, a program centered on a young performer navigating sudden celebrity and private turmoil; the series earned multiple Gemini Award nominations and aired across more than 100 nations.

Johnson’s character sang a song in nearly every episode, several of which she co-wrote. Those tracks appeared on four Orange Lounge soundtrack albums distributed by Universal: Songs from Instant Star (2005), Songs from Instant Star, Vol. 2 (2006), Songs from Instant Star, Vol. 3 (2007), and Songs from Instant Star, Vol. 4 (2008). While continuing to build her acting résumé, she also advanced her recording career. Planned releases on Epic and EMI never materialized, yet she returned to Orange Lounge for her debut proper solo album, Voodoo, issued in 2010. Between 2011 and 2013 she issued three demo collections, one live set, and a remix album before unveiling her second studio effort, Let ’Em Eat Cake, in 2014—a refined collection of rock-inflected pop.