Alessia Cara’s New Album Represents Her ‘Belief in Myself’ (Unique)

• Alessia Cara’s new album, Love & Hyperbole, is out now
• The singer lately teamed up with Lenovo and Intel for the Made By marketing campaign to make a trailer and behind-the-scenes visuals for the album
• Cara opens as much as PEOPLE in regards to the new period forward of her upcoming tour and the tenth anniversary of her hit-filled debut album, Know-It-All

For Alessia Cara, releasing her new album nearly appears like using a motorcycle once more.

“It is just a bit extra wobbly, and I am extra nervous as a result of it has been an extended time in between,” the Grammy winner, 28, tells PEOPLE over Zoom forward of its launch. “It appears like coming again for the primary time in a bizarre approach.”

However Love & Hyperbole — her fourth studio album, launched Friday, Feb. 14 — is much from Cara’s first time behind the handlebars. After a decade within the music business and an almost four-year absence since 2021’s Within the Meantime (her “longest time away” between albums), Cara is now as soon as once more placing belief in herself and releasing a full-length venture. In a way, that very same belief may be seen on the album’s cowl — which depicts her holding herself up by one arm.

“I actually do really feel like during the last three years I realized to open up my coronary heart to like and belief in different individuals,” Cara says of Love & Hyperbole and its visuals. “Nevertheless it finally got here again to belief in myself — and never a lot trusting that every thing’s going to work out on a regular basis, however relatively trusting that you may be okay if and when it does not.”

“Not every thing works out, it is inevitable that issues do not go your approach otherwise you could be heartbroken,” she provides of the album’s message. “We’re not exempt from feeling ache. So I feel it is simply that sentiment of ‘I will be okay if it does not go my approach.'”

Love & Hyperbole hasn’t simply required Cara to belief herself, but it surely’s additionally given her an opportunity to belief just a few people together with her imaginative and prescient, as a part of Lenovo and Intel’s Made By marketing campaign in partnership with Common Music Group for Manufacturers. For the team-up, Cara was partnered with creatives like Maris Jones, Gaia Maria and her brother Dario Caracciolo to make an album trailer and behind-the-scenes visuals that greatest symbolize the sentiments of affection, hyperbole and, after all, the album itself.

Forward of the album launch and upcoming tour, kicking off in April, Cara caught up with PEOPLE to debate her newest partnership, Love & Hyperbole, the forthcoming tenth anniversary of her 2015 debut Know It All and the colours she sees in her new work as a part of her synesthesia.

What about this partnership felt like a great match for you in creating this album trailer?

They have been simply so open to me creating no matter I wished. I obtained to make use of their actually cool merchandise which might be tremendous high-tech and actually progressive and superior. It simply made the method actually cool. I feel what we landed on was this album trailer the place we might announce the monitor listing and provides every music just a little second, just a little mini world inside itself, which you do not actually get to do as a pop artist. Solely a pair songs often get movies in as we speak’s day and age.

There’s one a part of the behind-the-scenes I discovered tremendous neat, and you’ve got spoken about it earlier than, however you focus on your expertise with synesthesia. What colours have been you seeing as you have been making this document?

I truthfully used a number of the colours I used to be seeing on the quilt artwork, which is why there’s a number of black and grey and this sort of wine, burgundy, reddish colour. Each time I might write and end a music, it could fall below that very same world. It was simply the charcoal grays, the darkish shade after which this wealthy sort of heat purple. It is very nice to have the ability to use this bizarre little factor I’ve — that is in any other case ineffective — in my job when it issues. For every thing else, it does not actually have a goal, however I positively like to harness it when creating visuals.

Do you think about your self to be hyperbolic in your on a regular basis life? Do you utilize a number of hyperboles in dialog?

I am all the time talking in hyperbole. Once more, whether or not it is in a humorous sense, which is generally how I take advantage of it, however simply in life for certain. I are typically, I would not say a dramatic particular person, however I’m a really delicate, emotional particular person and a really anxious particular person. I feel anxiousness causes you to be hyperbolic on a regular basis as a result of once more, simply every thing feels prefer it’s the tip of the world.

After we spoke final 12 months, you spoke about beginning this album round late 2021. 4 years is a very long time. Are you able to hear these years of your life once you take heed to it now?

I positively can. I actually tried to make this album as chronological as doable too, so you possibly can sort of hear that journey, for lack of a greater phrase, all through the entire thing. And positively after I hear again front-to-back, I can hear precisely the place I used to be at every level. I really feel happy with myself. As soon as I listened to the entire thing, and I obtained to the tip of it, I felt actually happy with myself for getting myself out of these holes that I’d’ve dug up for myself in a approach that feels good. I am at peace with much more than I used to be after I first began. So hopefully individuals can hear that the best way that I can.

