WATCH — I’m not Pretty singer Jessia talks beauty, TikTok and more

Jessia won the 2022 Juno Award for breakthrough artist

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Canadian singer-songwriter Jessia has had a whirlwind year.

In December 2021, after posting the chorus of a song on TikTok, the video went viral, with more than 11 million plays.

So she wrote the rest of the lyrics to the song and called it I’m not Pretty.

Quickly, Jessia was launched into the spotlight: Billboards, record deals and even Juno wins.

The song has had more than 100 million streams on Spotify.

But the pop star said she hasn’t been able to stop and celebrate all that success with fans.

Why?

It all happened in the middle of the pandemic, when crowds were online instead of in stadiums.

Jessia quickly launched into stardom. Her face and music were everywhere, including on billboards in Toronto, above, and even New York City. (Image credit: Jessiamusic/Instagram)

“I came up in a pandemic,” Jessia told CBC Kids News contributor Ainara Alleyne.

“So a lot of people are just like names on a screen. And I want them to be real human beings.”

Now that we can all do more, Jessia said she looks forward to playing live shows this summer.

What I’m not Pretty is about

I’m not Pretty speaks to being empowered and loving your body.

The lyrics are about loving yourself even when you “feel like garbage.”

After her smash hit on TikTok, record companies took notice and Jessia was signed to Republic Records. (Image credit: Jessiamusic/Instagram)

It’s about knowing you’re pretty “no matter how, what you're feeling that day,” Jessia said.

Can Jessia vibe with our questions?

Watch the Vibe Check below to hear more about Jessia’s plans once the pandemic ends, her dream collabs and what message she would say to her younger self.

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TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Jeremy Chan/Getty Images, design by Allison Cake/CBC