Alessia Cara puts nerves aside for MMVAs hosting gig
Alessia Cara is trying to shake off her jitters over co-hosting today’s iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards. The pint-sized pop star from Brampton, Ont., often gets nervous about singing, but presiding over a live TV awards show is new territory.
“I’m preparing myself for misreading something at some point,” the Scars to Your Beautiful singer admits.
“It’s a whole other thing to entertain an entire crowd for the whole show and just be vibrant and not mess up.”
Luckily, Cara will be backed up by co-host Joe Jonas, formerly of the Jonas Brothers and now the lead singer of DNCE, who is well experienced with the rowdy MMVA street party after hosting with his brothers eight years ago.
Cara turned to him for advice at a recent photo shoot, hoping the seasoned veteran might calm her fears.
“As cliché and cheesy as it sounds, just have fun,” Jonas said. “Let go, enjoy the experience and know that it’s not the end of the world. This is a really cool opportunity to get up there on stage and if things go wrong then so be it — we’ll go with the punches.
“Alessia Cara is a sweetheart and so talented. I have no doubt she’ll do an amazing job.”
Cara will also be among friends and fellow artists throughout the night, who will help to lighten the mood.
Presenters for this year’s MMVAs include pop stars Carly Rae Jepsen and Serena Ryder, YouTuber Tyler Oakley, 13 Reasons Why star Brandon Flynn and Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany.
While Cara isn’t slated to perform, Jonas will play with DNCE, known for their song Cake By the Ocean.
Other performers booked to play their latest hits include Lorde, Imagine Dragons and former One Direction member Niall Horan.
Leading the MMVA nominations are Shawn Mendes, Grimes and A Tribe Called Red, who are contending in four categories each.
Even the co-hosts have a few nods with DNCE in the running for international duo or group, while Cara is vying for most buzzworthy Canadian artist and Canadian single of the year.
It’s been a stunning run for Cara. Her debut album in 2015, Know-It-All, was certified platinum in the United States last month, selling more than one million album-equivalent units, which include digital streams. It has racked up another 146,000 copies in Canada.
Cara holds a spot on the Billboard charts with Stay, a collaboration with German electronic producer Zedd. Over the past few months Cara has been focusing on what her second album will sound like.
Inside a Los Angeles studio she has laid out 14 tracks so far, with producers including duo Pop & Oak, who helped craft her breakout single Here. Other songs have been overseen by Ricky Reed, who worked with Meghan Trainor and Twenty One Pilots.
“I’ve had these pent up emotions and songs that weren’t even really songs yet,” Cara said.
“It’s really awesome to feel what they sound like now. It’s definitely not a full album yet, but the way it’s coming together is really exciting.”
In her spare time, Cara has binged through the latest season of Orange Is the New Black, plus any crime documentary she can find.
“I’m a weird freak who likes serial killer stories,” she said. “I’m always watching every crime scene investigation thing, every unsolved cold case murder story.”
She is still undecided whether the MMVA hosting duties could lead to more television work in the future.
Cara is determined not to be “one of those singers turned actress,” she said, but added that she is still open to offers that come her way.
“Even just voicing an animated film would be incredible,” she said. “That’s been one of my dreams.”
How about a guest role on a crime series such as Chicago P.D. or Criminal Minds to satisfy her love for murder mysteries?
“I never thought about that,” Cara said excitedly. “That would be the perfect role.”
The MMVAs air on Much, CTV and stream through the iHeartRadio app today.