The Pains Of Growing
Three years after *Know-It-All* introduced her as pop’s rebellious newcomer—an introvert with power pipes who was skeptical about fame—Alessia Cara returns with a fresh perspective. Rather than run away from her problems, the 22-year-old Toronto-area singer opts, instead, to run toward them. Her autobiographical sophomore album tells her journey of heartbreak, growth, and self-acceptance with cautious optimism. “I guess the bad can get better/Gotta be wrong before it’s right,” she sings on “Growing Pains,” an introspective, chin-up ballad about the trials of adolescence and stardom. Cara, who often talks openly about therapy, works through a wide range of emotions here—vulnerability (“I Don’t Want To”), disappointment (“All We Know”), and determination (“Wherever I Live”)—and each song feels like an outstretched hand. On “Not Today,” she simply lets herself feel low, offering the gentle reminder that healing takes time. “One day I won’t need a PhD to sit me down/And tell me what it all means,” she sings. “Maybe one day it’ll be a breeze/But surely not today.”
The pop singer hits a soft reset on her second album, which isn’t a revelation, but it has the tinge of a project made with love and devotion.
Pop's thoughtful sort-of outsider returns with a winningly authentic second album that proves she's increasingly unforgettable
Review: Alessia Cara never runs out of eloquent coming-of-age complaints on 'The Pains of Growing' album
Strong tunes are let down by lyrics that too often strain to bridge the gap between teenage and young adulthood on this second album