In spite of what the majority of high school movies will try to have you believe, not every teenager loves hedonistic, raging parties. In fact, a lot of kids would rather be doing just about anything else to avoid them, if 18-year-old singer Alessia is any indication. On "Here", the Ontario native’s debut single for Def Jam, she hones in with laser precision on what makes those parties so entirely insufferable: the stoned boys trying to get her attention, the meaningless music she doesn’t want to listen to, the gossiping girls in the kitchen.
Alessia rebukes them all over a deft, warped Isaac Hayes sample. "Here" becomes a defiant, clever rallying cry for the wallflowers and introverts who’d rather be at home recording covers of their favorite songs or kicking back with friends than indulging in some run-of-the-mill bacchanal. Alessia may be just starting out, but her powerhouse voice and lyrical finesse make it clear: She may have to start getting used to attending a lot more parties.
They all stand on their own, but I'm eager to group Alessia with other candid powerhouses like Rihanna songwriter Bibi Bourelly and superstar-in-waiting Kehlani, young, maybe weed-smoking women who write their experiences authentically and successfully flip them into universally appealing hits. I love Ester Dean, Sia, and Taylor Swift, but I'm so happy pop radio has this new squad of winners.
You can sense from the tone of Alessia’s voice that she’s not just a shy wallflower. She’s completely confident that she wants nothing to do with that specific party crowd. “Here” is an anthem for everyone who is comfortable admitting that they much rather do their own thing.
Although her strong, soulful voice makes it hard to believe she’s an introvert, of her track produced by Pop and Oak and Sebastian Cole, she told The FADER “Here” is "for all the antisocial, awkward, and miserable party-goers of the world.” Like an anthem for the chillest women you know, it’s very refreshing to hear such authenticity from someone so new to the industry.
Bumping -- Stumbled across this just a few minutes ago and wanted to make sure this was posted on ATRL.
This song?
The beat? Fantastic.
Her voice? Phenominal.
The soul beind it? Other-worldy.
The words? I am a Lana stan through and through, and I don't know if she wrote this song or not, but this is basically an "Off To The Races" R&B equivalent to me. Slower production with faster words? ****.
This is an amazing song. Do yourselves a favor, ATRL. Get on this train before it hits the radio. I predict a hit.
great voice 
