Alessia Cara stages first solo concert in Korea

Alessia Cara performed her first solo concert in Korea 11 years after her debut, meeting Korean fans on July 16 at a live hall in Gwangjin District, Seoul.

The Canadian singer-songwriter performed with a band sound built from drums, bass, guitar and synthesizer. She moved across the stage during the set, following her appearance last month on the opening stage of the Toronto opening ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

During the concert, Cara spoke about falling into deep depression on New Year's Eve as 2020 approached, saying she had once thought, 'The best days of my life had already passed.' She added that, 6 years later, she had encountered beautiful days she could not even have imagined.

Cara then told the audience, 'If you live for yourself little by little every day, you will discover so much joy in life.' The remarks led into 'Best Days,' connecting the song with her comments about despair and recovery.

The audience sang along when 'How Far I'll Go,' the theme song from Disney's animated film 'Moana,' was performed. During 'Somebody Else,' Cara sang while holding a South Korean flag handed to her from the audience.

Cara became tearful while singing 'Here,' her debut song and encore number, as the audience responded in unison. Before the encore, the crowd also sang along to 'Scars To Your Beautiful,' a song addressed to people carrying scars.