What’s been your favourite factor that you have realized about your self as you’ve put the ending touches on this album?

I realized to only put myself on the market and never be afraid to possibly say one thing that could be just a little scary. But in addition simply even when it comes all the way down to the writing course of itself, I was such a shy author the place I must go into the producer’s studio with a music already accomplished as a result of I used to be so fearful of attempting an concept in entrance of them simply to waste their time or one thing. I simply all the time felt like I needed to show myself and show that I used to be good. However with this album, I actually let go, and I used to be capable of simply improvise within the room and simply mumble issues and say an concept that could be silly and simply throw a bunch of darts on the wall and see what comes. I realized to take that with me for the subsequent few albums and identical to, who cares? Simply have enjoyable with it and take a look at issues.

We have got a number of totally different grooves and stylistic decisions on the album, from “(Is not It) Apparent” to “Sluggish Movement.” However what would you say makes these songs really feel entire as a unit?

I feel that they really feel like they belong in the identical world musically, though they’re all very totally different. I predominantly made this album reside, which was tremendous useful in making it really feel cohesive as a result of all [the] sounds, there’s an individual enjoying them and the textures there. All of the little components, I attempted to actually make them really feel as cohesive as doable whereas additionally giving as a lot selection as I can. It appears like probably the most cohesive album I’ve made. I feel the story helps tie it collectively too, placing it in some form of chronological approach from starting to finish.

November will mark the 10-year anniversary of Know It All. What does that album particularly imply to you now?

I nearly see it as possibly you are an older sister, and you’ve got just a little sister who’s actually cute at first after which they begin to get annoying. After which you might have this relationship the place you are a bit aggravated by her and also you’re identical to, “Ah, you are probably not that cool.” After which as she will get older, you begin to relate once more, and you are like, “Wait, my little sister, I like you.” That is how I really feel in regards to the album. There was some extent the place I outgrew it, and I used to be not resentful of it, however you are feeling like it’s a must to consistently evaluate your self to a model of your self that you simply not actually affiliate with as a result of I used to be a child after I made that. I’ve simply grown up a lot, and I can look again on that model of myself and people songs and simply be so happy with them.

These songs took me around the globe. They’ve given me my life, and I am so endlessly grateful to all of the individuals concerned in that venture and to that album and people songs. And I actually do love them and I like to sing them now once more. For some time once more, you get uninterested in them, however now I am excited once more to sing them as a result of it simply feels nostalgic, and I do know individuals love them, and it makes individuals comfortable.

Is there a message that you simply’d give your self 10 years in the past in regards to the journey you’ve got been on since creatively?

There’s a lot I might say. I feel truthfully I might simply inform her to carry on as a result of I had no concept what was coming — genuinely no concept. And it was positively a twister whirlwind 10 years. So I might say, “Simply maintain on. The individuals you might have round, maintain them round,” which I am grateful to have accomplished.

And as tacky because it sounds, “Keep as current as doable,” as a result of there have been a number of occasions the place I feel I used to be so overwhelmed that I did not get to carry onto or grasp something or course of something. I missed out on a number of moments I might have taken in higher as a result of I used to be simply being whisked away by no matter was taking place. So I might inform myself to remain current and seize little snapshots as a lot as doable.

As your catalog will get bigger, as you proceed to create data, does it get simpler or harder to resolve on setlists forward of this tour?

I might say it positively will get tougher for certain. It is as a result of there’s extra individuals to disappoint. Each album you set out and each music you chop out… Everybody’s going to have a unique favourite, after which there’s all the time going to be somebody upset their music did not get performed. That half sucks as a result of I wish to play each single music. However I feel we will all the time make little medleys work. I feel the great thing about having a ton of songs is there’s solely so many keys, solely so many chords, and so we will sort of mash up various things.

What has been your favourite reminiscence of Love & Hyperbole to date? What second has meant probably the most for you on this journey?

My goodness. There’s been so many issues. I feel it is simply probably the most gratifying factor ever to make a venture that I completely love, with no sacrifices having to be made artistically. I feel I’ve simply aligned with every of the singles, too. I actually simply love them, and I can simply talk about them so truthfully as a result of I actually do really feel so proudly about them. So I feel it is identical to my artistic goals and what has been allowed to occur creatively aligning has been so particular. And simply seeing the response, seeing individuals who have waited for my new music for the final three years and been right here for the final 10 years, nonetheless excited and nonetheless ready for brand spanking new issues. It is all the time probably the most particular once you get to see them and listen to what they consider these songs, and the truth that they like them is the most effective.