INTERVIEW: Italian singer-songwriter Alex Palmieri returns to music with Pay To Play merging pop, pride, vulnerability and OnlyFans

Meet Alessandro Palmieri aka Alex Palmieri, the moment my YouTube algorithm finally did something right! One scroll, one click and suddenly Pay To Play was blasting through my speakers with a full blown early 2000s pop fantasy. I genuinely sat there thinking, who is this man and where has he been all of my life?! Yesss he’s obviously striking on screen but it was the unapologetic pop nostalgia that hooked me instantly. I reached out to see if he’d be up for a yap with me....

After all, sharing top-tier pop music from Scene HQ is essentially a public service, right?

Throughout his diverse career, Grabby Awards winner Alex Palmieri has toured across Italy and Europe, represented Italy at EuroPride in 2019, and appeared on several major Italian television programs, including a live performance on Canale 5 alongside Barbara D’Urso and participation in the reality show Social King on Rai 2 and Rai Gulp. He opened up massively in a Vanity Fair feature in 2024 which covered his unconventional path through music and the adult entertainment industry too. Basically....Mr Palmieri is kind of a big deal.

During my interview with Alex, the conversation became candid, funny and unexpectedly vulnerable. He opens up about fame, identity, sexuality and reinvention offering a tiny glimpse into the ambition, loneliness, desire and grit behind his new era. Oh and I couldn’t resist asking the most dramatic question ever, the one that defines an Italian: pizza or pasta?!

From Sanremo dreams to navigating OnlyFans boundaries, from boyband era pop references to the complexities of queer visibility, Pay To Play isn’t a comeback (I forgot to mention this is his first taste of new music in six whole years btw), it’s a statement of intent, I reckon.

Alex became one of the first Italian creators to launch an OnlyFans account, quickly turning into one of the platform’s most viewed and requested performers. Soon after, he was called to work with major American studios and starred in numerous adult productions. Balancing eroticism and vulnerability, Alex brings into pop music something rarely told honestly: what it feels like to be desired by millions of people….yet never truly seen.

The official Pay To Play music video pushes this duality even further: performances, bodies, choreography by Daniele Galassi and direction by Stefano Taccucci blending visual power with emotional tension.

Sexy. Direct. Unapologetic.

Let's dive in....head first!

DALEYPOP: Hey Alex! For our readers who might not be familiar with you (yet), can you tell us a little bit about who you are, your career and your current project.

ALEX PALMIERI: Hello! I’m Alex Palmieri, an Italian singer, performer and adult creator. Music was actually my first love long before the adult industry. I started releasing pop music independently in 2011 and spent years chasing that dream. At a certain point, life took me somewhere unexpected.

I entered the adult industry, built a completely different career, and eventually became one of the most recognised Italian names in gay adult entertainment and OnlyFans.

Winning a Grabby Award was definitely one of those surreal moments where I stopped and thought “Wow… this really happened.” Now I’m reconnecting the two sides of my life instead of keeping them separate. My new single Pay To Play is exactly about that intersection: performance, desire, ambition, loneliness and validation, all mixed together in a very pop way.

DALEYPOP: You mentioned the adult industry so I feel like I need to ask, who or what inspired you to enter the adult industry and how did the people close to you react?

ALEX PALMIERI: Honestly, it wasn’t some glamorous master plan. At first it was survival mixed with curiosity and ambition. I had invested so much time, energy and money into music and I needed a way to support myself and keep creating. At the beginning, adult work felt almost like a side road. Then suddenly that road became huge! The reactions around me were very mixed to be honest. Some people judged me immediately, some disappeared and others surprised me with how supportive they were.

Over time I learned that people often project their own fears onto sexuality. Once I stopped apologising for my choices, the energy around me changed.

DALEYPOP: What did you do before the adult film industry and music?

ALEX PALMIERI: Music has honestly been part of my identity for so long that it almost feels weird separating it from the “before.” But before adult entertainment became my full time reality, I was basically doing everything possible to survive while trying to build a music career independently. I’ve always been a performer at heart. Even before any visibility, followers or awards, I had this obsession with creating, entertaining and being on stage somehow.

@alexpalmieriofficial I chased pop. Life took me somewhere else and now they call me “p0rnstar”. Now I’m back on the mic. Here is where my two worlds connecting. “Pay To Play” was born here. No filters. No pretending. #alexpalmieri ♬ audio originale - Alex Palmieri

DALEYPOP: You’ve been making music since 2011, right? Have you ever thought about Sanremo? I watch every year and can absolutely picture you on that stage?

