Know-It-All is the debut studio album by Canadian/Italian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara. It was released on November 13, 2015, through Def Jam Recordings. The album followed the release of her debut extended play (EP) Four Pink Walls (2015), which Cara regarded as a preview of the album. Know-It-All contains the five original songs from Four Pink Walls as well as five new songs recorded for the album.
The album, a R&B and pop record, was produced by Cara herself, alongside Kuya, Malay, Alan Nglish, Fredro, Pop & Oak, and Sebastian Kole. Kole makes a sole guest appearance on the standard edition of the album.
Three singles were released for the album. The first, "Here", was released on April 30, 2015, and was commercially successful, charting at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at the top of three more Billboard charts in the United States. The second single, "Wild Things", was released on February 2, 2016, and was modestly successful, peaking within the top 10 of the Canadian CHR/Top 40 and Hot AC charts. The third single, "Scars to Your Beautiful" was the album's final single, released on July 26, 2016. The single was also commercially successful, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping four Billboard charts.
Upon its release, Know-It-All was positively received by music critics, who praised the album for its lyrics and production. Commercially, the album charted at number 9 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. It was also certified 3× Platinum in Canada and 2× Platinum in the United States and New Zealand. The album would eventually win Pop Album of the Year at the 2017 Juno Awards. Reissues of the album feature guest appearances from G-Eazy, Logic, and Jaden Smith, alongside Cara's cover of "How Far I'll Go" from the Disney movie Moana (2016). Cara would go on to promote the album with her Know-It-All Tour throughout 2016.
Contents
Writing and recording
Preliminary work on the album began in 2013, with recording taking place in 2014 in New York into 2015. Cara worked with several producers including Kuya, Malay, Alan Nglish, Fredro, Pop & Oak and Sebastian Kole. The latter helped in the conception of the opening track "Seventeen". The song was written when Cara was about eighteen: "It was a whole bunch of feelings. We got to talking in the studio with my dad and Sebastian—we all came up with this thing, like, let's write about how life goes by really fast. My dad brought up that idea, and that's why the first line is, 'My daddy says that life comes at you fast'."
Singles
"Here" was released on April 30, 2015, as the lead single from Cara's extended play (EP) Four Pink Walls. The song became Cara's first top-5 single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, upon reaching the peak position of five for the week of January 27, 2016, and Cara performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon with their house band The Roots. The song received an official video, which was directed by Aaron A.
"Wild Things" was initially released on October 27, 2015, as a promotional single but the song was later sent to US contemporary hit radio on February 2, 2016, as the album's second single, and has since achieved moderate success peaking at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cara announced that "Scars to Your Beautiful" would be released as the third single. It was sent to contemporary hit radio on July 26, 2016. It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Critical reception
Know-It-All received generally positive reviews from music critics, receiving a 70 out of 100 on the review aggregate website Metacritic based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". AllMusic reacted positively towards the album, writing "Going by the level of potential shown here, it's evident that Cara will eventually need a lot less creative assistance." Billboard was also positive in its review of the album: "As first impressions go, Know-It-All is a charismatic balance between dreams and reality that makes its author stick out in the most impressive way." Exclaim!'s, Ryan B. Patrick wrote that "while [Know-It-All] is a tad formulaic, it's terrifically executed and solidly produced...Cara's debut is a striking standout pop record that portends career longevity." Pitchfork Media was more mixed: "Writing from the heart does not automatically imbue lyrics with depth. Never is it more apparent that the factory approach is not allowing Cara to fulfill her potential than on 'Scars to Your Beautiful.'"
Commercial performance
Know-It-All debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 with first week sales of 36,000 album-equivalent units, of which 22,000 were pure album sales. On November 13, 2025, the album was certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over two million album-equivalent units in the United States.
Tour
To promote the album, Cara embarked on her first headlining concert tour, the Know-It-All Tour. Tickets went on sale and quickly sold out. The first leg ran from January 15 to April 1, 2016, while a second leg was scheduled from September 29 to November 2, 2016.
Track listing
Notes
^[a] signifies a co-producer
"Seventeen" contains an interpolation of "My Girl" by The Temptations, written by William Robinson Jr. and Ronald White.
"Here" contains a sample from "Ike's Rap II", written and performed by Isaac Hayes.