Alessia Cara

Alessia Caracciolo, a singer-songwriter from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, decided to shorten her last name upon releasing her first single, “Here,” because it was “so long and spelled crazy.”

Starting at age 13, Cara posted covers on her YouTube channel and began gaining traction with her cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors.” Her rendition of The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” soon led to her signing with EP Entertainment and later Def Jam.

Her debut single, “Here,” premiered on The FADER on April 27, 2015, and quickly gained popularity, amassing 18 million Spotify streams and 4.5 million views on its official video within four months.

On August 26, 2015, Cara released her first EP, Four Pink Walls, which featured a video for each track, including “Here.”

Her debut album, Know-It-All, was released on November 13, 2015.

Cara won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 2018 Grammys on January 28, 2018.

Her second studio album, The Pains of Growing, released on November 30, 2018, explores changes in Cara’s life post-fame and adulthood, supported by singles “Growing Pains” and “Trust My Lonely,” earning critical acclaim.

In September 2019, Cara released an EP called This Summer, with singles like “Ready” and the Top 40 hit “Rooting For You.” In September 2021, her third studio album, In the Meantime, was released, featuring the lead single “Sweet Dream,” bringing Cara back to the pop charts.