With a refreshing, soulful voice and lyrics appealing to a young audience, Alessia Cara’s breakout single “Here” elegantly recounts her unfiltered experience as an outsider.
At just 19 years old, Canadian singer Alessia Cara’s blunt yet cheeky single about a disastrous party has brought this young R&B singer into the spotlight.
Cara’s claim to fame was, in fact, a based on true story, as the track provides her personal insight on one of her most awkward party experiences, where she sat in a corner alone, observing the scene instead of interacting with others. Cara gives a voice to the introverts- the people who find themselves sitting in a corner at a party, feeling miserably out of place. What struck me the most about this song was its relatability, especially to a younger audience. She attempts to appeal to an audience that generally would not be represented in the mainstream media- the outsiders, introverts, and wallflowers of the world; and does a fine job at illustrating that perspective.
Her truthful, expressive lyrics plus her unique voice and ability to appeal to a younger, teen audience, reminded me at first of indie pop artist Lorde, who also rose to fame with a song that held a similar appeal. Her voice and the style of the song itself, however, sounds less like pop and like a younger Rihanna, coupled with Lorde’s lyrical relatability, which helped her song gain popularity this year.
Within a week of its release, “Here” garnered more than 500,000 downloads, and is currently in the top 50 on the iTunes and Billboard Hot 100 charts. She even earned herself a spot on Rolling Stone’s “10 Artists You Need to Know” for July 2015.
Cara has also been praised by one of the most popular current pop stars, Taylor Swift, who tweeted at Cara following her beautiful acoustic cover of “Bad Blood”, performed on BBC Radio 1 in July.
Amongst a myriad of iffy singles that have been severely overplayed on the radio for the past few months, “Here” provides a glimmer of hope for the future of pop music. Cara’s raw vocal talent lyrical skills offers listeners a brief relief from a radio filled with boy bands and other unusual, albeit catchy music. Although she identifies as an R&B artist, if Cara’s songs continue to find their way onto the popular music charts and the radio, hopefully real talent like hers will be acknowledged in the mainstream media in the future, instead of just the catchy yet forgettable song that currently fill the radio.
