I first discovered Alessia Cara from the Hot Tracks list on iTunes. I listened to "Here" and I was immediately hooked. The production was absolutely banging, her voice was amazing and the song was just about being a loner at a party which I'm sure that half of the world can relate to. I don't usually do this (or didn't, before Apple music) but I actually bought the song on iTunes and I have been a huge fan of her since. She has a great and unique voice and her music is very fun and uplifting.
Cara's voice was sent up from the angels in heaven. That's the only explanation for her absolutely glorious voice. She has the ability to take the itsy bitsy spider song and turn it into an Indie R&B hit. Her voice is so unique, it's hard to say that you haven't heard a voice like this before but I honestly haven't. I enjoyed that this album employed a lot of the cookie cutter pop star themes. It was a coming of age album that had to do with heartbreak and emotions and love but Cara was able to mold each song into it's own little chapter in the overall story that was this album. Onto the tracks!
01. SEVENTEEN
This was a very lively and upbeat way to start the album. I love the coming-of-age theme to it. Lyrically, you can hear what a grounded person Cara is. The some is very easy to connect with, as well. Being a young adult myself, I know that when I was younger I couldn't wait to grow the hell up, I was no doubt "to young to understand what it means." I didn't "take my time to breath" and heck yeah I wish I could freeze time at seventeen. The song has started to grow on me the more I listen to it and it's the perfect song to cater to the audience she's targeting. 8/10
02. HERE
This is obviously her break through song. It's about being a loner. This song brought me back to my first "high school party." It wasn't really a party party because it was a birthday party and there were parents and crap there but you get the gist. I remember just thinking I need to go home no one here gives a crap about me and the lyrics of this song are just so relateable, ugh! Her distinct voice really shines through they way the song mixes pop/R&B and jazzy elements together. The recurring piano rift is beautiful and compliments the epicness of the song. Her phrasing is beautiful as she effortlessly transitions into the chorus and back into the verses and then the bridge's phrasing is my favorite. The song just meshes together so well and is clearly the standout on the album and was a winning first single to release. 9/10
03. OUTLAWS
Immediately I was intrigued by this song when I saw it was being compared to an Amy Winehouse song. I'm a big Amy Winehouse fan, so if this was going to sound like her music I was sold. It wasn't really like that at all, the only thing that was similar is there's a saxophone in it and that's a key instrument in jazz and Winehouse was an amazing jazz singer. That's pretty much it. It comes across more of a Meghan Trainor inspired track. Cara's voice resonates so well with the material that even though the song is a bit lackluster to me, she makes up for it and I can immediately label any song on the album at least a "good song." It had a cute message and was fun to listen to. 7/10
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| This music video was gorgeously shot on a selfie stick andwas so cute with her brother as her stalker. |
04. I'M YOURS
The chorus was gloriously simplistic with a guitar and her voice (and drums, I think?). It was a nice moment on this very production heavy song. I think I want to call Alessia Cara the princess of releatable music. Just the way her lyrics are written "I'm mad at you for being so cute." She's saying "I'm yours," and it's a strong moment in the song because it's about heartbreak, really. The song is about trusting someone after she's had no reason to trust anyone before. Very cute song. 7/10
05. FOUR PINK WALLS
This was a nice funky throwback R&B song. The beginning really on her harmonies, which was beautiful. The drums kicking in and the main beat starting had me dancing. And the funky bass guitar and the guitar scratching was brilliantly placed. The message of the song was great. You spend so much time laying down looking at your own walls and focusing on yourself, who knew there was more people out there struggling in the same way outside of those Four Pink Walls? 7.5/10
06. WILD THINGS
Once again, the message of the song was beautiful. It was a wonderfully self empowering track. We make our own rules. And, girl, you know where you can find me? Where that wild shit is. The cool kids aren't cool, we're cool because we're doing us. It's about self acceptance and that's probably something these kids now need more than ever. We like to talk about how these kids problems aren't real, but adolescence is probably the hardest time in anyone's life. You don't know who you are yet and you have all these different things tugging you in a certain direction. Just do you, boo. <<Basically the message of this song. The production is also great, her background vocals are so pleasant to hear because her voice itself is so unique that listening to like 6 of them are gorgeous. 7/10
