Twenty-two year old Canadian artist, Alessia Cara, released her second album on November 30 titled The Pains of Growing.
When listening to the album in its entirety, I tried listening for a pattern in the order of the songs. Although there are no evident patters, it was very easy to tell that all of her songs had to do with some of the experiences she had transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.
The overall message of the album is that we need to become aware of the pressure society puts on us to grow up so fast. We are expected to have life figured out so young that we totally forget about taking advantage of our youth and making the best of it while it lasts. Cara also touches upon the fact that we cannot expect ourselves to be happy all the time and that it is totally normal to experience several different emotions at that time in our lives.
Another thing that I personally think really stands out about this album is that, it does not only touch upon the common things people experience during adolescence, but also the things people discover and begin to contemplate. Cara touches upon self discovery, love, heartbreak, and politics.
Three songs that I really enjoy listening to and I feel are very impactful are “7 Days”, “Wherever I Live”, and “Nintendo Game”. These songs encouraged me to reflect on the life I am currently living, and made me realize that everything I go through, positive or not, will make me a stronger person in the future.
Post by: Beatriz Pardal Costa