We sat down with talented fourteen-year-old singer-songwriter Arielle Perez, out of Caledon, Ontario, Canada. Her recent EP, Fourteen, is now available, and track number four titled, “Find the Way”, ought to be the anthem for the younger generation, full of hope, positivity and self-love. “It’s all about the kindness we should spread” echoes throughout the song’s lyrics, but it also echoes through Arielle’s message and her personal journey.
Creating a name for herself throughout the Toronto area, Arielle connects with her fans both as a solo artist as well as being a part of Canada’s hit all-girl pop-rock group Girl Pow-R. The staff at Confessional Magazine were blown away that a group of young women would come together to not only entertain people when they need it the most, but this group also gives back to many different causes, such as The Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Arielle Perez has a true heart of compassion with a voice to match.
Where are you from, Arielle?
I am from Caledon, Ontario, Canada.
What is the music industry like in Canada?
The music industry in Canada, I would say it’s not as big as in the US, but you know, you’ve just got to get your name out there and then start showing the world your talent, and I’m pretty sure that you’ll get to the top.
When was the first time that you performed in front of a live audience?
The first time I performed in front of a live audience was when I was seven years old. I competed in a pageant called Little Miss Philippines Canada, 2014. My talent for that pageant was singing and playing the piano. I was so lucky that I won the title of Little Miss Philippines, Canada 2014, and I won six major awards with that, and one of them was best in talent.
What was the competition process?
I don’t really remember it much because I was seven. All I remember is that I was having fun because I was doing what I love, which is performing, but then at the same time, I was making friends with the girls that I was competing against.
You are fourteen years old now. Seven years later, have you kept in touch with any of those other girls?
I’ve kept in touch with some of them, but since time has passed, I’ve started to focus on my music, and sometimes, you know, you just gotta let go.
Who would you say was your musical inspiration growing up?
I would say the big inspiration that I had growing up was Alessia Cara because she always spreads positivity in her messages and she is also from Canada, specifically Brampton, where I’m close to, and it is so cool how she reached the top so quickly. I also look up to Alicia Keys because she starts her songwriting process on the piano, which is what I do. I think it’s really cool that we share the same songwriting process. Shawn Mendes is another because when he released his documentary, Shawn Mendes: In Wonder, I got so inspired by that because his goal was to sell out the Rogers Centre and he did, and that’s been my goal since I was like, so little.
So you say you sit at the piano first. What is your whole songwriting process?
My process is that I sit down at the piano and since I’ve taken piano for almost seven years, I would say my songwriting process starts off with a piano, and I find a melody that I really like and I continue to build from that with the lyrics. For example, if I want to write about a loss, like love and loss, or if I want to write about heartbreak, then I start to build from that. So I choose some words in my vocabulary, and then I start building the song with the lyrics.
If you could pick any current or past artist to perform alongside, who would you choose?
I think I would choose one of my favorite artists that inspire me. So, I would either choose Alessia Cara, Alicia Keys, or Shawn Mendes, because they really inspire me so much to continue to reach for my goals.
Alessia Cara always writes about positivity and I think that’s one of the best things about a songwriter. I think that’s really important right now because, you know, teenagers nowadays have low self-esteem and they don’t believe in themselves. I think positivity is something that we really need to spread.
What are some of your goals right now, Arielle?
My goals right now are to probably have one of my songs from the EP Fourteen reach the Billboard Top 100 charts. That would be a dream come true for me.
How has lockdown and Covid affected your performing and being a part of the entertainment industry?
Being in the entertainment industry is different now because I’m literally performing in front of a screen. It’s kind of bizarre because you don’t have an audience cheering you on or anything, but I would say that lockdown has given me a lot of time to focus on my music. Before I had so many events to go to and I had to focus on my performing skills, but now I get to focus on my songwriting.
Tell me about the music group you are a part of, Girl Pow-R.
Girl Pow-R is an all-girl pop-rock group, ages 12 to 18. We sing, we dance, we play instruments, and we also have social causes in the group such as mine, which is The Heart and Stroke Foundation. We like to support others and spread positivity all around Canada and eventually the world.
That is amazing! So when did Girl Power get started?
Girl Power got started in 2017 on Women’s Independence Day, and from there, we have been performing together and spending so much time together writing and releasing new songs for all of our viewers. Last year, we got nominated for The Juno Awards.
What are the tracks we can look for on your EP?
There are five original songs I wrote along with my producer and manager, Jan Jansen, of BluePurple Records, and were recorded at Artichoque Recording in the Netherlands and Cleveland Sound Lab, in Canada. All of the songs were produced by Jan, and the first song is “Beyond Your Tears”, the second song is “Without You”, the third song is “Broken Pieces”, the fourth song is “Find the Way”, and the fifth song is “Fourteen”.
Tell me how we can listen to your music!
The EP is called Fourteen, and it’s available on all streaming platforms right now, so make sure you go download your copy. Fourteen is about all the things that I’ve learned in my fourteen years of life. Love, loss, and heartbreak. How when push comes to shove, I’ll always keep going no matter what.
What are your nerves like before a big performance?
Sometimes I tend to get so nervous and my mom helps me calm down. She lets me know that I can do this.
And Arielle Perez is doing it so beautifully. We are so happy for every positive thing that is headed in her direction, and can’t wait to be there when she sells out the Rogers Centre. To watch the full interview, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, or to listen check out any podcast platform, including Spotify, below: