Genevieve Skittone—known to fans as GELEXAIDA—isn’t here to chase trends. She’s here to build soundtracks for anyone who’s ever been afraid to take the mic but found power in doing it anyway. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, she grew up steeped in chart-dominating R&B, rock, and pop melodies. But it wasn’t until a junior high poetry unit cracked open her talent for storytelling that she began shaping her sound—emotionally rich, genre-fluid, and unmistakably hers.
Though stage fright once loomed large, GELEXAIDA now creates with unapologetic freedom. A true multi-hyphenate—singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist—she stepped into the music world in 2018 with writing credits alongside KRTR, Astrobound, and G2. Her debut EP “Press Play” set the tone for a fearless, experimental approach to music. With playlist features (including Craft Records’ 75k-like “Bangers”) and standout tracks like “never-mind,” racking up thousands of streams, GELEXAIDA’s journey is proof that doing it your way does pay off.
We caught up with the rising artist to talk about her creative process, personal growth, and what’s next on her radar.
What’s a moment in your life that completely changed the way you approach music?
When I was 18, I had a situation happened with the person I worked with on my first EP. It made me extremely uncomfortable and unable to go back to a recording studio for a few years. But I didn’t want to stop creating. I didn’t know who I could trust, though, so because of this, it pushed me to start trying to produce myself. I started off on GarageBand, where I then created my single “18” and my second EP “Different View”. It made me realize that I am capable of doing more solo than I initially believed. I used to be embarrassed by the fact that I didn’t really have a team, but there’s so much exploration that can be done when you start off creating art alone. To this day, I still approach writing new music as far as I can that makes sense alone, and then once I’ve built a clear vision, I bring the ideas to others to elaborate on.
When you’re alone, what kind of music do you listen to that might surprise your fans?
I think it’s not the type of music I listen to that would surprise people, but the reasons I listen to them. I have a really wide music range that I love, and so it’s hard for me to find music I don’t like, but the music that actually ends up in my liked playlist are done with intention. Every song I actively like on Spotify is because I heard something that felt different or unique. Whether it be the lyrics, or the structure of the song, or an instrument they used that felt special for the genre. I’m actively listening to things that not every listener would be paying attention to.
Was there ever a time you considered quitting music? What pulled you back in?
There have been two times I can clearly think of. One was right before I made my second EP. I had such bad writer’s block that it made me start questioning my ability to succeed in the industry. Furthermore, I started realizing how much I don’t want to experience “fame.” I didn’t find myself feeling joy from having that much attention on me at once. I hate being perceived, and the music industry is filled with others (professionals and not) judging you, whether it be good or bad. I felt like I was already extremely sensitive to the little attention I did have on me at that time. One of the things that pulled me back after that was discovering, I could have a successful career in music in more ways than what is primarily put in the spotlight. I could be a lesser-known artist, I could release music when I feel I have songs I’m proud of, and then just sing on other artists’ tracks in the meantime, I could do gigs like being a background singer at shows or cover bands, etc, etc. There are so many options aside from just “World famous pop star”.
The other time was more recent, and it was almost two years after moving to Nashville. I was so focused on trying to make enough money to live that I had stopped trying to really pursue music at all. I thought to myself, maybe I should try growing a career in something else, like travel or sales. Well, long story short, I got fired. And it was after I got fired and was unemployed for the first time that I realized, I’d rather keep pursuing music and fail than pursue something I’m not even passionate about and fail.
What’s a lyric you’ve written that still gives you chills—and why?
In all honesty, the first lyric in Better in Bed “You say you like my hair, but not the hair that’s down there,” just because of how blunt it was. I think was bold of me to keep that line in there, but it’s the line that inspired me to even begin writing the song in the first place.
How do you handle the pressure to constantly perform and stay relevant in such a fast-paced industry?
I think for me, I just don’t really think about it too much. I do as much as I can at every given moment, and sometimes that’s posting 10 different things and going live on social media every day, and other times that’s just writing and recording things behind the scenes, and people don’t even know it’s happening. The thing is, I’m not relevant yet. I never have been. I’ve got the eyes of a crowd for maybe a couple of days max, so I don’t really feel the need to keep up anything yet. I will say, the thing that I feel the most pressure from is how quickly social media changes and how quickly you need to keep up with new trends if you want the chance to actually make any eyes draw towards you with a post for it.
What’s one song you wish you wrote, and what would you have done differently with it?
I’ve never really thought about this question before, but I think my answer would be “Emails I Can’t Send” by Sabrina Carpenter because of the lyrics. It’s so perfect and flows so perfectly. It feels like I’m singing this to that person when I play it. I think if I were to have done it differently, I would have somehow drawn it out longer at the end and made it built up more with building melody and production intensity. And I probably would have done it in a different genre, like rock or R&B. And I would have scrapped the last part where she talks about the “Chicago” reference.
If your discography told a story, what would the plot be?
Discovering how I fit in an oversaturated space. From the first songs I had been featured on that are only on Soundcloud to my most recent collab with another artist, none of them sound the same. I feel like my Discography really shows a full span of intense exploration both as a solo artist and within the music industry. After 5 years of professionally distributing the music I’ve worked on, I think I’m finally starting to figure it out. But in regards to what has been released, it’s just a lot of exploring and discovering what works and what doesn’t work.
How do you know when a song is “finished”? Or is it never really done?
I heard years ago that you know a song is ready by doing the “head bopping test”. Basically, if you can play a song without stopping it and just sit back and bop your head, it’s ready. As artists, we get so caught up in all the little details that we if we are too hard on ourselves, we would never release a thing. Because a song you thought was finished, by the time it’s released, you’ll be tweaking things you could change that you didn’t think of before. Because our vision is constantly evolving. So even when I think I could still tweak stuff, I know it’s “finished” when I can sit back and bop my head.
What’s one misconception people have about you as an artist?
I think the biggest misconception people have about me as an artist is probably about the direction of my career and where I want it to go. I truly don’t see myself being a huge star one day. If it happens, obviously it’d be pretty cool and I would do my best not to take it for granted, but the dream for me would just have a strong enough audience to make it a full-time job. I just want to create art that other people can relate to and have a community of supporters who feel connected to my music and me. I would love to spend my life just touring in GA venues and small meet and greets, and the rest will be done online. Maybe max 100k followers or so, just enough where it could be a sustainable lifestyle, but not where I couldn’t walk the street without being recognized. If anything, I’d have one viral song and then I’m that, a one-hit wonder, where I can experience that high-end life for a moment, but then live the rest of my days very laid back and chill.
If you could create your dream collaboration—alive or not—who would it be and what would the song sound like?
I think my dream collaboration would have to be with one of my favorite artists. I think the coolest person to work on a song with would be Lynn Gunn from PVRIS! She has been a HUGE inspiration for me since I was 14 years old, and 10 years later, she still inspires me a ton. I love the evolution of her music and the way she writes songs. I think I could learn a lot working on something with her.
Tell our readers where they can follow you and find your music and music videos.
I am on pretty much every social media platform, not just for music promo but because I love it! My favorite platforms to use right now are TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and I try to tweet at least once a day, so that’s where I’ll be most active! I also have two music videos out as of now on YouTube!
From late-night poetry scribbles to producing tracks that hit thousands of ears, GELEXAIDA is walking proof that greatness starts with self-belief. She’s quietly built a catalog that speaks louder than hype ever could. It’s her voice. Her words. Her story. And now, the world is starting to listen.
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