Introducing: Alessia Cara.

Introducing: Alessia Cara.

In her anthemic debut single, 'Here', 18-year-old Alessia Cara sings, "honestly I'd rather be somewhere with my people, we can kick it and just listen to some music with a message, like we usually do, and we'll discuss our big dreams, how we plan to take over the planet."

And one does not doubt that Alessia has it in her to make all her dreams come true, after listening to 'Here'.

About 'Here', Cara says: "‘Here’ is a true story. It’s a party song, but really it’s the complete opposite of a party song. It’s absolutely me; it shouts out the person in the corner of the party, looking around uncomfortably. I feel like this song narrates what the wallflower is thinking."

And about her journey from a Canadian city of 520,000 to collaborating with Grammy Award winning producer Malay (who co-produced Frank Ocean’s 'Channel Orange' album), she says: "You don’t think you’re ever going to end up here from Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Instead, you think, ‘Who’s going to see me?’ I can’t wrap my head around everything that’s happened: the chemistry with Sebastian, the producers, the label. Def Jam got what I am trying to do: I want my music to be cool and reflective of my influences –Drake, Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran– but still new. Def Jam gave me the opportunity to say something meaningful and positive without being preachy. I didn’t expect everything to feel so natural and organic. And I can’t believe how quickly it’s going."

BLESS!

In a recent interview with Rookie magazine, Cara said: "Especially in the music industry, there is a big shift where young people have a voice now. You see people like Lorde or Raury—anyone young and doing it right now—and we’re really starting to show our faces and prove that young people have a voice, and we actually make sense, and we have important things to say, too. I love the shift that’s happening in entertainment, and in life in general. Young people are really standing up, and I hope I can be one of them. Not only in this industry, but in life it’s so hard to be a girl, and to feel like you might not have a say or the rights that other people have. The only thing we can do is support other girls and be happy for them. Don’t be mean to girls who really like what they’re doing and who like themselves, because it’s so hard to like yourself. Be happy for them!"

#GirlPower!!

Watch the 'Here' music video below...

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