ALEX PALMIERI: First of all, thank you! That’s honestly such a compliment because Sanremo is sacred in Italy. Yes, of course I’ve imagined it. Like I said, I started releasing music in 2011 and growing up in Italy you can’t really escape the influence of Sanremo. It’s part music competition, part national ritual, part chaos. Very Italian. Would I do it? Absolutely. If the right song arrived at the right moment. I think bringing someone with my background onto that stage would definitely create conversation, but maybe that’s exactly the point. Art gets interesting when it challenges the categories people put you in.

DALEYPOP: I love that you release music in English, but why not in Italian too?

ALEX PALMIERI: I naturally write in English when I make pop music. The melodies, rhythms and references that shaped me growing up were mostly international pop acts, so emotionally it comes out that way. English also gives me a certain freedom. Sometimes Italian feels more intimate and exposed, almost too real. Maybe one day I’ll release something in Italian when I’m ready to be that emotionally naked in a different way. Never say never!

DALEYPOP: Tell us about your new single Pay To Play: the story behind it, the writing process, everything….

ALEX PALMIERI: Pay To Play is one of the most autobiographical songs I’ve ever released (even though it’s hidden behind a glossy pop production). The title works on multiple levels. Obviously people will connect it to sexuality, OnlyFans and the adult world and that’s intentional, but it’s also about the emotional side of performance culture. The feeling that attention, validation, affection and even visibility often come with a price. I wrote it from a place where I was reflecting on fame, loneliness, desire and the strange transaction that can happen between performer and audience. People think visibility automatically fills emotional gaps, but sometimes it amplifies them. Musically I wanted it to feel nostalgic and modern at the same time: dramatic pop energy, sexy visuals, choreography but with a little sadness underneath everything.

DALEYPOP: Welllll you 100% understood the assignment! Was the Backstreet Boys/NSYNC vibe an intentional throwback or did it just happen naturally and who are your ultimate pop idols, past or present? Do you go to many concerts by the way and if you do, what was the best concert you’ve ever been to?

ALEX PALMIERI: Oh, it was definitely intentional. I grew up during that era so those references are burned into my brain. Big choruses, synchronised choreography, pop stars serving drama with absolute sincerity….I miss that energy sometimes.

I love artists who fully commit to performance worlds. Madonna, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga….artists who understand that pop music is not just audio, it’s mythology.

I love going to concerts because they remind you why pop culture matters emotionally. One of my favourite concerts was Little Mix. They really know how to put on a proper pop show: vocals, choreography, energy, everything. I think the UK has always had a special relationship with pop music and performers who fully commit to entertaining people.

DALEYPOP: What can you tell us about bringing the Pay To Play music video to life? The choreography is so tight and you and the dancers look incredible. Are they friends of yours or longtime collaborators or did you build a whole new little dance family for this project?

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A post shared by Alex Palmieri (@alexpalmierireal)

ALEX PALMIERI: Thank you! I really wanted the video to feel like a proper pop moment, not just “an influencer making a music video.” I like to think that I'm detail oriented with visuals, movement and atmosphere. The dancers were amazing because they understood the energy immediately: sexy, sharp, confident but still emotional underneath. Some of them I already knew, others came together specifically for this project so it became this temporary little family created around rehearsals, sweat and very little sleep.

I also wanted the choreography to feel masculine and vulnerable at the same time instead of overly polished. There’s something hotter about imperfections when they’re real.

DALEYPOP: Is more music on the horizon? Are we talking singles, a full album, more visuals? Basically, what should we be getting excited for next?

ALEX PALMIERI: Definitely more music. Pay To Play is not a one off comeback moment. It’s the beginning of a new chapter. I want to release more singles, more visuals, more performances and continue building this world where sexuality and pop music coexist openly instead of pretending they’re separate universes. I spent years feeling like I had to choose one identity or the other. Now I’m more interested in blending everything honestly.

DALEYPOP: You say that people can “buy the body, not the person.” Has visibility in both music and adult work changed how you think about connection then?

ALEX PALMIERI: Completely. Visibility creates the illusion of intimacy very quickly. People can consume your image, your body, your voice and your content every day and feel emotionally connected to you without actually knowing you as a human being. That can be beautiful sometimes, but also emotionally confusing.

I think working in both music and adult entertainment taught me that attention and connection are not the same thing. One can look a lot like the other from far away.

DALEYPOP: Forgive the silly question but what does your Grabby Award stand for and what did winning it mean to you? I’m dying to know too, is it proudly out in the open at home like a little trophy that greets you every morning?

ALEX PALMIERI: Not silly at all. The Grabby Awards are among the biggest awards in the gay adult industry, so winning one was honestly surreal. For someone who spent years feeling underestimated or “too unconventional” for certain spaces, that moment felt emotional not just professionally but personally too and yes….it’s visible at home. I paid emotionally for that trophy so I’m absolutely displaying it. It earned its spot.

