Toronto’s Alessia Cara‘s message is simple yet we tend to overlook it sometimes. “All you really need is a love for what you do, and the ambition to do it.” I’m not sure why I never checked out her music sooner, but I’m glad I did. Her groundbreaking single, “Here,” captured my attention last night with it’s powerful message and desire for something bigger than just a party. Needless to say, this is the anthem introverts have been waiting for.
I see it all the time, especially in the industry of music journalism. I’m bombarded with party invites. “Let’s get drinks sometime!” – as if everyone automatically assumes you’re just like them. Then when you politely decline, the stigma is ridiculous. Just the mere thought of being in a crowded bar/club makes me want to run into a deserted forest away from humanity forever. I get told repeatedly that by “missing out” on these so-called parties that I am ruining my career – as if getting wasted and hobnobbing with people who don’t understand your mission is something to be regretful of. “Here” flawlessly depicts the life of an introvert with a higher purpose other than getting wasted and writing about it the next morning. It’s an anthem for those with the socially unpopular opinion; for the ones who would rather be at home listening to music on their bedroom floors rather than lost in a cloud of smoke and desperation.
Some have deemed her “antisocial” as she so cleverly mocks on the track, but I know her type. I am her type. It’s more in the way that society disappoints us, so why bother stroking the ego of phony personalities. The 19 year-old, bless her heart, knows what she wants and who she is and she refuses to belittle herself by trying to mold herself into what society thinks she should be. Can we be friends?
Turns out, Cara’s message has proven successful. Just this past weekend, Taylor Swift invited her on stage to perform “Here” with her during her 1989 World Tour. Much like her predecessors, (Lorde, etc,) Cara gives young women, especially silenced teenagers who may feel insignificant, a voice. Insightful and incredibly wise beyond her years, Alessia Cara is more than an emerging artist – she is a movement. It’s about damn time.
Check out “Here” below:
Know-It-All will be available November 13. Pre-order here.
