In the span of just a few years, Sofia Camara has rocketed from singing in Toronto train station vestibules to racking up tens of millions of streams online. With the release of her debut EP Was I(t) Worth It?, the Portuguese-Canadian pop singer-songwriter cements her status as one of 2025’s breakout stars. The EP is a six-song journey through heartbreak and healing – a candid snapshot of Camara’s life and emotional evolution – delivered with the soaring vocals and relatable storytelling that have already earned her a devoted following. It’s a bold first statement from an artist who isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, and it has industry watchers predicting that Sofia Camara’s moment has truly arrived.
Hailing from Toronto, Camara first began attracting attention in her teens by posting impromptu performances on social media – often belting out covers in echoing public spaces to chase the perfect acoustics. Those early videos (filmed in subway stations and stairwells) showcased a “firecracker” personality and a powerhouse voice, helping her build over 1.2 million followers hungry for her next song. By 2022, she had signed with Universal Music Canada/21 Entertainment and released “Never Be Yours,” her first single, which became a modest hit on Canadian radio (peaking at No. 19 on the Top 40 chart). Subsequent tracks like “Something Better” and “Different” in 2023 further demonstrated her range – from heartfelt balladry to a reggae-tinged pop experiment with producers Banx & Ranx – and drew praise for their honesty and vocal prowess.
Pop icons such as Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake even took notice of Camara’s spellbinding cover songs, giving shout-outs to the young singer’s ability to interpret music in a way that feels fresh and genuine. All of this set the stage for a breakthrough past year. Camara’s 2024 single “Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent)” became a viral smash, amassing over 44 million global streams and catapulting her onto Spotify’s Viral 50 charts in countries like Canada, the Netherlands, and Norway. She spent the latter half of 2024 achieving one career milestone after another: joining singer Dean Lewis as a tour opener (even dueting with him on the song “With You”), performing the Canadian national anthem for a packed stadium at the CFL’s Grey Cup championship, and seeing her haunting cover of Nickelback’s “What Are You Waiting For?” chosen as the official song of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. Most impressively, Camara stepped into the spotlight on her own, selling out her first-ever headline shows in Europe – an experience she described as “beautiful and crazy,” and one that confirmed a global audience was ready to sing along with her. By year’s end, VEVO had tapped her for their prestigious DSCVR Artists to Watch program, putting Camara in the same alumni class as hitmakers like Ice Spice and Reneé Rapp.
All of these experiences fed into the creation of Was I(t) Worth It?, Camara’s first official body of work. The debut EP – released March 21, 2025 – is, in her label’s words, “a collection of songs that the emerging star has written over the last few years,” exploring the emotional rollercoaster of love and loss. Camara co-wrote every track, working alongside a who’s who of songwriters and producers that includes JUNO-nominated collaborators Lowell and Nathan Ferraro, hitmakers like Jamie Fine and Mike Wise, UK pop production trio Red Triangle, and veteran songwriter Wayne Hector. Together they’ve crafted a polished pop soundscape for Camara’s stories of heartbreak, toxic relationship cycles, accountability, and perseverance. “Melody comes first to me, lyrics are the last thing I worry about,” Camara has said of her songwriting process, describing how she’ll often strum chords on guitar late at night and hum ideas into her phone’s voice notes. But once she zeroes in on a feeling she needs to express, she is uncompromising in her honesty. “The only way [to write a great breakup song] is to have no filter and say exactly how you feel,” she explains – a philosophy she embraced even when it meant singing through tears.
Two centerpiece tracks encapsulate the emotional extremes of Was I(t) Worth It?: the aforementioned viral hit “Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent)” and the sweeping power ballad “Starlight.” Camara has called these songs two of the most personal she’s ever written, each exploring a different facet of heartbreak.
For Sofia Camara, the journey is just beginning. With her debut EP now out in the world, she’s already looking ahead to the next chapter. “2025 is set to be a breakout year,” her team teases, with “more new music and exciting announcements to come.” Camara herself has hinted that she’s continuously writing – often late at night, when inspiration strikes – and eager to experiment with new sounds and genres in the future. In the meantime, she will be bringing Was I(t) Worth It? directly to audiences. The singer is slated to perform at major music festivals this summer, including Osheaga in Montréal and the legendary Lollapalooza in Chicago – her first appearances on such massive festival stages. Camara’s journey, from that nervous seventh-grader singing “Titanium” at a school talent show to a poised young artist with a hit record, shows the power of turning pain into beauty. “Although it feels like you may be in a deep hole with no light at the end of the tunnel, I promise you that there is a way out,” she reminds fans. For Sofia Camara, that light at the end of the tunnel looks an awful lot like the glow of the stage – and she’s stepping forward into it, one heartfelt song at a time.
