Italian-Canadian singer Alessia Cara was 13 when she started posting videos of herself singing on YouTube. She was shy at first, but she was committed to pursuing a career in music and performing publicly. It took her a few years, but she got discovered through her videos when she was 17. She released her solo debut in 2015. She just turned 21 this month.
Cara made a decision early on to let image and hype take a back seat to songs and music. Cara is also committed to presenting herself in an unvarnished down-to-earth and true-to-life fashion. She’s the rare pop star who doesn’t seem destined for tabloid scandals. Her first single, “Here,” was basically about being at a lame party with people that the singer doesn’t really like or want to hang out with; it’s sort of an antisocial anthem, one that gets played at parties now. Her hit “Scars to Your Beautiful” is one of those anthems to loving yourself and having hope triumph over pain. She also performed an award-winning song on the “Moana” soundtrack.
Alessia Cara performs at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, Friday, July 21, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $45, foxwoods.com.
