Premiere: CXLOE Takes An Unflinching Look At Addiction On “12 Steps”

It’s always striking when a pop singer or musician writes an ear-stickingly catchy song about something dark, especially something like addiction or substance abuse, and that’s exactly what Australian singer CXLOE has done with her new single “12 Steps”.

Through the immediately infectious hook and the big, maximalist production style, the rising star discusses the nature of addiction, her own experiences of substance abuse and the thought processes that go into constructing an intricate web of denial to explain away the increasingly alarming warning signs. Placing herself as the star of the visuals, CXLOE uses the song and a comparison to toxic relationships to explore how addiction has wormed its way into her own family, the effects that have rippled outwards, and question some of her own behaviours too.

“Addiction runs in my family but I’ve never known how to attack this subject in a way that felt comfortable to me or the people in my life. One method I’ve discovered that made sense was relating to love and relationships. I’m sure we’ve all been part of a toxic relationship that needed a 12 step program to heal,” she explains.”No matter the addiction though (alcohol, drugs, food, shopping), I think it all comes back to pain — which is something we can all relate to. We seek out something or someone to mask pain. Writing this song was cathartic — I found ways to mirror my own experiences to the traits of an addict.”