Every year we see a batch of newcomers that aspire to break pre-existing standards of the music industry; to stand out in a scene crowded with the sounds of veterans. Then, once in a long while we see the extremely talented upstart – who manages to shake things up.
Debuting ‘Here’ a single that is proclaimed to be the anti-party anthem of this generation is 19-year-old Alessia Cara, a star that’s about to explode (in a good way Tempo readers!). The recent Def Jam signee has just released her first studio album and I’m telling you this is a must-listen to piece of work, especially if you are into the whole R&B plus pop plus a little Amy Winehouse hybrid kind of music.
The 13-track compilation is a refreshing burst of youthful insurgence that is full of honest messaging which speaks to both young and old. It does a great job at exposing Cara’s soulful chops and mature songwriting.
Starting off with ‘Seventeen,’ Alessia gets the listener standing up and pounding the walls to this eclectic piece about coming of age. The intro of the song is highly addictive and will leave you playing it again and again (trust me on this one). The popular hit ‘Here’ is followed by ‘Outlaws,’ a finger snapping hit that’ll make you want that special defiant kind of love. The vulnerable but pop-induced ‘I’m Yours’ follows ‘Four Pink Walls’ which most represents Cara’s attempt to break away from the norm to shape her own musical destiny. Another rebellious underdog track on the album is ‘Wild Things’ which is about making one’s rules and mistakes.
The album mellows with ‘Stone,’ a collaboration with singer-songwriter Sebastian Kole, and energetically picks up with reflective ‘Overdose’. The mood dials back with the breathtaking singles ‘Stars’ and the self-appreciating hit ‘Scars To Your Beautiful’. The album takes an unexpected turn with a broken down version of ‘Here’ that is surprisingly more soulful than the original. Another pair of emotionally satisfying songs are ‘River of Tears’ and ‘My Song,’ which together close off the album with a nice flourish.
In my view, there could have been a more logical re-arrangement of the order of the tracks, but all is forgiven when an album is this good!
There are a lot of talented artists who follow the path of others before them, but there are very few who take the road less travelled towards shaping a new legacy.
Alessia Cara may be a beginner, but other artists should take notice and learn from the way she approaches her craft. She is raw, authentic, and not afraid to break the mold. All we can do is pray that she keeps herself intact in the face of all the success that will surely come her way. Keep your eyes out for this one!
