Trapped in her “Four Pink Walls”

Alessia Caracciolo(Cara), a 19 year old Canadian singer and songwriter currently signed with EP entertainment and Def Jam recordings, released her most recent debut album Four Pink Walls. Alessia’s voice is fresh, flexible and full of energy and borrows from artists such as Amy Winehouse, Demi Lovato and Lorde, a reason for her developing fanbase.

Growing up outside of Toronto, Canada, Alessia Caracciolo wrote poetry and participated in her school’s theater program. She taught herself to play guitar at the age of 10 and launched a YouTube channel at the age of 13. She began doing covers of well known artists such as Lorde and pop-rock band The Neighbourhood, which helped jump-start Cara’s rise to fame.

She encases herself with everything both captivating and riveting about 21st century pop stars. Her recent EP titled Four Pink Walls refers to the pink room in which she recorded videos of her covering songs by other artists.

Alessia’s name became more publicly known through magazine articles about her breakthrough single. Jimmy Fallon also invited Cara to perform Here on The Tonight Show, setting up an even larger platform for her blossoming career. Released on August 28, 2015, Four Pink Walls’ leading single Here has accumulated over 11 million views on YouTube.

Here details Alessia’s feelings at parties, generally feeling out of place. The song revolves around how much she hates being at the party depicted in the song because of drug use, gossiping girls and the kid throwing up because “he can’t take what’s in his cup no more.” By saying “I’ll be over here,” Alessia refers to the outsiders that do not feel the need to give into societal pressures.

The change in perspective indicates her attitude towards the ‘typical’ teen lifestyle of partying, which also emphasises her shy yet intuitive personality. Caracciolo’s anti-stereotypical personality has helped her gain respect within the music industry, given that her personality differentiates from many artists nowadays.

The single saunters with ease and emits a lounge effect, making it nearly impossible to not bob your head along with the playable beats and melodic piano playing in the background. Cara has mentioned in several interviews that Amy Winehouse inspires her. In some of Alessia’s songs, she channels Winehouse through the tone and intonation of her voice.

Although Alessia has only released five songs to date, all have the ability to linger in your head for the rest of the day. Her upbeat and smooth lyrics aren’t the same as every pop song playing on the radio. Although they hold several similarities, she provides her listeners with much more personal and intriguing songs rather than a car-singalong party playlist. Alessia adds an R&B twist to her EP, giving a chilling tone that swerves away from your typical pop song.

Alessia conveys herself as a confident young singer through her lyrics. In Here, Alessia delivers the hook “I’ll be over here” with a tinge of sass, emphasizing the last word in a self-assertive, rebellious manner. Seventeen kicks off the record with hand clapped beats that lead into a hook about appreciating your youth. I’m Yours depicts her antisocial attitude towards a guy, in a flirtatious manner.

With 127 thousand followers on Twitter and 50 thousand likes on Facebook, Alessia Cara’s sizable fan base will without-a-doubt help launch her to the top charts if she keeps up her unique and rebellious feel.

You can find her album, Four Pink Walls on Spotify or purchase the album on iTunes. You can also check out her Youtube channel.