WATCH: Taylor Alxndr’s ‘One Dot’

As co-founder of Southern Fried Queer Pride, one of the city’s leading queer and trans advocacy organizations, and host of two monthly variety and drag shows, TAYLOR ALXNDR is no stranger to the working grind. But with strenuous work comes a fair amount of BS. Such is apparent on “One Dot,” the lead single and video from ALXNDR’s upcoming debut album Hologram.

Transforming the dark, and more downtempo hues of her previous EP Noise, “One Dot” radiates with a bright synth-pop sensibility, full of electronic frills and dance floor-ready beats that underscore a poignant critique of workplace tokenism.

“‘One Dot’ essentially translates to how people think the most minimal effort of being inclusive or diverse means that the overarching lack of diversity disappears,” ALXNDR says. “How people think having one woman, one queer person, or one person of color in their group or workplace suddenly solves the problem.”

Accompanying the release of her single is a music video reflecting ALXNDR’s own experience feeling ‘othered’ and tokenized in the workplace via a parody of The Office. Directed by Daniela Rodriguez, who previously directed ALXNDR’s “Nightwork” video, “One Dot” depicts ALXNDR in an all-white workplace where she undergoes various absurd instances of being ignored and minimized until she finally takes over. Full of plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments, half the fun of the video is watching ALXNDR’s bewilderment and shock turn into flat-out rage. But all jokes aside, the single highlights ALXNDR’s ability to package wit, humor, and sociological critique into an effortless dancefloor banger.

Hologram, out Nov. 2, deals with themes of miscommunication, technology, and representation in the rapid digitization of our social lives. Tired of social media and curating an online persona, ALXNDR channels her frustration into fierce, conceptual synth-pop adjacent to pop provocateurs Santigold, Charli XCX, and Robyn.

“Overall, with this record, it’s all about communication,” ALXNDR says, “how we communicate to each other, how we use social media to communicate who we think we are to the world, how we communicate with ourselves.”

In our image-mediated world, ALXNDR’s work provides an opportunity to reflect on the ways we present ourselves to one another. It’s dance music with a bite to it — you can get lost in the bass and melodic fills, but replacing the usual escapism is the question of how we got here in the first place and what one can do to make their voice heard.

TAYLOR ALXNDR celebrates the release of their new album on Fri., Nov. 2 with Superbody, Jay Americana, Jamee Cornelia, and Jsport at 529. 18+. $7-$10. 9 p.m. 529, 529 Flat Shoals Ave SE. www.529atlanta.com.