Alessia Cara's staying power should not be underestimated. When I listen to these artist's discography their tracks stay on my phone - often for months - and are subject to many repeat listenings. Some of us will never forget the two years of listening to Al Hirt and Al Green - because I stopped commuting during the pandemic. It doesn't matter how great Al Green is, or even how listenable Albert Hammond is for that matter, because at some point we all want to hear something new after getting tired of the same things being played over and over again.
Not so for Alessia Cara! Look, this isn't my favorite type of music in the world. Kiddie pop/R&B? But the fact that I found it extremely tolerable for a great length of time is really saying something. I've leaned on this expression before, courtesy of Crowded House, but maybe this is "pop music that matters." Perhaps the more substantial pop sounds are the results of a more substantial performer, as opposed to say some sort of prepacked, glossy product from committee thinking. This girl has got all her clothes on in all her pictures. I guess she started when she was just a kid, posting covers on YouTube. Yet even today, she's not out there shaking her ass and showing off. She's got some RealShit to talk about. It's mostly young people, emotional stuff. Actually, it is almost all relationship stuff. Some good, some less-so, but mostly really healthy notions of personal relationships are upheld here. Often it felt like reading a schoolgirl's diary. Someone said that the aces (asexual) even like her in particular because of her favored lyrical contents; I could see it afterwards but didn't really pick-up on that. True. it's never very sexual. The raciest thing she sings is, "You should see me in a sundress" and that's just delightfully adorable. The point is, this kid has got a head on her shoulder, and the results are smart and highly appropriate, if not always earth-shatteringly new musical sounds. Her first album is called Know It All. Perhaps it goes without saying, but she writes all her own songs. I'll say this: my 12-year old daughter and I shared an appreciation for this discography over many months of commuting to school/work. We skipped very few songs, very rarely! In other words, by my logic, even though I'm a band guy, this is WAY better than Aerosmith. Way, way better. (Sorry, I can't let that one go, but that terrible band is still around and only getting worse.)
Many of us will have encountered Alessia Cara for the first time ever on the Moana soundtrack; I think maybe I did. For context, recall that Demi Lovato similarly sang Frozen's theme song over the end-credits ...and then she promptly went on to a sex- and drug- fueled career. Cara is sweet and innocent at this point too, but the difference is she basically stays rather wholesome the entire time. That's not going to land her on the top of the HOT100 chart or crashing Ticketmaster to sell-out stadiums in our modern America, but like I said - this music stands up for repeated listenings. With apologies to today's flash-in-the-pan, top-charting pop sex kittens, I find this music far less vapid than most of that stuff. Admittedly, it's not always what I'm looking for, but I'm glad it's around for sure. And all of this is super-great music for young people to be listening to. It's incredibly positive throughout. I might also add that we still know almost nothing about her personal life, and that's OK. She's Canadian, alright. What else do you need to know to listen to her music?!
But the song from Moana, written by the extremely overrated Lin-Manual Miranda (I'm sorry but Hamilton sounds like a Simpsons parody of Broadway's desperate attempt to be cool), was actually released after her debut album, and it's first two hit singles. The third single, however, remains her biggest hit to this day. "Scars to Your Beautiful" is a great song with an important message that made a big misimpression, also with the video:
I mean, it's Grammy-bait, but, in addition to the essential messaging, it works really well to highlight her voice; it's so good, a little scratchy, and with a broad range that sounds super when low. If I am being really generous with myself I might have said something like, "Oh, this girl singing 'How Far I'll Go' is the same one that sang 'Scars to Beautiful'" - but I'm not sure I ever said that in 2016.
"Here" is also a relatively big hit, and technically it comes out before the previous two songs. It's so simple: an anti-party song, but it needed to be said. And what a uniquely unexpected way to explode onto the music scene! I saw it repeatedly referred to as an "introvert anthem," which fits better than asexual anthem. More positive vibes, nonetheless. Her debut single and subsequent album come out right after she got signed at the age of 18. (Apparently some random girl showed her record-producer dad a performance video that Cara had uploaded). Both "Here" and "Scars" make significant impacts, ranking high on year end lists and what not. However, she hadn't quite come into her own by this point, but the potential was there and shortly realized.
After playing SNL but before she released another album, she was featured on the song "Stay" by Zedd. It's gotta be the most innocent song that Zedd ever made (off the top of my head, I recall his collaboration with Selena Gomez, whom he may have been dating at the time), yet it is significantly more hard-hitting EDM than anything else in her catalog. I dig it. I liked this song from knowing it even before listening too all her stuff on purpose. There's some acting in the video! (I'm guessing the dude is Zedd?!) While most still call her a singer/songwriter, not "singer, actress, etc.", she's done some voice-over work, more recently: I didn't watch The Willoughbys, but Blade Runner: Block Lotus seems cool; she did songs for both too.
