"I love a lot of things about performing, but I still get nervous. All the time! Actually, it's funny—I think I'd be scared if I never got nervous. Now I see it as a part of the excitement. The adrenaline rush almost helps a little bit too. And then seeing everybody trying to learn the words to songs they don’t know and singing the words to songs they do know, that’s really cool because it shows how far your music gets and how people really do listen. That’s one of the best things. Ever.

For getting in the mode before I go onstage, I like to just breathe. Sometimes I do this thing my mom taught me then I was a kid if I was scared or couldn't fall asleep. You breathe all the way in until you can’t go anymore. And then breathe all the way out until there’s no air left. Do that like three times maybe, and you don’t realize how much it relaxes you.

My mom is a hairdresser, so she cuts my hair. I wish she could do it every day, but she obviously can't be with me all the time. I've been testing out different products on the road—right now I'm trying this Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme. I put it in when my hair is still wet, but not too much because I think that can weigh your hair down. Then I put a diffuser at the end of my blow dryer and put it on the warm setting and just scrunch it up while I blow dry. I do that for about three quarters of the way and then let it air dry. That's one way I try to keep it healthy, especially now because I’m doing so many photoshoots with hairspray and curling irons and all that stuff.

Most days, my makeup is just concealer. Lately I’ve been using this Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit and it really covers a lot so that’s good. There’s powder on the side of the palette, so you kind of set the concealer with the powder after. Then I usually wear some Maybelline Volum’ Express the Mega Plush Mascara in Very Black. Today, I put on a little bit of eyeliner because I was going to be on film—the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Scotch and Black Ink. For lip gloss, I love MAC's Pro Longwear Lipglass.

Right now I'm growing my eyebrows back because they’re naturally very thick. I always plucked them and they were getting really thin, so I’m trying to grow them out a little bit now and I just started using MAC Brow Set in Clear and it’s good. It just kind of calms everything out. So far my brows are growing back very fast, they’re very hairy! They’re getting a little thicker and back to the usual shape.

The fact that I’m moving around a lot and I’m traveling and seeing all these new things always sparks a different kind of inspiration, which is good. My EP Four Pink Walls came out early, so I've been going around and playing quick shows in a whole bunch of places. If I was in my room writing all these songs, like, just in the same place, there'd be a lack of inspiration because you’re seeing the same things. I feel like now I’m really definitely learning how to write more because of all these things that I’m experiencing.”

—as told to ITG

Alessia Cara photographed by Tom Newton.

Are you growing your brows back too? So are a lot of people— read about them here.