Alessia Cara, Brampton’s very own internationally viral sensation, dropped her debut album on November 13th. The 19-year-old songstress has produced a body of work that truly showcases who she is as an artist and why the world is falling in love with her.
Alessia describes her album in three words, “rebellious, wordy and youthful” and she couldn’t be more on point. Lyrically the public is well aware of Alessia’s flowetry, and opinionated style, demonstrated in her hit single Here, a song that depicts an awkward girl’s nightmare – teenage turn ups. Her album Know It All is proof that Here wasn’t a fluke.
The album is made up of 13 tracks, a few of which were already on her EP Four Pink Walls. The single Four Pink Walls, Alessia shares on Twitter with fans, she wrote by herself, and it challenged her the most. It’s a song that “contrasts her life then and now.”
“when boredom strikes” to “Ms. Star on the Rise”
It’s a song dreamers can relate to, when their aspirations seem too surreal to manifest. This song is one of the examples of how relatable she is as an artist.
She shares her stance on the industry and its expectations, in the track My Song, a song she admits almost did not make the album. Luckily it did, and its message is clear, she does not plan on succumbing to industry pressures, she stands firm in her beliefs and stays true to herself.
And I’ll spend my life penning my song, my song
And the verses I write will speak for me
She continues to express her social views in the single Scars, with an Ed Sheeran vibe, she sings a female anthem that her soulful voice delivers beautifully. Speaking figuratively on the ‘cover girl’ movement that can dilute and distort a young girl’s self-image.
So to all the girls that’s hurting
Let me be your mirror, help you see a little bit clearer
Along with coming of age tracks like Seventeen and misfit anthem, Wild Things, Alessia showcases a variety of love songs. Over dose has a pop sound, while Outlaws has an old school jazz feel, that her nostalgic vocals complement well. Stone is an ode to the lovers who keep us grounded, and I’m Yours, a refreshing spin on falling for someone.
Then there are the ballads, Stars and River of Tears, which are my personal favourites. These tracks are proof of how powerful Alessia’s voice truly is. These songs definitely stand out on the album. She delivers emotion, with the piano in the background, very little fuss, but intimate and cinematic.
This album also includes another version of the hit Here (2AM version), where again with a jazz influence, she turns it into something completely different, showing off her versatility as a vocalist. With her raspy, soulful voice she has developed a unique style that fuses soul and pop sounds, with therapeutic content. As a debut album Alessia has undoubtedly made her mark on an industry, that makes it hard to be you, yet she does it effortlessly. Know-it-all has put Alessia in a class all on her own.
[…] is her hit single ‘Here’. But a one hit wonder she is not. She recently released her debut Album ‘Know It All’ in November and it’s a must hear, so add it to your 2016 playlists. Artists like Taylor Swift and […]
[…] Alessia Cara went from winning the Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2016 to taking home the award for Pop Album of the Year in 2017. […]