Alessia Cara covered “Hotline Bling” and “Magnets” and now we know heaven
Not even gonna sugarcoat it: We’re obsessed with Alessia Cara. Since releasing her debut single “Here” last April – a soulfully addictive anthem for those of us who’d rather be anywhere than a rager (do the kids still call them “ragers”?) – the 19-year-old Canadian singer has been on fire. This past November, she dropped her first full-length studio album, Know-It-All, to critical acclaim; and her accompanying tour kicks off this Friday in Montreal, hitting cities in Canada, the U.S., and Europe on its 25-date run. Cara will also be performing at Coachella this April — so, needless to say, 2016 is shaping up to be her year.
But Cara hasn’t gone SO far that she’s forgotten her roots — namely, her humble beginnings on YouTube, where she used to post cover songs before hitting the big time. And on this beautiful January day, she has gifted us with not one, but two new covers of songs we know and love already: Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and “Magnets” by Disclosure and Lorde. Recorded during a Live Lounge session with BBC Radio 1, Cara’s soulful, blues-tinted vocal influence turns both songs into something totally new — and we can’t stop listening.
Only someone with a voice as enchantingly beautiful as Cara’s could take two songs that stand so well on their own and give them an entirely new level of swoon-worthy badassery. Both have an entirely different feel with Cara at the reigns, without losing any of their original charm. Her cover of “Hotline Bling” feels extra special given that Drake was the one to discover her — and we think she does him proud.
The whole thing has us wondering what songs Cara will slay next — and whether road-tripping to Coachella just to camp out and see her is acceptable (just kidding — of course it is). Here’s hoping a Drake and/or Lorde collaboration is on our very near future.
Check out Cara’s cover of both songs below, and join me in writing a fan letter to her, begging her to cover the Spice Girls’ entire discography.
(Image via Taylor Hill / Getty Images)
Current obsession: Alessia Cara’s freshly dropped album (and her DIY music videos)