07. STONE (feat. SEBASTIAN KOLE)
This is such a nice break from the heavily produced album. It's stripped back to just vocals, a guitar melody, piano and drums. It allows her vocals to finally shine the way we knew they were capable of this entire album. What I think the song is about is just going with your gut instinct. I'm not sure if this will turn out good or not, but I'm going to "follow where this takes me" and it's about finding that person to keep you sane and be your "Stone." It took me a while but I finally realized what stone meant in this song. I'm so slow. Wonderful moment on the album and a wonderfully simple song. 8/10
08. OVERDOSE
Overdose is basically one big metaphor of love being a drug. We've heard this all before. When you're in love, it consumes you and you being addicted to that feeling of loving and being love. Cara is saying she "wants off of this roller coaster. You take me high just to bring me down, oh, and you bring me down." No matter what is going on, the bad can't seem to overthrow that feeling of being addicted to someone and love, so you stay and continue overdosing on that feeling. Once again, it's wonderfully produced and her vocals are stellar. The beginning was the vocal standout. There was nothing and then there was Cara's beautiful voice. 7.5/10
09. STARS
I think this is where the album begun to reach it's peak. It's no secret that I prefer more intimate song that allow for a simplistic feel that has a singer just singing their heart out for us (the audience). This song gives it to us from the get go. The melody is beautiful. The song is about opening up to someone, letting your guards down, "give you my scars," and once that's all out of the way they can finally become stars together and turn this entire world (galaxy, if you will) into theirs and just shine bright like the stars they are. One of the best parts about acoustic song is that it allows you to listen to the gorgeous lyrics of a song and this song proves that. 8/10
10. SCARS TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL
The song, once again, had a lovely message but at this point the production was just starting to sound a little the same on every song and it made it harder to pay attention to the lyrics. Basically the song is telling you not to change because you're absolutely perfect the way you are. There are no scars when it comes to your beauty and we're all stars and we are all beautiful. Yes we are. 6.5/10
11. HERE (2 A.M. VERSION)
So, why didn't we get an acoustic album? Because this song's freaking stunning piano was enough to give me chills. It was so haunting and her phrasing was even more perfect and individualized as she sang her way through the first verse. This is what I was talking about when you ditch all the heavy production and just listen to the lyrics of a song, it has so much meaning. The beautiful piano and her voice fighting each other was just so perfect and gave the song so much conviction. 9.5/10
12. RIVER OF TEARS
I was so glad she kept up the acoustic vibe as we come off the heels of the best song on the album, well track, since there are two versions of this song on the album, This song made me realize that this album is beginning to tell the story of a girl. Seventeen is her trying to grow up and express who she wants to be, "Here" is her going through this experience that sets the tone for who she wants to be, by "I'm Yours" she is finally discovering boys and going through heartbreak and pain and along the way she has discovered herself. By the time "Stone" and "Overdose" kicks in, she actually realizes what love is and how it's supposed to feel like. "Scars to Your Beautiful" has shown what she has grown into and how secure in herself she is and this song is about the loss of love. We've talked about heartbreak on the album already but this is her actually going through her first loss of true love. It's a gorgeous song that allows you to just listen to the story behind it. 9/10
13. MY SONG
The name of the song really says it all. She's gone through so much in the first 12 tracks that she's summing it all up in "Her Song." She has finally discovered herself. she's "human after all" and she's off-key which is perfectly fine with her. She's spent her life building up to this moment on the album and it's a great way to and the album. The beauty of this album wasn't that it was all that new or innovative. It was a coming of age story, spearheaded by Alessia Cara's wicked individualized voice. If I could just close my eyes and listen to a million people I could spot her voice out of nowhere. She's a true gift to the music industry and I hope she's able to keep what made this song, and album, so humble. 8.5/10
ALBUM GRADE: B-
The album, like I said, wasn't very innovative but Cara's voice is so undeniably amazing and unique that it makes up for it. Also, every one of her lyrics have substance to it and the album was a beautiful story to hear unfold.
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