| "Growing Pains" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Single by Alessia Cara | ||||
| from the album The Pains of Growing | ||||
| Released | June 15, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 [1] | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:13 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Pop & Oak | |||
| Alessia Cara singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Growing Pains" on YouTube | ||||
"Growing Pains" is a song written and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara, released as the lead single for her second studio album, The Pains of Growing. Written by Cara and producers Pop & Oak, the track explores the challenges of entering adulthood. [2] It was released to digital retailers on June 15, 2018 through Def Jam Recordings and serviced to American hot adult contemporary radio on June 25, 2018. Its official music video received a nomination for Best Cinematography at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
"Growing Pains" is a pop song with influences of R&B. [3] [4] [5] Lyrically, the song discusses a loss of innocence and the "inevitable struggle of growing up." [3]
An accompanying music video directed by Alan Masferrer premiered June 20, 2018. [6] It is set in a dystopian environment meant to represent the oppression of others' influences. [7] Cara begins the video in an oversized shirt before being pushed around by suit- and mask-wearing adult figures and being forced into an oversized grey suit herself. [6] Lilly Milman of Billboard wrote that the video finds Cara "navigating an obstacle course of adulthood." [7]
Cara debuted the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 18, 2018. [4]
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [11] | 87 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [12] | 36 |
| Canada AC ( Billboard ) [13] | 10 |
| Canada CHR/Top 40 ( Billboard ) [14] | 9 |
| Canada Hot AC ( Billboard ) [15] | 5 |
| Mexico Ingles Airplay ( Billboard ) [16] | 50 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ) [17] | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [18] | 65 |
| US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [19] | 16 |
| US Dance/Mix Show Airplay ( Billboard ) [20] | 24 |
| US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [21] | 7 |
| US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [22] | 15 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [23] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada) [24] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) [25] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 15, 2018 | Digital download | Original | Def Jam | [26] |
| Italy | June 22, 2018 | Radio airplay | UMG | [27] | |
| United States | June 25, 2018 | Hot adult contemporary |
| [28] | |
| United Kingdom | August 3, 2018 | Digital download | Remixes EP | [9] | |
| August 24, 2018 | Remixes, Pt. 2 EP | [10] | |||
| August 31, 2018 | Acoustic | [8] |