: The recurring imagery of medicine, surgery, and "paper" suggests a world where emotions are curated and identity is something you can build or discard.
Silence. Then a low hum.
"Vintage" is the album’s swaggering centerpiece. Over a slinky, almost funky bassline, Allie X compares herself to designer goods. "I'm vintage, baby / You can't afford me," she coos. But listen closely: the desperation hides beneath the confidence. It’s a song about pretending to be priceless when you feel like clearance-rack trash. allie x collxtion ii
9.5/10 Essential Tracks: "Paper Love," "Old Habits Die Hard," "Casanova" Stream it on: Spotify, Apple Music, or hunt down the vinyl for the full analog warmth of those 80s synths.
To understand CollXtion II , you have to appreciate the feverish anticipation surrounding its release. Allie X’s debut project, CollXtion I , introduced a mysterious, masked persona singing over icy synths about "Catch" and "Prime." It was a promise. But for CollXtion II , Allie X went weirder, darker, and more vulnerable. : The recurring imagery of medicine, surgery, and
Sonically, CollXtion II is a masterclass in production. Working with collaborators like Leland and Bram Inscore, Allie X crafted a sound that defined the "Sophie-adjacent" era of pop without directly mimicking the PC Music sound. It is a record obsessed with texture. The synths are sharp and glassy, often sounding like medical instruments or crashing chandeliers.
Allie X - CollXtion II review by Silver_Castle - Album of The Year "Vintage" is the album’s swaggering centerpiece
You cannot talk about CollXtion II without addressing the imagery. The album cover—Allie X with severe bleached eyebrows, blood-red lipstick, and a clinical stare—became a meme and a manifesto. She was simultaneously a mannequin and a madwoman.
In a sea of synthesizers, the acoustic guitar on "That's So Us" is jarring—intentionally so. It’s a sardonic ballad about a couple who thinks their chaos is charming. "We're a beautiful mess," she sings, before the synths crash back in, revealing the song's true, cynical color.
Artists ranging from Rina Sawayama to Kim Petras have cited CollXtion II as an influence. Rina’s SAWAYAMA shares the same theatrical DNA; Kim Petras’ Turn Off the Light project owes its horror-pop aesthetic to Allie X’s haunted house.