Cxloe 12 Steps

Australian dark pop star on the rise, CXLOE, reveals her addictive new single '12 Steps', alongside an equally striking visual which premiered overnight on Complex UK. Standing as her eighth single to date, '12 Steps' is the first to be revealed from a debut body of work due for release later this year. The release of '12 Steps' is teamed with the news that CXLOE has inked deals with Sandlot Records (whose impressive resume includes releases from some of the world's biggest artists such as Lauv, Lady Gaga, Charlie Puth, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Selena Gomez) and in global partnership with AWAL Recordings. This new team marks the beginning of the next exciting chapter for CXLOE.

Tackling the inhibitive and often taboo topic of addiction, '12 Steps' sees CXLOE step up to the plate to attack a subject close to her own heart. "''12 Steps' is about addiction. Addiction runs in my family and I've always wanted to tell my story in a way that felt comfortable to me and those around me," CXLOE explains. "The song mirrors the steps of the program through the eyes of a toxic relationship. I've spent time over the years becoming familiar with the program and think it is as important to treat unhealthy, toxic relationships with the same attention. Whether the addiction is to alcohol, food, shopping or a person, it all comes back to pain. And that's something I can relate to. Seeking something or someone to mask pain."

Pledging her first week of streaming earnings to Lifeline, CXLOE adds, "Addiction needs to be spoken about and not treated as a taboo topic. This song has been written from my experiences and I have the utmost respect for those battling addiction and thank those strong people in my life for letting me shine light on these topics." CXLOE co-wrote '12 Steps' with Michael Pollack (Charli XCX) and enlisted the production prowess of Andrew Wells (Bebe Rexha) and The Futuristics (Selena Gomez).

The visual accompanying the single was directed and produced by Tia Thorne with cinematography by David Mckinnar and editing by Michael Ropbert. Shot in Melbourne, the clip shows a young woman (portrayed by CXLOE) battling her inner demons after a big night out chasing a feeling. It's clear CXLOE is anxious about her choices as she pounds the pavement on a run and contemplates life under a running shower; an all too relatable feeling as a 20-something trying to make sense of the world. Complex UK, who premiered the video say, "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.'"