After going viral during the pandemic, Montreal’s Alicia Creti traded business school for studio sessions, signed with Atlantic Records, and delivered Self/Less—a soulful debut EP shaped by heartbreak, hustle, and hard-won creative freedom.
“I didn’t take vocal lessons. I popped out of the womb singing.”
Alicia Creti never intended to pursue a career in music. Yes—she sang, wrote songs, and learned to play piano from a young age. But by the time she got to high school, Creti felt pressured to pursue a career in finance or the sciences. The Montreal-born singer-songwriter majored in Business at Concordia University until COVID-19 and TikTok virality changed her trajectory. Since then, Creti has signed with Atlantic Records, moved to LA, and released a soulful EP which made her one of the most exciting new voices in pop and R&B.
It all started with a cover of Summer Walker’s “Session 32”. After her rendition went viral, Creti continued posting covers, and eventually, original songs. Her growing follower count—and praise from established musicians such as Meghan Trainor, Summer Walker, Kehlani, and Sam Smith—convinced Creti to put her degree on a “speed run” so she could graduate as soon as possible.
“I didn’t know anybody in Montreal that produced or recorded [music]. I was f—ing miserable. COVID-19 hit when I was in my last year of my degree. I was faced with the fact that I actually don’t like [business school]. I was at home, and the only thing that I could think of was making music and singing, and the songs were coming as they usually do, and I couldn’t suppress it. It felt like time to face the music, literally and figuratively”, she said.
Since its inception, TikTok has revolutionized the music industry. The platform created a breeding ground for viral hits, so it’s no wonder music executives and talent managers scour the app in hopes of signing the next household name. As TikTok becomes oversaturated with hopeful singers, Creti credits her team for helping her find success post-virality.
“I had posted a cover of ‘Session 32’ by Summer Walker. That’s the cover that did the most numbers at the time, when TikTok was a brand new app. Once I saw the results, I met with a label. I meet my manager. Every little thing that kept happening propelled me to keep going and to keep posting. It was difficult. I was doing my degree at the same time. I was working and spending every paycheck to come [to Los Angeles] so that I could finish the EP. I didn’t know I was making it at the time. My team says it’s like, when opportunity meets preparation. That’s when you gotta go for it, you know?” she said.
Creti subsequently moved to Los Angeles to further capitalize on her internet virality and take full advantage of the opportunities in the music industry.
“I understood quickly. All of the artists are in LA. The best musicians are in LA. In the coming back and forth, I was building those relationships and found it to be true. Whether it’s musically, visually, stylistically. I knew that being here was going to be the biggest investment in the future of my artistic and musical growth.” -Alicia Creti
![Alicia Creti – Pity Party [Official]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P3Ptdm8Yod8/hqdefault.jpg)
“I understood quickly. All of the artists are in LA. The best musicians are in LA. In the coming back and forth, I was building those relationships and found it to be true. Whether it’s musically, visually, stylistically. I knew that being here was going to be the biggest investment in the future of my artistic and musical growth”, she said.
Creti signed with Atlantic Records after meeting with multiple record labels. She described feeling “understood” by Atlantic, and that she would have full creative control.
“I felt like I was going to have the ability to put out the project I want to put out. [When] Self/Less was made, we were like, these are songs, this is what I’ve been working on. What do you think? And they loved it. They took it as it was”, she said.
“All of the artists are in LA…Whether it’s musically, visually, stylistically. I knew that being here was going to be the biggest investment in the future of my artistic and musical growth.”
Self/Less is a seven-track EP about Creti’s experiences with self-reflection and heartbreak. The titular track is a moving piano-backed ballad about the difficult conversation Creti had with her brother, who lives with autism, about moving to Los Angeles. I first encountered Creti when she performed the EP while opening for British R&B singer Mahalia on the IRL tour and was instantly blow away by Creti’s powerhouse vocals and lush, slightly raspy tone. Creti credited her kindergarten teacher and her mother with nurturing her artistic development.
“I had the best kindergarten teacher. Once we were colouring, [and she asked], who’s singing? And I thought I was in trouble. The kid in front of me points to me. And she’s like, it’s beautiful. Don’t stop, keep going”, she said.
“I didn’t take vocal lessons. I popped out of the womb singing. My mom told me I was a yapper. She had to shove a square of caramel chocolate in my mouth—that’s the only time I shut up for five minutes. I remember writing music at six. [My mom], while she’s doing her makeup in the bathroom, she’s like, that’s really good. We should put you in piano lessons. I got to learn an instrument, and I was at the time so inspired by YouTube cover artists. I saw myself in Christina Grimmie”, she added.
Creti said writing and recording songs for Self/Less was “a dream come true”. Her vulnerability was often at the forefront. Ultimately, this catharsis challenged her artistry and led to the most powerful songs on the EP.
“I felt like I was going to have the ability to put out the project I want to put out. [When] Self/Less was made, we were like, these are songs, this is what I’ve been working on. What do you think? And they loved it. They took it as it was.”
“I would go into the studio and feel like there’s no way I’m gonna be able to make a song today and hide my sadness. That was true. I wasn’t able to hide my sadness. It was amazing. It’s exactly what we needed to write the best song ever. It showed me the power in being vulnerable. After getting signed—especially because you go into so many sessions and you’re meeting so many people—there’s that pressure. Sometimes you’re the only person sharing and you can feel a little exposed, naked, in front of these people you just met. But after you actually make the song, getting on the mic and singing it is what magic feels like to me”, she said.
“Crazy”, “Congratulations”, and “Self/Less” are dynamic displays of Creti’s songwriting and vocal abilities. She pays homage to singers such as Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keys with her soulful, catchy hooks, and intricate vocal runs.
“I cycle through my [favourites]. “Self/Less” is hard to listen to, but I love the power, how it helped me. “Congratulations” might be my favorite right now. You’re asking me to pick which one of my kids is my favorite! I love them all—that’s why it can change. Which one is my favorite to perform? That’s how I’m picking [now], because I’m performing them more than I’m listening to them on streaming”, she said.
Creti’s latest single, “Bleeding Me Dry”, is an angsty, poignant number about being fed-up with an inadequate ex-lover. The song was produced by Pop Wansel, known for his work on Alessia Cara’s The Pains of Growing, Kehlani’s SweetSexySavage, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, and Blue Water Road, to name a few.
![Alicia Creti - Bleeding Me Dry [Official]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/74HljTE6KCI/hqdefault.jpg)
“‘Bleeding Me Dry’ is the ultimate take-your-power-back-by-being-vulnerable. It reminds me of ‘Congratulations’. I have been in so many relationships that have ended this way, where I ask myself, Why was I in that for so long? I learned that I needed to decenter men from my life. [I don’t need] to be with a man to be respected. I’m sure so many women go through this when you’re queer. I was internalizing what I thought society wanted me to be”, she explained.
When it comes to new music, Creti said it “feels like giving birth again”, and that she expects to release it before the end of the year.
“Pop [Wansel] is such a talkative dude. We’ve worked on so much music that I’m excited about. I feel like I’m in the thick of all the emotions right now and getting it all done”, Creti concluded. “I’m very excited about it. I’m also nervous, but I can’t wait for the music to be in the world”.
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