“A Little Bit Alexis”: How Schitt’s Creek’s Kitschy EDM Anthem Became a Cult Classic

by Michael Ryan · Published October 21, 2024

Half a decade later, we're still trying to untangle how a send-up of vapid EDM somehow became genuinely, unironically beloved.

The world has changed a lot in five years, but one thing remains constant: the cultural footprint left by "A Little Bit Alexis," Alexis Rose's gloriously kitschy anthem from Schitt's Creek. It's a gift that keeps on giving, much like Moira Rose's vocabulary.

When Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy took center stage as Alexis—socialite, jet-setter and reformed party girl—the campy track was meant to be nothing more than a punchline. But "A Little Bit Alexis" quickly became a phenomenon, immortalizing Alexis' wild and whimsical energy by way of shameless lyrics laced through a pulsing, formulaic electro house beat.

Her intentionally chaotic choreography and pitch-imperfect delivery only made it more iconic.

[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=mR3Plv8HuNk[/embed]

In crafting this earworm, the Emmy Award-winning actress teamed up with her real-life husband, musician Menno Versteeg, who stepped in as co-producer alongside his Hollerado bandmate Nixon Boyd. Murphy, the mastermind behind Alexis' endearingly delusional pop star moment, says they couldn't get through the recording without laughing.

"Not even close," Murphy tells EDM.com. "In fact, it was the laughing that made the song what it was. As soon as someone would cackle or blurt out, 'Oh my god that's so dumb,' we would immediately record whatever that idea was."

Countless spontaneous dance parties and karaoke catastrophes later, the track has amassed over 10 million digital streams and even managed to land on Billboard's US Dance/Electronic Songs chart, where it climbed to a peak of #21. In the annals of fictitious dance-pop stardom, who'd have guessed that Alexis' squawking vocals about expensive sushi and cute huge yachts—and being a little bit single even when she's not—would outlast her 15 minutes of fame?

"Sometimes the corniest answer is the only answer, okay?!" Murphy explains. "The most meaningful impact was seeing the giggles and the goofiness that it brought people. Seeing it being performed at drag brunches, or watching people do their own versions of it during lockdown, complete with the 'choreography' was incredibly special."

Recording "A Little Bit Alexis" (0:29)

When that rhinestone-encrusted lyrical cyclone swept through our playlists in 2019, it left us forever changed—and slightly confused. It's a far cry from the raw indie-rock sound of Versteeg, who will soon release a new solo album, Why We Run.

That contrast, Versteeg says, is what made the song such a blast to produce.

"We knew it had to be kitschy and over-the-top, so the mandate was: check your restraint and indie sensibilities at the door," Versteeg explains. "We sat down in the studio and immediately pulled up the video for 'Work Bitch' by Britney Spears. We didn't even look at another thing. We came back the next day and Nixon had that awesome bassline... Yes it definitely sounds very similar. That was the point: derivative, catchy and fun."

Menno Versteeg and his dog, Roger.
Kendel Carson

Why We Run is set to drop December 13th on Versteeg's own label, the Toronto-based Royal Mountain Records. Fans of "A Little Bit Alexis," of course, won't hear the same detached, beautifully brazen trash-pop on the album.

But they'll find themselves at home thanks to the playful unpredictability of Versteeg, who says he and Murphy "have taken some of the experience of writing this song into our other work."

Look no further than the wild music video for "Bad Dog," a track about Versteeg's canine best friend, Roger. He says Roger is a cuddle monster that everybody loves, but in the video, he's "a sword-wielding, freebasing, peanut butter-gobbling 'treat' dealer" to all of his and Murphy's friends' dogs.

[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=YTdoJHQmzL0[/embed]

With tinctures of classic rock's soulful authenticity, there's a gritty honesty and raspy warmth in Versteeg's sound. Just like the life of Alexis in Schitt's Creek, his music has always felt like a soundtrack to a beautifully imperfect life and the quest to make sense of its messiness.

With that in mind, it's fair to wonder if Versteeg can not only reconcile the enduring appeal of "A Little Bit Alexis," but also balance artistic integrity with commercial viability in the face of its runaway success. It's impossible not to second-guess creative decisions and puzzle over their implications, imagining if they might become part of pop culture years down the line.

Versteeg believes music that stays true to itself holds value beyond success and moves people deeply, whether it's found in a totemic TV show or a dimly lit dive bar with graffiti-covered walls.

"I believe that artistic integrity always has to come first, but also that every form of art at every level of 'success' can be done with integrity," he explains. "Coming up with original ways to express thoughts and feelings, helping people feel something inside themselves, or helping people escape themselves... great art does this weather it's hanging on the wall in the Tate or being sung to three people in the pub down the street."

"Some things make money, others never will. Part of being a true artist is following your own path, regardless of how bumpy or smooth it gets."

Versteeg is now blazing that path's trail on a North American tour, to which fans can purchase tickets here. His upcoming album, Why We Run, is now available for pre-order.