The day before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup, pop artist Brooke Alexx got a call from one of her managers asking if she wanted to sing the national anthem. She flew to Miami the day of and said it was the biggest crowd she’d performed the national anthem for. Throughout her career, she’s also performed the anthem for a U.S. Women’s soccer game and an L.A. Clippers NBA game.

Just one week after performing in Miami, she began touring with Arrows In Action; throughout it all, the songwriter has been utilizing social media to promote her upcoming debut album, “Big Mouth,” which will be released Oct. 4.

The front cover photo of "Big Mouth," Brooke Alexx's upcoming debut album. The album will be released Oct. 4 and has 11 tracks. Photo by Peyton Dollar, courtesy of Brooke Greenberg.

But before she was releasing music under the name Brooke Alexx, she was studying music production at Elon University. 

Brooke Greenberg said her stage name is derived from her middle name, Alexandria, with “an extra X for flair.” She characterizes her music as “girl next door” pop-rock that centers story-telling and narrative. 

Greenberg graduated from Elon in 2017. During her time as a student, she participated in Elon Electric Ensemble, Sweet Signatures and the Elon in Los Angeles program. The Electric Ensemble was the first time Greenberg brought the songs she wrote in her bedroom alive with a full band, and she described finding community in a cappella. 

“Being a part of a community and creating music together and having that love of music — which, maybe from the outside looking in, could be something perceived as nerdy — but I think it's important to do things that your heart is called to and not be worried about what other people think,” Greenberg said.

She also said the confidence she honed performing in Whitley Auditorium and throughout her Elon experience helped her build her social media presence. 

“If I cared what other people thought was cringy, I would not be where I am today,” Greenberg said. “You have to just be willing to pave your own path and … not worry about what other people are thinking.”

Her internship during the Elon in LA experience led her to Nashville, where Greenberg moved after graduating. There, she worked for different music record labels in video production, including Big Machine.

Greenberg is now pursuing her music career full-time and said the anecdotal lyrism she’s known for was influenced from the country music scene around her. She said she hopes the compelling narratives her music centers around can help listeners feel seen in her work.

Greenberg, under the stage name Brooke Alexx, is currently on tour with Arrows in Action. Her most recent single, "Younger Guys," was released on June 14 and will be part of her upcoming album. Photo by Peyton Dollar, courtesy of Brooke Greenberg.

“Whether it's a sad song that makes you want to reflect and be internal with it, or if you want to have fun and dance around your room, I hope that all those feelings get validated when you hear it,” Greenberg said. 

Songs such as “All My Exes’ Moms,” “I’m Sorry, Tokyo” and “Oldest” demonstrate the personal nature and storytelling that helped Greenberg grow her platform across social media. Greenberg has amassed over 596,600 followers and 21 million likes on TikTok, 202,000 followers on Instagram, 112,000 subscribers on YouTube and 372,170 monthly listeners on Spotify.

“It's never been easier to reach that many people at one in one go. One video can go viral overnight and change everything,” Greenberg said. “That's kind of what happened with ‘All My Exes’ Moms’ and what's sparked the success I've had for the past couple years.”

Greenberg said before “All My Exes’ Moms” gained popularity, she would receive advice that more generalized songwriting would help her reach a wider audience. 

In Greenberg’s experience, this isn’t the case. “All My Exes’ Moms” has over 26 million streams on Spotify and the music video — which she directed and edited — has over one million views on YouTube.

“Those songs are the ones that people are reaching out to me and telling me that they connect with you deeply and feel so passionately about,” she said. “They were like, ‘I didn't know there were other people out there that felt this way until you vocalized it in this song.’”

Her upcoming album, "Big Mouth," is titled in reference to both comments Greenberg has received online and the album serving as a way for her to share her secrets and stories. Photo by Peton Dollar, courtesy of Brooke Greenberg.

Greenberg said her Elon experience helped her with more than the technical skillset she needed for her music career. Rosemary Joaquin ’18, who also majored in music production at Elon, is now Greenberg’s roommate — on top of writing music together.

Another alum in Greenberg’s life is Kayla Abdou ’16, who she brought with her to the Stanley Cup game June 18. 

“We met after I graduated, but it was the Elon tie that brought us together,” Greenberg said. 

Greenberg also added that a friend she met at Elon would be in an upcoming music video, which has yet to be announced. 

Greenberg has been releasing music as Brooke Alexx since 2018. “Big Mouth” will have 11 songs, alongside three bonus tracks exclusive to the vinyl. Seven songs from the album, including her most recent single “Younger Guys,” have already been released. 

“It’s the biggest project I've ever done and certainly the culmination of my entire life's work,” Greenberg said. “I'm very excited and hopeful that it's received well.”