VIDEO: INTERVIEW – Alicia Creti Says She Nearly Gave Up On Music At 13 Years Old, Talks Debut EP

Alicia Creti is currently on tour opening for Mahalia and in support of her debut EP, Self/Less that was released to much critical acclaim just last month. The EP chronicles the journey of a young woman reclaiming her true self, with many of the themes based on her personal experiences. Tired of being “less” and yearning to be “more” for herself, Creti on a path of self-discovery. We implore you to accept less negativity, fewer criticisms, and less of whatever holds you back. Born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal, Canada, Creti grew up singing and playing piano but put music on the back burner after high school to study finance at Concordia University. It was during the pandemic that she fed her passion for music by posting covers on TikTok and going viral with her rendition of Summer Walker’s “Session 32,” followed by
covers of Kehlani, Jazmine Sullivan, and Ari Lennox that she garnered the attention of record labels. Speaking to the newfound attention, she shared, “I was at Concordia, I was studying and I didn’t think that this was possible and I really didn’t know how to get here at all,” Creti shared, “it was always talent shows in school but it was never an outside gig, so it felt like a hobby, it was my passion, it was that thing that really made me me and I always always held on to that. It was a huge part and still is, of my identity but it wasn’t something that I felt like I could pursue unless it was like jazz.”

Creti released her debut original single, “Congratulations,” in 2022, garnering over three million global streams and her profile has continued to rise ever since. More recently, Creti made her official COLORS debut with the release of her performance of “Bleeding Me Dry – A COLORS SHOW” and plans more new music to be released later this year.

Alicia Creti spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about growing up in an Italian immigrant family in Canada and the music scene, how she nearly gave up her dreams of pursuing music as a youth and more.