Alexia (singer)
An Italian pop innovator who seamlessly bridged 90s Eurodance energy with sophisticated 2000s singer-songwriter soul, crafting enduring anthems.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Italian singer·Birthday: May 19·Generation X
Biography
Alexia's journey through pop music is a story of two distinct, successful acts. She first found her voice as the featured singer for Ice MC, the Eurodance project of producer Roberto Zanetti. Her powerful, soul-infused vocals drove massive international hits like "Think About the Way" and "It's a Rainy Day," defining the sound of European clubs in the early 1990s. Rather than remain a dance music fixture, she reinvented herself as a solo artist, shifting to Italian-language pop with a more personal, melodic touch. This second chapter proved her artistic depth, yielding sophisticated hits like "Grande Coraggio" and "Non Ti Dimenticherò." Her ability to evolve—from the kinetic pulse of dance tracks to the intimate storytelling of adult contemporary pop—demonstrated a rare versatility. Alexia carved out a lasting career not as a one-hit wonder, but as a vocalist with the range to master multiple genres on her own terms.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Alexia was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Alexia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Provided vocals on Ice MC's global dance hits "Think About the Way" and "It's a Rainy Day," which charted across Europe.
- Her solo single "Uh La La La" reached the top 10 in multiple European countries in 1997.
- Won the Festivalbar competition in 2001 with her hit song "Non Ti Dimenticherò."
- Represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with the song "Per dire di no."
Did You Know?
Her real name is Alessia Aquilani, but she is not related to the Italian footballer Alberto Aquilani.
She studied opera for seven years before venturing into pop and dance music.
The famous "Boom-boom-boom-boom!" hook in Ice MC's "Think About the Way" is sampled from a 1972 song by The Jimmy Castor Bunch.
She is married to her longtime producer and collaborator, Roberto Zanetti (also known as Robyx).
“I'm not a dancer, I'm a singer who moves.”
