Alexis Jordan was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on April 7, 1992. Jordan was born as the last child, she also has three older siblings. Her mother is of African American, Native American, and European descent, while her father is Puerto Rican. Jordan began writing songs when she was in third grade. When she was eleven years old, her family moved to Santa Clarita, California, so she could have a career in the arts. The following year, Jordan was the opening act for Smokey Robinson at a Stevie Wonder tribute concert.