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A post shared by Alex Palmieri (@alexpalmierireal)

DALEYPOP: So from EuroPride to adult film sets: queerness has been a constant in very different spaces for you. Where have you felt most seen and where have you felt most misunderstood?

ALEX PALMIERI: I feel most seen in spaces where people don’t expect perfection from queer people. Where there’s room for contradiction, sensuality, vulnerability and messiness. Ironically, I’ve sometimes felt more accepted in very explicit environments than in more “respectable” spaces where people quietly judge you while pretending to be progressive. I think queer people are often accepted conditionally. People love authenticity until it becomes uncomfortable or impossible to package neatly.

DALEYPOP: Well how do you handle emotional boundaries on OnlyFans when subscribers feel close to you, even though the relationship is professional? Also, what’s the most wild or most unexpected request you’ve ever received on OnlyFans (that you don’t mind sharing)?

ALEX PALMIERI: Boundaries are honestly one of the hardest parts of this work because the platform itself is built around intimacy. People aren’t just subscribing to content, they’re subscribing to access and emotional attention. I try to stay genuine without creating false promises. I never want someone to feel mocked or manipulated, but at the same time I’ve learned that you can’t emotionally belong to thousands of people at once. As for the weirdest requests… human imagination has no limits. Let’s just say I’ve received requests involving very specific roleplay scenarios, highly detailed voice notes and extremely unexpected objects that definitely were not designed for sexual purposes.

DALEYPOP: Oh wow, what does Pride mean to you on a personal level?

ALEX PALMIERI: To me, Pride means existing without shrinking yourself first. Not just sexuality, but the freedom to stop editing your personality to make other people comfortable. Growing up queer changes you. Even confident queer people usually spend part of their life monitoring themselves constantly. Pride is the opposite of that feeling.

DALEYPOP: What is life like for a queer person in Italy? Being half Italian, I’ve always been curious and desperate to visit Sicily in particular because that's where my grandad was from.

ALEX PALMIERI: Italy is complicated because it’s emotionally warm but culturally contradictory at the same time.You can absolutely find queer community and freedom here, especially in Milan but there’s still a strong conservative mentality underneath parts of society and politics. That said, Sicily is stunning and full of personality.

Italians can be dramatic, judgemental and incredibly loving all at once.

DALEYPOP: Milan is famous for being one of the world’s fashion capitals but is it worth the hype?

ALEX PALMIERI: Milan absolutely deserves the hype if you love fashion, nightlife, design and ambitious energy. It’s not the most relaxing Italian city, but that’s part of its identity. Milan feels fast, aspirational and slightly emotionally unavailable….which honestly makes it very fashionable.

DALEYPOP: What’s your go to place to eat in Milan, the spot you’d send someone to without hesitation?

ALEX PALMIERI: I’m going to sound very Italian now but honestly sometimes the best experiences are the less Instagram perfect ones. If someone comes to Milan, I’d tell them to eat properly, take their time and avoid tourist traps. Milan hides amazing food in very unexpected places.

DALEYPOP: I'm not proposing to you by the way but can you imagine yourself getting married one day? With Italy’s laws still evolving, how do you feel about the state of LGBTQ+ rights in Italy right now?

ALEX PALMIERI: I can imagine it emotionally more than ceremonially, if that makes sense.

As for LGBTQ+ rights, Italy still has progress to make.

Sometimes it feels like society moves faster than politics here. But visibility matters. Conversations matter. Representation matters. Even existing openly in industries where people expect shame can become political without you planning it.

DALEYPOP: What’s one unexpected thing about you, like a habit, a talent, a fear, anything that people would never guess?

ALEX PALMIERI: People assume I’m extremely extroverted all the time, but actually I recharge alone. I can perform in front of cameras, crowds or on stage, then go home and disappear socially for days because my brain feels overloaded. I think a lot of performers secretly live that contradiction.

DALEYPOP: To wrap up: who’s your crush of the day, what’s your star sign, and will the UK be graced with your presence anytime this year? Oh and most importantly… pizza or pasta?!

ALEX PALMIERI: My crush of the day changes every twelve minutes so asking me to choose is cruel. I’m a Capricorn, which probably explains why I can be both extremely ambitious and emotionally complicated at the same time. I’d honestly love to come back to the UK. I performed in London during Pride back in 2017 and I have really good memories of that experience. The UK has always had an amazing relationship with pop culture, nightlife and queer audiences so hopefully I’ll be back very soon. For the final impossible question….pizza wins emotionally, pasta wins spiritually. I refuse to betray either one publicly.