Scars to Your Beautiful

"Scars to Your Beautiful"
DJ
Single by Alessia Cara
from the album Know-It-All
Released November 13, 2015 (streaming)
July 26, 2016 (airplay)
Recorded 2015
Genre
Length 3:50
Label Def Jam
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Alessia Cara singles chronology
"Wild"
(2016) 		"Scars to Your Beautiful"
(2015) 		"How Far I'll Go"
(2016)
Music video
"Scars to Your Beautiful" on YouTube

"Scars to Your Beautiful" is a song recorded by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara. Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group serviced it to contemporary hit radio on July 26, 2016, as the third single from her debut studio album Know-It-All (2015) on November 13, 2015. A pop ballad, the song was written by Cara along with its producers Pop & Oak, Sebastian Kole, and DJ Frank E.

In the United States, "Scars to Your Beautiful" peaked at number eight. It marked Cara's second top-ten single on US Billboard Hot 100.

Background

Cara felt motivated to make the song after viewing an episode of Botched. In an interview with Idolator's Mike Wass, Cara stated about the process behind the song:

"Basically, that song is about body image. It's directed at women, but I think men can relate to it as well. It's just a song about these things that certain women go through on a daily basis in order to feel loved or in order to love themselves. I think that's such a thing that goes on in today's world. These weird things are instilled in us. You know? They tell us that we’re not good enough or that there's only one kind of beauty. This song basically is contradicting that idea. It's saying, 'Well, if the world doesn't like how you look then they should change. They should change their perspective. You don’t have to change yourself.' I mean, I thought that that was important, you know, just to put out next. Especially because I think that's kind of the direction we're going in, you know, with 'Here'. 'Here' was about not belonging anywhere and 'Wild Things' was about finding a space you belong. Now 'Scars To Your Beautiful' is basically about embracing yourself and finally coming to that conclusion where you feel love and you can love yourself. I think it's cool to put out third because I feel like I have a bigger platform now. The point of the song is to reach as many women, or people, as possible."

Critical reception

The Guardian's Kitty Empire said that "There's substance on Scars to Your Beautiful, where Cara tackles the beauty myth à la Beyoncé. The verses pack some good stuff – 'What's a little bit of hunger? I can go a little bit longer.'" and later went on to say "the thumping motivational chorus merely suggests we are all stars." Katy Iandoli of Idolator stated "Scars to Your Beautiful is a modern-day version of TLC's 'Unpretty', in its acknowledgment of the beauty in both visible and invisible imperfections."

Billboard ranked "Scars to Your Beautiful" at number 77 on their Billboard's 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016: Critics' Picks" list, commenting “Body-positivity anthems typically don't get this dark, but on "Scars To Your Beautiful," Alessia Cara isn't afraid to talk cutting, tears and eating disorders, before getting to the uplifting chorus, where she delivers some of the most empowering, horizon-expanding lyrics of this year: ‘You don't have to change a thing / The world could change its heart.’”

Music video

The music video was published on July 11, 2016, with a cameo appearance by singer JoJo.

Background

On the concept of the music video, Cara said in an interview with Cosmopolitan: "I wanted to do this kind of video for a very long time. Since we had this song — and since we knew it was going to be a single — I had this vision of many different cinematic shots of different kinds of people. I wanted all kinds of people — young, old, whatever their situation, whether it's visible scars, non-visible scars — just a bunch of different women, and there are some men in there as well because it can reach out to guys too. But I wanted real shots of real people telling their stories, and showing the story through little vignettes."

Impact and usage in media

The song is featured in episodes of the television shows The Bold Type and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

The song was used in the international trailer of A Wrinkle in Time, as well as the background music for the introduction video of Dirt Rally 2.0.

In 2018, the song was featured in television commercials for ULTA Beauty.

Track listing

  • CD Single
  1. "Scars to Your Beautiful" – 3:50
  2. "Scars to Your Beautiful" (NOTD Remix) – 3:19
  • Digital download – Remixes
  1. "Scars to Your Beautiful" (Luca Schreiner Remix) – 4:22
  2. "Scars to Your Beautiful" (NOTD Remix) – 3:19
  3. "Scars to Your Beautiful" (Cages Remix) – 4:28
  4. "Scars to Your Beautiful" (Joe Mason Remix) – 3:51
  5. "Scars to Your Beautiful" (recycle jordan Remix) – 3:32

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) 5× Platinum 350,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) Diamond 250,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) Platinum 80,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) Platinum 90,000‡
France (SNEP) Platinum 200,000‡
Germany (BVMI) 3× Gold 600,000‡
Italy (FIMI) 2× Platinum 100,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) Gold 15,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway) Platinum 60,000‡
Poland (ZPAV) 2× Platinum 100,000‡
Portugal (AFP) 2× Platinum 20,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) Platinum 60,000‡
Sweden (GLF) 3× Platinum 120,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA) 5× Platinum 5,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, format(s), label(s) and reference(s)
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
United States July 26, 2016 Digital download Original
Top 40 radio Def Jam
October 21, 2016 Digital download Remixes EP
United Kingdom November 8, 2016 Top 40 radio Original
Italy December 2, 2016 Radio airplay UMG
DACH January 20, 2017 CD single
  • Def Jam
  • UMG

See also