Entertainment

Bieber & 1D Have A New Competitor

by Tobi Gbile

Uh-oh, looks like there's yet another artist joining the battle of the charts on Nov. 13. Newbie singer-songwriter Alessia Cara just announced that her debut album, Know It All , will be released on the same day as albums from pop sensations Justin Bieber and One Direction. It's a huge power move for a 19-year-old newbie, but does Cara stand a chance against these two global powerhouses?

At first glance, one might be quick to think that the "Here" singer has no shot with that kind of competition. Don't be too quick to judge her, though; this girl has the walk to match her talk. If you're unfamiliar with her, you won't be for long. Her single "Here", from her debut EP "Four Pink Walls" that she released in August, has racked up over 44 million listens on Spotify — clearly, her talent has not gone unnoticed. She has covered numerous hits on YouTube, like The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face", Nick Jonas' "Levels", and Drake's "Hotline Bling", all of which are amazing and have received a lot of attention. In fact, Jonas reached out to Cara on Tuesday, tweeting, “@AlessiaCara this cover of LEVELS is awesome. I love ‘Here’ keep doing your thing.” Watch the video of the cover below and you'll see why it's no surprise that Jonas was so smitten about it.

I get why people may be skeptical about Cara going up against the big leagues in November. However, I think that dropping her album the same day as Justin Bieber's Purpose and One Direction's Made in the A.M, shows a lot more about what she can do rather than what she can't. Cara is extremely talented, but this move proves that she is also extremely courageous. Knowing that everyone was already very caught up in the chart battle between 1D and JB, and deciding that she didn't care and was going to give it a shot regardless, speaks a lot about her career. Taking a risky chance like this one for her first album is going to have people talking about her and her amazing voice for a long time to come.

But what are the cons of Cara releasing her album that day? Of course, there's the chance of her being swallowed by her competition in the media on the day of her release, due to all of the press that Justin Bieber and One Direction will be getting in order to see who comes out on top of the other. There's also the chance of her not gaining as many sales due to all of the attention that her competitors will be receiving. However, that doesn't mean that it isn't worth a shot. With the backing of Def Jam Records, her fans, and supportive artists like Nick Jonas, Cara has the ability to shine through the chart battle. Regardless, she'll most likely make the top three albums released that week, and she'd rightfully deserve her spot. I wish her nothing but the best of luck with Know It All, and I know I'm not the only one rooting for her to succeed.