Alessia Cara was born Alessia Caracciolo on July 11, 1996, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, but she grew up in Brampton, she is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Her family is of Italian descent — her mother emigrated from Italy and her father is Canadian-born of Italian parents — so Alessia holds both Canadian and Italian citizenship. As a child she wrote poetry, acted in school plays, and at age 10 taught herself to play guitar (her father had given it to her). By 13 she had started posting acoustic covers of songs on YouTube — including covers of tracks like “Love Yourself” and “Sweater Weather” — as a way to overcome her shyness. Cara’s not just a voice — she writes her own songs and tries to bring meaning and authenticity into her music. Despite fame, Alessia seems to stay grounded. She doesn’t chase the typical pop-star glamour: she often dresses casually (think sneakers, jeans, bomber jackets) rather than high-fashion red-carpet looks. She has said that her music — and the visuals behind it — draw from how she experiences songs in her head through synesthesia, giving her creative projects a deeply personal, intimate vibe. Overall, Alessia Cara is a singer-songwriter who rose from humble, introverted beginnings to become a Grammy-winning artist, all while staying true to her authentic self, using her platform to talk about mental health, self-acceptance, and the beauty of being different.
Four: Here
“Here” was released on April 30, 2015 as Alessia Cara’s debut single — the lead track from her EP Four Pink Walls (2015), and later included on her debut album Know-It-All (2015). The song was produced by Pop & Oak and Sebastian Kole. Lyrically, “Here” is a deeply personal track: Alessia wrote it after attending a party where she felt completely out of place and uncomfortable. She wasn’t into partying — no drinking, no dancing, no loud social energy — and the experience made her realize she didn’t belong there. The song speaks to “the antisocial, awkward, and miserable party-goers of the world,” giving voice to people who feel they don’t fit the typical social vibes pop music often celebrates. It has garnered over 808M streams on spotify and over 284M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. Musically, the song is built around a sample of “Ike’s Rap II” by Isaac Hayes (1971), giving it a moody, soulful, slightly retro feel. “Here” became a sleeper hit — debuting at #95 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in August 2015 before eventually climbing to #5. It also topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart. Internationally, the song broke into the top 40 in multiple countries — including Canada, Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and more. Commercially, “Here” was a massive success. In the United States, it has been certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA (equivalent to 5 million units sold / streamed). In Canada, it is also certified 5× Platinum (about 400,000 units) by Music Canada. “Here” was widely praised. Critics loved how candid and relatable it was — Rolling Stone placed it at #21 on its “50 Best Songs of 2015” list. Billboard called it an anthem for those “fed up with the glut of pop songs about partying and drinking,” saying it made being an introvert “finally cool again.” Because of “Here,” Alessia Cara didn’t just launch her career — she introduced a fresh kind of honesty to pop music. She showed that you don’t need to glamorize parties or live a “pop-star lifestyle” to resonate with people; sometimes, being honest, vulnerable — even “anti-party” — can connect just as deeply.
FYI
- Alessia has been open about several realities many fans don’t know: she has synesthesia (so she sometimes perceives sounds as colours or shapes), and she has spoken publicly about skin conditions like keratosis pilaris and alopecia areata, which caused her hair to thin in patches in her early teens — a painful experience that inspired her message of self-acceptance in “Scars to Your Beautiful.” She’s also been candid about her mental health journey: battling anxiety, insomnia and — at one point — severe panic attacks. She sought therapy and now sees mental health care as vital, admitting that therapy was a “rescue mission” that helped her heal and grow.
Three: Make It To Christmas
“Make It to Christmas” is a holiday single by Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara, released on November 8, 2019 through Def Jam Recordings. The song was written by Alessia (Alessia Caracciolo) and producer Jon Levine, who also produced the track. “Make It to Christmas” dives into the emotional turbulence of a strained relationship during the holiday season. The narrator tells a story of two people who once were “warm and wonderful,” but now find themselves “frozen, hanging by a thread,” as their love grows cold. It had garnered over 120M streams on spotify and over 1.3M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. The song resonates because it subverts the usual cheerful, jolly tone of Christmas music: instead of cheerful bells and snowman-building, it’s melancholic, vulnerable, and real. It captures the bittersweet reality that the holidays can be — a time when loneliness and heartbreak feel even sharper. In terms of reception, “Make It to Christmas” became part of Alessia’s holiday repertoire (it was later included in the “Holiday Stuff” project). On streaming platforms, it has maintained steady popularity especially around the holiday season, often appreciated for its emotional depth and relatability rather than festive cheer. Many fans describe it as one of the modern “sad Christmas songs” — perfect for when you like the seasonal vibe, but also want something real and reflective. Overall, “Make It to Christmas” is a Christmas-themed song less about celebration and more about longing and hope — a soulful, honest plea to hold on to love until the one “favorite day” comes around: Christmas.
