Nineteen-year-old Alessia Cara, born in Brampton, Canada, released her first EP “Four Pink Walls” on Aug. 26. The EP sells for $4.95 and lasts nearly 17 minutes.

Her music contains an addicting old soul feel to it and geniously breaks away from the lyrical norm. She doesn’t talk about the cliches of relationships, and being a teenager, she tells it how it is and makes it a focal point of her songs

Cara debuted her first single “Here” in late May, and though in the music world it is a new song, I’m appalled at myself for not finding out about this artist sooner. “Here” is a song about being at a party but really just wanting to be at your friend’s house eating pizza and watching movies. Her choice to do this instantly brings positive thoughts when first listening to it instead of the “Ugh, another song about partying” mindset.  

The new release is so full of power, it feels like it should be the song playing in the climax of a movie. When you’re listening to it, it’s like Christmas day and there is that one small present under the tree you’re just dying to open, and when you do it’s a wave of happiness, relief and pure joy.

Another song, “Seventeen” which came out in August, captivates the feeling every teenager has when getting ready to chose their new path for life. It starts with her being a child and being utterly excited to be a teenager and having the teenage freedoms, but when she reaches the stage in her life she realizes how hard it can be. The use of the lyrics, “Now I wish I could freeze the time at seventeen” reveal that the pressure and the decision making of picking colleges and doing well in school can get so overwhelming you just wish time would stop.

Cara constantly creates music that is new and enticing yet it’s so different because when you listen to it, it feels so refreshing and youthful. She gives off a teenage Rihanna vibe in the song, “I’m Yours” with lyrics that give off her honest truth about teenage relationships. The song goes through all the stages of before, during and after a relationship. The music video could have easily had a huge production to it, with a lead guy and fancy sets and outfits, but it was pulled off with simplicity and comical grace.

The cover song, “Four Pink Walls,” is about her bedroom walls and has a TLC and Amy Winehouse tone to it with dragged out syllables and a sweet sassiness laced through the song. The theme is her dreams outside of those four pink walls, and that when she decided to go out and put forth effort into making her dreams a reality, the universe aligned and it happened.

In the past few months, Cara has been releasing tons of music onto her YouTube channel and on her iTunes. The EP is so uplifting yet relaxing. It really sends out positive messages with a modern twist on it which gives here music a great edge to it. If you have been looking for new music that has deep meanings intertwined in the lyrics with a fun and refreshing sound, this EP is the one for you.

by LILY JONES