Nadia Alexeev on Unabashed Authenticity, Online Activism, and Nadia News

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Nadia Alexeev is, in my eyes, the definition of an enigma. Whenever my algorithm blesses me with a video from the TikTok ingenue, dancing in an outfit that stands out as uniquely Nadia - or rather, uniquely Grapejuicenads - I fall under her spell. I find myself hours later, months deep into the Alexeev lore and wondering if I should invest in a curl cream. There’s an addictive quality to the Canadian’s content that’s hard to define, her videos just ooze with confidence, star power and affability.
Finding out more about Nadia Alexeev is a mammoth task in and of itself. While other creators have gone to lengths to establish themselves outside of social media, a cursory Google of Nadia Alexeev offers up very little. An archive blog post from her old school, Getty images from the *Mean Girls (2024)* New York premier and a site selling cardboard cutouts of her face for £29.97. And while famous birthdays dot com supplies cursory information like - you guessed it - Alexeev’s birthday, alongside information on her star sign, number of siblings and her adoration of concerts, we felt it necessary to sit down with the legend to find out more about the behind the scenes workings of Grapejuicenads.

What’s a typical day in your life like?

I am scared to answer this question because I’m a working student, so unfortunately, a typical day in my life is not as exciting as people may think. Most days are different when I don’t have classes in the summer. On a good day, I wake up for hot yoga, which I’ve been doing with a friend recently, go for a coffee and some breakfast afterwards, go home and do whatever chores I have scheduled for the day, go to work if I have to, go home and sleep. Somewhere in there, I’ll make some TikToks whenever I feel like I want to.

It's so boring, but that's just being realistic... I also often go over to my cousin's place for dinner so I can hang out with her dog - and her of course. That’s a typical day, but obviously, some days, I love to go out to dance and explore Montreal because, despite living here for 3 years, it still feels new. I love to go thrifting/vintage shopping, and recently, I’ve been very dedicated to decorating my new apartment which I'm obsessed with.

You seem to have built a real community around your page. What do you think it is about your content that attracts people?

I think being unapologetic about things that interest you can go a long way on any social media platform. Music is my biggest interest and the form of entertainment that I value the most. I read and hear a lot from my followers that the way I listen to/appreciate music is similar to how they feel when they hear it. I also get told often that the way I dance in my room for everyone to see is how some of my followers feel dancing in their room in private.

From my experience of being an active social media user and having my own favourite creators, I really believe that stuff like this can make you feel seen and understood, which has been so important to me in my journey of accepting myself. The fact that people have expressed that they feel this way about me and can connect to me in a way that makes them feel less isolated is something I struggle to process, but also something that I am so grateful for. Overall, being authentic and shamelessly expressing your feelings and interests naturally attracts people who share those feelings and interests.

You’ve been really exemplary at sharing pro-Palestine content and fundraisers on your platform. Why has it been important for you to be so involved in doing that? Do you think that content creators have a responsibility to be talking about issues like this?

Many people ask, “What difference would a post make?” or “What could I do to help end an active genocide?” I believe that posts and raising awareness through tools like social media can and have made a huge difference. My platform has reached an amount of people I cannot process, a number of people that could fill up multiple stadiums.

Organisations such as Operation Olive Branch and Creators for Palestine have made it possible to raise money for Palestinians in need by simply raising awareness so I do see it as crucial for anyone with any sort of outreach, big or small, to share donation links and informative sources so that more and more people can donate if they have the means, or spread useful information and links to others who may have the means to help.

That being said, I have a GoFundMe linked in my TikTok bio in which the money raised is for a family experiencing the terror currently taking place in Gaza. I have communicated with this family’s father, Raed, and he is grateful for any donation. I also have a link in my Instagram bio for Creators for Palestine, a fundraiser involving numerous creators that has raised over 1.5 million dollars for Palestinian relief with a goal of 2 million. Regardless of platform and outreach, spreading useful information and advocating for innocent people who are suffering is something I have the privilege of doing from my own home - I can’t think of a reason anyone with that same privilege wouldn’t. It has been incredible to have raised almost $50,000 for a Palestinian family just by posting videos bringing attention to their story. I think it shows that anyone active on social media can have a real, significant impact. Please visit the links previously discussed and donate if possible; the smallest amount makes a difference.

Have you found it difficult to navigate TikTok’s censorship of the issue?

There have certainly been issues navigating censorship. I have experienced numerous posts spreading awareness being removed and I’ve seen my mutuals have severe shadow-ban issues. It has, however, been incredible to see how people have gotten creative to let their voices be heard. The action of using emojis and variations of words that will potentially be flagged has been an excellent and effective way to bypass any sort of filtering of content that the app may implement.

What I have found very effective as well is using the concept of clickbait in a positive manner that attracts viewers to continue watching, to then begin discussing Palestinian families in need and the current situation on the ground in Gaza. Another idea is to include resources at the end of one’s normal content. Although navigating shadow-bans and censorship can be difficult on social platforms, these are excellent examples of how I and numerous other creators have been able to post informative content without the consequence of removal.

Are there any other ways you’d like to use your platform differently in future?

I am really interested in taking my content in new creative directions. When I was in grade 11 and trying to figure out what I wanted to study in school, I was told to think back to my passions as a child, which at that point, was soccer. Now, looking back, I used to have a show growing up called “Nadia News.”

The show started “airing” when my parents bought a family iPad. I used the VideoFX app to create this little show where I’d do everything from talking about all my interests, interviewing my family and friends, and, of course, an occasional weather forecast. It clicked for me that this type of media was something I was passionate about when I did the Instagram takeover for Gracie Abrams’ official update account because I got to have fun with it, interview fans, and have a conversation with Gracie herself. This was such an important day because it made me realise the fulfilment I get from interacting with live music; so really, I am very interested in using my platform to pursue a media series involving artists and live music. I think that would make little Nadia really proud.

Nadia Alexeev on Unabashed Authenticity, Online Activism, and Nadia News

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