NAME:
Alicia Creti
ABOUT
Life moves like a song. One moment may be quiet, only for the next to get loud. Another second dips into darkness, just to rise back up into the light. Alicia Creti absorbs the highs and lows of life in her music, rolling with the ups and downs and genuinely embracing both. As such, the Montreal-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and pianist holds nothing back when she sings, amplifying her emotions through a distinct and dynamic delivery. After generating millions of streams independently and earning early acclaim from OnesToWatch, Lyrical Lemonade, and many others, the songstress begins to tell her story on her upcoming 2023 debut EP, Self/Less [Atlantic Records], and much more to come.
“I tend to think in song,” she observes. “I write from the heart. I’m a very sensitive and emotional person, but I like to put on a tough shell. The music is where the honesty comes out.”
Hailing from the suburbs of Montreal, she started to sing at barely three-years-old and never stopped. By the age of six, she had begun to pen songs of her own. Inspired by the likes of Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, and Ariana Grande, she developed her chops on the piano and on the microphone, taking advantage of every opportunity to perform—whether it be at school or in the street. “Anytime I saw a piano, I’d jump on it,” she smiles. Along the way, she also learned how to speak English, French, and Italian.
Simultaneously, she looked out for her younger brother, forging an unbreakable bond with him.
“He’s autistic, and he’s a huge part of my life,” she notes. “I attribute the best qualities I’m most proud of in myself to him. I had to learn how to be very patient and take on more of a maternal role as a sister.”
Throughout high school, she decided to forego lunch in order to jam in the music room and serenade her classmates from behind the piano. Right before the global pandemic, a friend suggested Alicia post on TikTok. She achieved viral impact with a soulful rendition of Summer Walker’s "Session 32" and maintained this momentum with covers of Kehlani, Jazmine Sullivan, and Ari Lennox viewed by millions. Eventually, she linked up with TRST. RCRDS and released her debut original single “Congratulations” in 2022. The track has gathered over 3 million streams and incited tastemaker applause. OnesToWatch hailed it as “ridiculously impressive,” and Lyrical Lemonade went as far as to call it “a flawless masterpiece.” Following “You Ain’t Shit,” she inked a deal with Atlantic Records.
Self/Less represents both how far Alicia has come and where she’s headed. Among many standouts, “Going Down” sets the tone. Strains of piano dissolve into a danceable beat as her robust vocals resound above emphatic strings. On the soaring hook, she promises, “If you’re ever going down, I’m down with you.”
“It’s the start of the entire story,” she notes. “You’re speaking to someone after a huge argument and you’re reassuring this other person not to feel insecure, because you’re there. At first, you might think it’s a love song, but it’s actually not good to let someone drag you down. A lot of toxic relationships are romanticized, which brought me to this point. I slowly learned it’s unhealthy.”
Elsewhere, the title track “Self/Less” pairs a delicate piano melody with her stark vocals, fluttering between the inhale of soft intonation and exhale of emotional catharsis.
“It’s about a talk I had with my brother,” she says. “It’s been very difficult to leave home because of how close I am with my family and my responsibility to protect him. Now, I can’t do that, because I’m not there. When I told him I was going to L.A., it was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had. Growing up, I always felt like I could never do anything for myself. I’ve realized I can’t suppress who I am. I know my needs do matter, and I’m unlearning this quality. I’m forgiving myself.”
In the end, Alicia’s honesty might just lift you up when you need it the most.
“The EP is just a story, and this is how I heal from it,” she leaves off. “If you’re struggling, I hope you can heal like I did. You’ll get through it no matter what. Just love yourself and be resilient. It’s not about how many times you fall, it’s about how many times you get up.”
Expand“I tend to think in song,” she observes. “I write from the heart. I’m a very sensitive and emotional person, but I like to put on a tough shell. The music is where the honesty comes out.”
Hailing from the suburbs of Montreal, she started to sing at barely three-years-old and never stopped. By the age of six, she had begun to pen songs of her own. Inspired by the likes of Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, and Ariana Grande, she developed her chops on the piano and on the microphone, taking advantage of every opportunity to perform—whether it be at school or in the street. “Anytime I saw a piano, I’d jump on it,” she smiles. Along the way, she also learned how to speak English, French, and Italian.
Simultaneously, she looked out for her younger brother, forging an unbreakable bond with him.
“He’s autistic, and he’s a huge part of my life,” she notes. “I attribute the best qualities I’m most proud of in myself to him. I had to learn how to be very patient and take on more of a maternal role as a sister.”
Throughout high school, she decided to forego lunch in order to jam in the music room and serenade her classmates from behind the piano. Right before the global pandemic, a friend suggested Alicia post on TikTok. She achieved viral impact with a soulful rendition of Summer Walker’s "Session 32" and maintained this momentum with covers of Kehlani, Jazmine Sullivan, and Ari Lennox viewed by millions. Eventually, she linked up with TRST. RCRDS and released her debut original single “Congratulations” in 2022. The track has gathered over 3 million streams and incited tastemaker applause. OnesToWatch hailed it as “ridiculously impressive,” and Lyrical Lemonade went as far as to call it “a flawless masterpiece.” Following “You Ain’t Shit,” she inked a deal with Atlantic Records.
Self/Less represents both how far Alicia has come and where she’s headed. Among many standouts, “Going Down” sets the tone. Strains of piano dissolve into a danceable beat as her robust vocals resound above emphatic strings. On the soaring hook, she promises, “If you’re ever going down, I’m down with you.”
“It’s the start of the entire story,” she notes. “You’re speaking to someone after a huge argument and you’re reassuring this other person not to feel insecure, because you’re there. At first, you might think it’s a love song, but it’s actually not good to let someone drag you down. A lot of toxic relationships are romanticized, which brought me to this point. I slowly learned it’s unhealthy.”
Elsewhere, the title track “Self/Less” pairs a delicate piano melody with her stark vocals, fluttering between the inhale of soft intonation and exhale of emotional catharsis.
“It’s about a talk I had with my brother,” she says. “It’s been very difficult to leave home because of how close I am with my family and my responsibility to protect him. Now, I can’t do that, because I’m not there. When I told him I was going to L.A., it was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had. Growing up, I always felt like I could never do anything for myself. I’ve realized I can’t suppress who I am. I know my needs do matter, and I’m unlearning this quality. I’m forgiving myself.”
In the end, Alicia’s honesty might just lift you up when you need it the most.
“The EP is just a story, and this is how I heal from it,” she leaves off. “If you’re struggling, I hope you can heal like I did. You’ll get through it no matter what. Just love yourself and be resilient. It’s not about how many times you fall, it’s about how many times you get up.”
Social Feeds