She opens 2018 with a win at the Grammys for Best New Artist. This can be a kiss of death: while there are plenty of counter-examples, when was the last time you heard anything from Shelby Lynn, Arrested Development, or Paula Cole (who beat out Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, Hanson, and Puffy Daddy with the freakin' song from Dawson's Creek)? Among those who Cara beat for her award: immediate future collaborator Khalid and 2023's list-topper, SZA. Does it matter that Cara was the first Canadian to win the Best New Artist award? Take that Alanis!
Before her second album, she also appeared on another famously impactful song: she and Khalid are featured in the song (and video for) "1-800-273-8255," the anti-suicide anthem from Logic's album. Who's gonna complain about that?! Nobody. It was also nominated for a Grammy, as was "Stay," but neither won.
She releases The Pains of Growing in 2018. The growth is emotional and lyrical, not necessarily musical. There's actually a bit more variety to this album, but the sonic options didn't all work for me. It's good enough, but I liked the previous and next one better. It's a bit more sparse with plenty of acoustic numbers. Like coffee shop music. Just as much stuff from the internal-dialogue of an emotionally sensitize young person, but that's OK. "Growing Pains" was the first single, and set the theme for the coming-of-age album. However, the next one "Trust My Lonely" is more in-line with the self-respect and anti-party focus of the first album: she doesn't NEED anybody. (I think this is the song the aces really like). "Nintendo Game" offers a extended metaphor for relationships that is cute AF: "All the trashtalk is getting reload / I'd rather try my hand at Rainbow Road....This is taking longer than Zelda." The album got solid reviews. It debuted at #1 on the US iTunes Pop Charts, whatever that means, but did less well on the Billboard charts. It did well in her native Canada. She went on tour opening for Shawn Mendes; I would have left after she played TBH. While touring she released a new EP in the summer of 2019, This Summer, and it's some of my favorite stuff from her. "Rooting for You" is more unrelenting positivity, but "OKAY OKAY" is glitchy and fun. I like "October" too: maybe just because it makes the Season Fall playlist and gets played a lot or maybe because it's a great song. The following summer she released a live version of the EP...and donated all the proceeds to Save the Children! She also added more colorations around this time, appearing on songs from the bands Bastillle and Lauv(?), pop bands I don't know much about, probably because they are all boys! But...you know that all-girl, Mexican Metallica cover band, The Warning? She covered "Enter Sandman" with them. I don't ever say this about thrash, but slowing it down just a hair makes it somehow groovier and deep. Pretty bad song, of course, but I'll give them a pass.
Also, in 2019 she was nominated for multiple Latin Grammy awards. Can we please talk about this for a second? Not that it matters, but did anyone else think Alessia Cara was Latin? You could be forgiven for thinking she is after she was nominated for Song and Record of the year for her collaboration with well-established Columbian artist, Juanes, on a song called "Querer Mejor," in which she sings in Spanish. She's not. She's Italian! She lives in Canada, but both her parents were immigrants from Italy. Very Italian! Another hint: her real name, listed for the song writing credits, is Alessia Caraccioli; that would have given it away! It is absolutely not just me: it came up when she was playing that game with Wired wherein celebs answer the mostly commonly Googled questions about themselves: What is Alessia Cara's nationality? To which she replied, "This is a funny one because if you go online, every day, a few times a day actually, every single day, there's a person that discovers that I am Italian and basically white. It makes me laugh 'cause they're in like in shock that I'm like not Latina or something. I am pretty racially ambiguous. I think that's because my family's from the South of Italy and everyone from the South is like a little bit darker and more olive skinned. I got the curls, but I'm Italian through and through." Yep, that was me; I'm the person online. I'm glad she doesn't seem upset by it and I appreciate the explanation.
Then the pandemic hit and she went back to making little YouTube videos in her bedroom, like pre-fame. It works! The innocent adorableness is off the charts: "Is this thing working?" "Hi, I'm Alessia." Um, you're pretty famous at this point! She was on a world tour and played on the late night talk shows and MTV Awards and all sorts of things.
Her third and most recent full album from 2021, In the Meantime (ideally not confused with the [best] Helmet album of the same title), offers more "introspection and vulnerable lyricism" that played well with critics and audiences. I liked it the most, which bodes well for the future. The little electronica and even reggae flourishes really keep it interesting. The actual singles didn't particularly resonate with me, but plenty of these songs were good. The song "Bluebird" deftly incorporates "I Wish You Love," made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, and Dusty Springfield. The breezy "Find My Boy" is another favorite.
While doing this blog entry I heard a Christmas song on the radio in a public place and could easily identify Cara's voice. I went looking for it and found several Christmas covers and originals. Holiday Bonus!
There's been a spattering of singles from movie soundtracks and maybe some EPs since the last album; they have been consistently good too. As of this writing, just a couple weeks ago she posted "haven't put out music in two years (that will soon change)." Get ready, everybody! I'm here for it.
that voice, tho
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| Alessia Cara with her Best New Artist Grammy (2018); I would not be opposed to possibility of additional accolades in the future. |
