Korean American K-pop star AleXa signed with global talent agency United Talent Agency (UTA), according to the artist's local agency ZB Label on Tuesday.

“I’m looking forward to a new history of K-pop as AleXa works with one of the world’s best agencies,” Kim Jun-hong, CEO of ZB Label told Billboard. “I’m confident that this relationship between UTA and AleXa will grow into a new Hallyu axis in the global music market.”


UTA represents celebrities like Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron.

Korean celebrities who are represented by UTA include actors Lee Byung-hun and Park Hae-soo.

AleXa is currently on her first ever U.S. tour. She kicked off the concerts in Jersey City on Oct. 18, and is slated to perform in seven more cities — San Juan, Atlanta, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Korean-American singer recently won NBC’s “American Song Contest” (2022) in May. She was the sole K-pop contestant, competing against a total of 55 other competitors who each represented 49 other U.S. states, five territories and Washington D.C. She represented her home state of Oklahoma.

The singer has been on the rise ever since, appearing at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, on NBC’s popular talk show “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and hosting fan meet-and-greet events in four U.S. cities, including New York and Atlanta.

AleXa debuted as a solo singer with the single “Bomb” (2019), which was released in both Korean and English. She first appeared on screens through two audition shows — Soompi’s “Rising Legends: Season 2” (2017), which she won, and Mnet’s “Produce 48” (2018).

AleXa is known for having futuristic concepts for her earlier songs, like “A.I Trooper” (2020), “Do or Die” (2020), “Villain” (2020) and “Revolution” (2020). Her latest single “Wonderland” (2022) earned the title of Best Original Song for NBC’s “American Song Contest” (2022).

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]