Concerts Reviews

The Quiet Power of Alessia Cara on Full Display in Vancouver – Live Review

Published

6 months ago

May 28, 2025

Jason M.

We were on hand at Vancouver’s Centre for the Performing Arts this week to see Alessia Cara close out the Canadian leg of her Love and Hyperbole tour. Check out our review and photos below!

Alicia Moffet

Opening for Alessia Cara was fellow Canadian and The Next Star winner Alicia Moffet. What was The Next Star you ask? Unfortunately for everyone, that’s a question I can answer, as I spent the last 10 minutes going down a rabbit hole. Apparently, TNS was a Canadian talent show that ran for 7 seasons on YTV. Being a man of a certain age, I am not shocked that I’d never heard of it. To balance my ignorance, I will say that Alyssia Reid is the only other contestant I’ve ever heard of from this show, and she is incredible, so good on her and Alicia for escaping the curse that was this production.

Alicia Moffet. Did I know who Alicia was before I got to the show? Yes, actually! Did I have to search her name in my Apple Music library to be reminded what she sang? Also yes! But that’s less about her music and more of a “everything is shuffle now, I don’t look at my phone, what am I even listening to” problem. You get it.

If you are new to Alicia Moffet’s work, I strongly suggest you start with “Lullaby.” It plays as a smoother, cooler-than-you version of “ABCDEFU’ if that song was your thing a summer or two ago. Alicia can slow it down, and layer her voice, and really record something special.
“Open Up” is the second song you’ll want to find. You’d think it was Some Popular DJ ft/ Alicia Moffet, it has that sort of chorus and is very EDM-adjacent. Excellent, fun song. Add to playlist, mark as favourite.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a Canadian of talent with several catchy hit songs, Alicia served as an excellent opener for Alessia, throwing herself around the stage and interacting with the audience. You really couldn’t ask for more, and I hope this supporting tour is just her way of preparing for a 3rd album release soon, because we are overdue

Alessia Cara

Alessia gets overlooked a lot, although I don’t understand how this could possibly be the case. She should be everywhere, all the time! She has had some hits – real, non-trivial hits. “Stay” is a banger and a track I’ve had on multiple playlists over the years. Did she sing it Monday night? Of course she did. Was it a slowed down, almost jazzified version? That was a thing that we didn’t expect to hear. I assume this only happened because Zedd is playing a European club somewhere to 75 ultra-wealthy socialites and so wasn’t available for an all-ages show in Vancouver. It is what it is.

Alessia’s show was intimate and engaging, filled with uplifting anecdotes and a theme of… Perseverance? Hope? In a world of artists creating art and letting others find their own interpretations, Alessia is comfortable telling her stories of heartbreak, and how she wrote a song, and why. She will tell you that if you are going through something similar that you need to be brave, because it’s going to be ok. This was her vibe the last time I saw her as well, and it’s endearing.

Alessia is a gem, well on her way to becoming a national treasure. “Scars to Your Beautiful” is beautifully produced, we’re going to get more of that from her. “Wild Things” has that “today’s youth” vibe, and “Rooting for You” is cute in the best way possible. She’s starting a new phase, that second decade that is so good to so many musicians that fly ever-so-slightly under the radar, like Carly Rae Jepsen or CHVRCHES. Just quietly putting out amazing music until something goes viral every now and then, because of course it does, because, again, excellent.

We had a great time at the show, and we hope you enjoy a few photos below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!