Popular singer-songwriter Alessia Cara has made her comeback with her new album Love & Hyperbole, which was released on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2025. I had the chance to attend a press conference for Cara, and I thought it’d be fitting to take a dive into her new album and her past work.
Alessia Cara’s Rise
I’m sure everyone will probably recognize the name Alessia Cara; she has had multiple hit songs as well as albums over the past decade. The singer was born in Canada on July 11, 1996, and has climbed the ranks with songs like “1-800-273-8255,” “Stay,” and “Here”. Her most well-known songs have made their way onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The singer first debuted with the album Know-It-All back in 2015, and as the years went on, she’s won many awards for her musical capabilities. She’s won Teen Choice Awards, Streamy Awards, Juno Awards, and more. Cara even won one of the most pivotal awards for an artist, a Grammy for Best New Artist, in 2018. Cara has since continued making music and, in 2018, released her second album, Growing Pains, which talks about the struggles of growing up and transitioning into adulthood.
I find Cara to be someone who is truly authentic. She speaks about topics that we all can relate to and that we want to hear our favorite artists speak out about. In many of her songs, she talks about insecurities, growing up, and relationships. She is someone who uses her voice for important issues, which is why so many people keep up with her.
Press Conference
Now that we’re all caught up on who Cara is, her previous work, and her achievements, let’s talk more about her just released album.
Love and Hyperbole came out on Feb. 14, 2025, and prior to its release, I was able to attend a press conference where Cara answered questions and talked about the highly anticipated album. Throughout the conference, audience members were greeted by a bright Cara, who answered questions about the theme of her album, what the visuals represent, who she is, and how she has evolved with very deep and profound answers.
One member of the audience noticed the visuals of the album being red and black and even pointed out how Cara was following that theme by wearing a bright red sweater to the conference. The audience member then asked Cara the significance of the visuals in relation to the album. Cara answered by saying, “I have always related colors, shapes, and sort of just whole universes to every song, every project of mine” (she also mentioned how it might be due to her synesthesia, which is a condition where your senses get mixed up). On the topic of colors, she mentioned how red symbolizes love, and that she thought it was a sophisticated, rich, and warm color. She said that the black and red coloring contrasts perfectly, just like the album.
Another audience member asked Cara what has kept her motivated as she releases this new album after having had such success in the early start of her career. Cara mentioned how important it is to always have goals. She stated, “Continue to work towards something even if it’s not necessarily concrete.” She brought up how you should want to have goals and want to make yourself better. She also said to make sure the goals you set for yourself are healthy goals, which has really stuck with me.
Toward the end of the press conference, I had the chance to ask Cara my own question. As someone who grew up listening to her music, I was ecstatic to have the chance to speak with the singer.
I asked Cara about how she finds that spark of creativity when she has a lack of inspiration. Cara answered my question by talking about how important it is to step away from the work for a little while. She mentioned how when she loops the same instrumental repeatedly to write a song, it blends together and can become blurry. She stated, “If I try to write my way through something, [I] won’t find the thing [I’m] looking for.” She also mentioned the importance of writing intuitively rather than analytically.
Love & Hyperbole
Cara’s newest album, Love & Hyperbole, is now available, and if you’re a fan of her previous work, I highly recommend giving this new album a listen. With themes of love, self-discovery, new experiences, and growing up, this new album is sure to be an experience that we can all relate to and find comfort in.