Alessia Cara at The Rivoli, Universal Music Showcase

Photographs by Kevin Leung.

This summer your ears will be happier after listening to Toronto’s newest pop star, Alessia Cara. This 18-year-old Def Jam artist found an audience with her homemade YouTube covers of artists like The Neighbourhood, Amy Winehouse, and Ed Sheeran.  Since the release of her debut single, “Here”, Alessia been climbing to the top of the music charts and making headlines wherever she goes. Also, her recent cover of Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” on BBC Radio1 had Swift singing her praises on Twitter.  On the heels of becoming a mega hit, Universal Music Canada treated us to a special showcase featuring the singer at Rivoli.

Her gritty youthful vocals go perfect with her R&B style songs. The way Alessia displays her talent; it’s bound to turn the music world’s head. She took a minute to speak about self acceptance especially for women. The song “Scars to Your Beautiful” is a simple reminder to love yourself and guarantee to be a hit on the airwaves. Alessia closed off with “Here” – a song she wrote two years ago about a party she absolutely hated.  The crowd proudly sang along to her anti-party anthem.

If you haven’t already, add “Here” to your summer playlist, and follow Alessia Cara on Twitter and Facebook for details on her upcoming album which is due to be released later this year.

Download Alessia’s hit single “Here” on iTunes!