Six things you need to know about Alessia Cara

Time to get that June Spotify playlist off to a flying start…

01. Like Justin Bieber, Alessia is Canadian and started out by posting cover songs on YouTube.

02. The Bieber comparison ends there. Alessia’s own music is soulful pop with striking confessional lyrics.

03. Her song about feeling awkward at a party, Here, is already huge in the US. “I think it appeals to people who feel any kind of social anxiety,” she says. “I’m not always like that, but at certain parties I feel so small and uncomfortable, I just want to leave.”

04. Alessia’s song Wild Things is also striking a chord. “A lot of gay guys say they relate to it. It’s about embracing yourself and not worrying about labels. People are always like, ‘What category do you fit under?’ But to me, sexuality is just part of who you are, you don’t need to be labelled as anything.” Amen!

05. She’s a massive Amy Winehouse fan and sometimes covers Valerie at her gigs. “When I first heard Amy, I didn’t know what she was going through because I hadn’t experienced love yet, but her music would still make me want to cry. That’s the power it has,” Alessia says.

06. Alessia’s cover of Bad Blood so impressed Taylor Swift that she was recently asked to duet with her. She’s not a full member of Taylor’s famous “squad” yet, but watch this space.

Alessia Cara’s debut album Know-It-All is out now – @alessiacara