The Real Meaning Behind Aly And AJ's Am I Alright

When sisters Alyson and Amanda Michalka first arrived on the music scene, they gained traction within the Disney Channel, releasing hits like "Potential Breakup Song" under the band name Aly and AJ. During the early 2000s, they also acted in several roles — including Aly on the 2004 tv show "Phil of the Future" and AJ starring alongside her sister in the film "Cow Belles." Though the duo now says they are "grateful" for their time working with Disney, the time wasn't without its challenges. "The label was confused and taken aback by our brazen ambition," Aly told The Washington Post in May. "We had a lot of difficult conversations with them over the years and ultimately our partnership had to end because we just weren't on the same page." Aly and AJ departed the label in 2009, according to Forbes.

Although fourteen years had passed since Aly and AJ's last album release, "Insomniatic" in 2007, the sisters returned in 2021. Their album, called "A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun" dropped in May. However, it appears the sisters aren't slowing down any time soon. In October, Aly and AJ released a new single "Am I Alright," from their upcoming deluxe album edition. Here is the real meaning behind Aly and AJ's "Am I Alright."

On Aly and AJ's new song "Am I Alright," the latest single from their future deluxe version of their album "A Touch of the Beat...," the two sisters open up about conflicting emotions and wondering, well, if they're all right. "Sometimes it's hard to ask ourselves if we are in a healthy headspace," they said in a statement, per Out Now. "This song asks that question very simply without the implications of judgment getting in the way." 

Taking a look at the lyrics, this message is clear. "You could say that I'm leaning on depression / But I'm pushing it away / You could say it's a cry for attention / But I'm on the verge of breaking," they sing, according to Genius. The song further touches potentially on the struggles of childhood fame, as Aly and AJ reference comparing themselves to other kids during the 90s — long before their famous Disney days. "I'm not okay / Was never like the other kids / I've been this way, I've been this way / Since the '90s, God forbid," the song continues. This feeling of not being "like the other kids" is something that these sisters have been dealing with for years.

Long before the release of "Am I Alright," sister pop duo Aly and AJ have shared their various thoughts about growing up young within a public eye.The sisters spoke up about how it can be "hard to navigate" fame after being a Disney star for The Washington Post in May. "People don't want to see their childhood idol grow up... and you do want to spread your wings, but you're trying not to do it too fast" Aly shared. 

They have also attempted to distinguish themselves beyond a band. In a September article published in Interview Magazine, Aly and AJ interviewed one another, leading to some heartfelt answers. "AJ and I are so used to being clumped into this one organism, and as we grow as artists, I would love for people to see us as separate individuals that operate as a yin and yang to each other in the band," Aly said. "Neither one can make the music she wants to make without the other, and we are truly this perfect melding of two very different personalities. I would also love to see people stop talking about our past music. I'm not saying that in a bad way."