Elijah Xavier on “Hope” and Moving Between R&B and Rap

“Hope” is the song that brought you to Exposed Vocals. What was going on in your life when you wrote it, and what does the word hope mean to you in this song?

Elijah Xavier: I’d just moved to Florida and left everything I knew behind to chase my dreams. Some people hear “Hope” and think it’s about a girl. I can see why, but to me, Hope represents the optimism you carry when you’re young and how it changes as you get older. Time goes by, life happens, and that feeling can start to fade. I still believe we all need it, especially when we’re starting over.

Take us through how “Hope” was made, from the first idea to the finished recording. Who was involved, and what was the hardest part to get right?

Elijah Xavier: I love this question because the biggest change happened in the booth. I originally wrote “Hope” to be rapped. I was in the studio with Stupid Genius, and I’d done about five takes of the first verse. I asked him if it sounded good, and he said it did. He was right, but I still felt like something was missing. I said, “Hold up, let me do it one more time.” I went back in and sang the verse. As soon as I heard it that way, I knew that was the version.

If someone hears “Hope” as their first Elijah Xavier song, what should they know about the music you have made before it and how this track fits in?

Elijah Xavier: I think “Hope” might be my best song to date. My catalog goes from contemporary R&B to old-school storytelling rap, and “Hope” brings those sides together. You can hear the storytelling of a rap verse even though I’m singing it. From there, I’d say pick whatever song catches your eye and see where it takes you.

Where did you grow up, and how did the people, places and sounds around you shape the way you write and sing?

Elijah Xavier: I grew up in Willimantic, Connecticut. Connecticut is in an interesting spot between Boston and New York, two cities with distinct sounds. Where I grew up, I heard a lot of New York’s influence. That made me think about what I wanted my own music to sound like. I wanted to make songs I’d actually want to listen to, songs other people could enjoy, and still sound like myself.

What first pulled you toward making music, and what keeps you going on the days when it feels hard?

Elijah Xavier: One of my earliest memories is running up to the front of the church and just starting to sing. I was about four, and I startled my parents when I bolted away from them. I’ve loved singing for as long as I can remember. On the hard days, I come back to how much I enjoy making music. That’s what keeps me going.

Which artists, records or moments have had the biggest effect on your sound, and what have you taken from them to make your own?

Elijah Xavier: Bryson Tiller has had the biggest influence on me. A lot of people know him for trap soul, but if you go back to his early SoundCloud tracks, you can hear him rap, too. What stuck with me was how natural it felt when he switched between the two. It gave me the confidence to sing or rap depending on what the song called for and make the kind of music I wanted to hear.

What are you working on now, and what do you hope listeners will hear from you over the next year?

Elijah Xavier: “Demons & Angels,” featuring Drew Chasing, comes out January 1, 2027. I also have a couple of music videos in the works that are probably still a few months away. After that single, I don’t have another release scheduled. I might take a short break, but when I come back, I want listeners to hear a whole different sound from me.