Music Review: Alessia Cara - Four Pink Walls

Anyone who’s seen the video for Alessia Cara’s song “Here” (and over five million people have) know that this 19-year-old from Brampton, Ont. is destined for big things. The song, one of five featured on her debut Four Pink Walls, shows Cara to be a wise-beyond-her-years talent. The lyrics suggest a wallflower at a house party, but it becomes clear she’s nobody’s fool, just not interested in superficial socializing. Her maturity is evident on “Seventeen,” about growing up too fast. When Cara sings about falling in love, “I’m Yours,” it’s no simple surrender; she takes her boyfriend to task for “melting this heart of iron.” Closer vocally to Lorde than Ariana Grande and with a smooth, hip-hop-influenced r&b sound, Cara is clearly going places.