The most radio-friendly track, and therefore the most ironic. “That’s So Us” celebrates dysfunction: fighting in parking lots, making up in hotels, blocking and unblocking each other. The chorus is anthemic, but the lyrics are a red flag parade. Allie X performs the role of the girl who romanticizes her own damage, and the production (bright, major-key, handclaps) sells the delusion perfectly. The song functions as a critique of every pop song that glamorizes “passionate” chaos. The final repetition of the title is sung through a vocoder—as if even the protagonist no longer believes her own narrative.
In a 2017 interview, Allie X described the album as "a study of how much of me is actually me, and how much is informed by pain and trauma". She further noted that each song acts as a piece of her psyche, pulling from distinct fragments of experience: "whether it be a memory, experience, projected fantasy or my perception of current reality".
CollXtion II was largely praised for its ability to balance "heady lyrics in accessible three-and-a-half-minute doses". Critics lauded her ability to pull pop perfection out of "pain, pulp and poor life choices," as noted in a review by MuuMuse . allie x collxtion ii
While her debut EP, CollXtion I , introduced a character lost in a clinical, surreal world, CollXtion II details the painful process of putting those pieces back together. Allie X uses the metaphor of the "X"—the unknown variable—to represent the missing parts of her identity. Through the tracks, she navigates the subversion of pop tropes to expose the raw, often uncomfortable truths of human emotion. Track-by-Track Sonic Analysis 1. Paper Love
CollXtion II helped define the "dark-pop" sound of the late 2010s, positioning Allie X as a pioneering force in independent pop music. The album is a testament to her work ethic and artistry, proving that mainstream-ready pop can still be introspective, avant-garde, and deeply personal. The most radio-friendly track, and therefore the most ironic
Allie X’s robotic affect—the stiff choreography, the surgical masks, the deadpan delivery—is often mistaken for coldness. But CollXtion II suggests that machinic performance is a survival tactic. By becoming a cyborg, she controls how she is objectified. She chooses the mask. Tracks like “Casual Satisfaction” and “Vintage” explicitly play with this: if she is going to be dehumanized, she will do it herself, on her own terms.
To truly understand CollXtion II , one must look at its visual language. Allie X has always treated her music as a multimedia experience. During this era, her visual identity was defined by oversized sunglasses (which she rarely removed, symbolizing a barrier between her true self and the public), structured pastel clothing, and surrealist medical imagery. Allie X performs the role of the girl
: The EP's closing track is a haunting, atmospheric song that explores themes of existential crisis and personal transformation. Allie X's vocal delivery is both emotive and restrained, creating a sense of intimacy and vulnerability. Allie X has stated that the song was inspired by her own experiences with anxiety and depression, and the need to find hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
That night, Allie did something she had never done. She sang without being told. Not a classical aria. Not a lullaby. A scream set to a synth beat. The glass walls vibrated. The white blossoms turned black. And the node behind her ear shorted out—sparks flying, blood trickling down her neck.
: Allie X maintained a mysterious, "R-rated" pop aesthetic, often using surrealistic masks and moth-themed imagery in her promotional materials.