Two: Nighttime Thing Ft. Julia Michaels
Serving as her most recent song release, “Nighttime Thing” by Alessia Cara featuring Julia Michaels dropped on October 10, 2025, as part of the deluxe edition of her fourth studio album Love & Hyperbole. The original version of “Nighttime Thing” first appeared on the standard Love & Hyperbole tracklist — released earlier in 2025 — but the duet with Julia Michaels is the freshly released remix that’s now making waves. It has garnered over 2.2M streams on spotify and over 103K views on it’s Official Lyrics video on YouTube. “Nighttime Thing” is a lovestruck anthem: Alessia opens about feeling a real connection with someone — imagining leaving their toothbrush at her place, wanting more than just late-night moments, and hoping their connection could grow into something deeper under the daylight. When Julia Michaels’ part kicks in, their voices weave together into a soft, sensual back-and-forth that magnifies the longing and intimacy in the lyrics. The hook — “I think I like you like that — like that” — is catchy and honest; it captures that hesitant but real moment when something casual starts feeling like something more. Overall, this track stands out as a mature, vulnerable reflection on love and possibility — far from flashy pop braggadocio, it leans into subtlety, emotion, and connection.
Awards/Nominations
- Alessia Cara began receiving major recognition in 2016, earning her first prominent nominations at the MMVAs and the Juno Awards following the success of Here. In 2017, she secured her first major international win with the MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video for “Stay” with Zedd.
- Her biggest milestone came in 2018, when she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, becoming the first Canadian ever to do so, alongside other Grammy nominations tied to “1-800-273-8255” and “Stay.”
- In the years that followed, especially in 2019 and 2020, she continued to be widely recognized at the Juno Awards with multiple nominations across major categories and also received the Allan Slaight Music Impact Honour from Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Altogether, her career has earned her over 20 major award wins and more than 70 nominations, marking her as one of the most celebrated Canadian artists of her generation.
Discography
- Know-It-All (2015)
- The Pains of Growing (2018)
- In the Meantime (2021)
- Love & Hyperbole (2025)
- Love & Hyperbole (Deluxe) (2025)
One: Scars To Your Beautiful
One of the most powerful and defining songs of Alessia Cara’s career, “Scars to Your Beautiful” stands as her biggest hit to date, resonating worldwide with its unapologetic message of self-acceptance and inner beauty. Released on July 26, 2016, as the third single from her debut album Know‑It‑All, the song was written by Alessia Cara, Jon Levine, and Sebastian Kole, with production by Levine. “Scars to Your Beautiful” addresses societal pressures surrounding beauty standards, encouraging listeners — particularly young women — to embrace their natural selves and reject harmful expectations. Alessia Cara delivers the lyrics with heartfelt emotion, creating an anthem for anyone who has ever felt insecure about their appearance or identity. This track has garnered over 1.6B streams on spotify and over 159M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. The music video, released in October 2016, visually reinforces the song’s message by featuring diverse women sharing their stories of struggle, self-doubt, and transformation, paired with Alessia singing amidst intimate, emotional close-ups. This visual storytelling amplified the impact of the song, turning it into not just a hit single but a cultural moment that sparked conversations about self-esteem, beauty standards, and mental health. In terms of commercial success, “Scars to Your Beautiful” is Alessia’s most successful single. It peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, making it her first top-10 hit in the U.S., and reached #7 on the Canadian Hot 100, solidifying her international appeal. It also achieved multi-platinum certifications: in the U.S., it is certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA, while in Canada it earned Platinum certification. Critically, the song was widely acclaimed for its message and Cara’s vocal performance. Outlets like Billboard called it a “timeless anthem of self-love and empowerment,” while Rolling Stone praised it for being both “deeply personal and universally relatable,” cementing Alessia’s reputation as an artist capable of blending pop accessibility with meaningful storytelling.