Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara started her music career as a teenager by posting acoustic covers of songs like Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” on YouTube. In 2015, she put out her breakthrough (quintessential loner) anthem, Here, and then her platinum-selling debut album, Know-It-All. But, after releasing her third album In the Meantime in 2021, she needed a pause. Today, she returns with her first studio album in four years, Love & Hyperbole.

In the lead-up to her anticipated release, Cara has been working with Lenovo, Intel and Universal Music Group For Brands (UMGB) for her ‘Made By Alessia Cara‘ campaign, with an accompanying three-part episodic series that documents the creative journey behind the development of the album trailer. One thing is clear: alongside developing her craft and songwriting skills, Cara has spent the last few years finally making time for love (and then writing about it).

Ahead, we spoke to Cara about embracing Valentine‘s Day, investing in her platonic and romantic relationships and being cheesy – all for the sake of a really good love song.

Your album came out today. What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?

Alessia Cara: Valentine’s Day is all about love, and this album is too. I’m definitely going to be with a bunch of people I love: friends, family and people I work with, too, so it’s going to be fun. I hope people can use the album as a thing to do on date night. When I was younger, I used to be bitter if I didn’t have a partner, but I’ve learned to use the day for my love for everyone else and self-love. The older I get, the more I realise so many different forms of love deserve to be celebrated.

I know this is your first studio album in four years. Why was it important for you to take a pause?

Alessia Cara: For a few different reasons. I hit a creative block and wanted to find new inspiration again. To do that, you need to be living life. Not on a screen having an online personality, because that can skew your personal experiences. You are constantly looking at what other people say about or expect of you. I needed to be on my own and rediscover who I am as an artist.

Even if it’s cheesy or feels really negative, just say the thing because that’s the thing that people will connect to the most

It’s hard to balance needing to write and needing to live to have something to write about. So, how has your own love life influenced the album?

Alessia Cara: I allowed myself to be a person again and open myself up to different joys again – romantic love or self-love. I’ve made music my whole life, but I wasn’t taking care of my relationships. I made time for love and relationships and actually allowed myself to be excited about that area of my life for the first time. I think it reshaped not only my music but my values a bit.

What makes a good love song, in your opinion?

Alessia Cara: Oh my god, I don’t know. I think honesty is important. Even if it’s cheesy or feels really negative, say the thing because that’s the thing that people will connect to the most. I feel like the ones that always hit me or make me cry are just the ones that are really, really open and don't hold back. They are unapologetically whatever they are. Just admitting the things about yourself that sound weird or don’t even put you in the best light is super honest. Amy Winehouse was a huge influence on me because she always did that really well. She never claimed to be perfect, but that's why her stuff was so great.

I was going to say, what songs are you influenced by?

Alessia Cara: ‘Back to Black’ was a big one for me. ‘Fix you by Coldplay’ and ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele, too.

What does your songwriting process look like?

Alessia Cara: It’s all just an energetic thing, honestly. It changes almost all the time, but writing at night is quite common. I get the most inspiration then because I have a lot of time to myself to think. I’ve never been a great sleeper, so I often get lured out of bed by an idea. As soon as an idea comes, it’s very spontaneous, and I have to get it out right away.

I know you got your start posting covers on YouTube when you were a teenager. What’s your experience with having an internet following from a young age?

Alessia Cara: It was interesting to process at a crucial stage of growth. Being a teenager, you’re already discovering your identity, so having to do that with people watching you is hard. I’m lucky my music career started taking off at the tail end of my teen years. Before that, I had a little bit of a following on the internet, but it wasn't anything super crazy. I still had a childhood, but it was challenging navigating boundaries in my late teens, going into my twenties, and understanding that people's view of you is not actually you – you can decide who you are.

The world is really weird to navigate, and I don’t think any of us know what we’re doing, but love helps keep us grounded and reminds us of what’s important. It’s important to grab it when we find it anywhere, in any capacity

How is the industry different or even similar to what you expected back then?

Alessia Cara: The industry has changed so much. It’s hard to understand exactly what it is because every time I feel like I have a grasp on it, it changes, and everything we think we know is different. But I don’t know what I expected. I don’t think my thoughts went beyond just wanting to sing and write music for a living. 

What would you say to your younger self then?

Alessia Cara: Just try to be present. I know it sounds cheesy, but enjoy it all because it’s not going to be there forever. You’re going to do something really incredible and don’t let the other burdens overshadow the fact that you're living your dream. I wish I got to enjoy it more, but I feel like you can never really do that. In hindsight, it’s easy to say, but it's obviously challenging when you’re going through it.

Why do you think the music industry (and the world) needs more love songs right now?

Alessia Cara: The world needs more love songs because you can never have too much of [love]. Again, this is cheesy, but I feel like love really is the point of anything. The world is really weird to navigate, and I don’t think any of us know what we’re doing, but love helps keep us grounded and reminds us of what’s important. It’s important to grab it when we find it anywhere, in any capacity.