Carina Is Ready to Be Toronto's Pop Girl

Toronto has never had a shortage of artists willing to push the boundaries of what pop music can be, but Carina is arriving at a moment when the city's next chapter is ready to be written. With over 40 songs in her catalogue and a decade-plus of songwriting experience behind her, the 24-year-old pop artist has stepped into a new era with her latest single Hide It -- a track that merges pop, R&B, dance, and electronic production into something that feels both cinematic and immediate.

Hide It is about when someone doesn't feel they can be fully transparent about their feelings, and are trying to cover up the reality of the situation.

The honesty in the premise is matched by the precision in the execution. Driven by synth and a relentless rhythm, the track carries an energy that knows exactly what it's doing: it wants you on your feet while the story hits you somewhere real.

Produced by Toronto-based Chris Mifsud, who Carina has built a creative partnership with across multiple releases, Hide It was written in a session that lasted roughly 15 minutes. What came out of that session wasn't the result of calculation; it was instinct.

I genuinely find it funny that I wrote it in about 15 minutes and I wasn't going into it thinking that it was for sure something I would release!

The harmonies and adlibs that ended up on the final record, which Carina counts as her favourite part of the recording process, are a testament to what happens when you trust the room.

Sonically, Hide It carries echoes of The Weeknd's production DNA, a comparison Carina draws deliberately.

Since we have had both Drake and The Weeknd come out of Toronto, I do think that it is time for a pop girl to come from this city.

That statement isn't bravado; it's positioning. Carina has been building something specific. She calls her genre Pink Pop Music, a world defined by intricate visuals, choreography, and a commitment to aesthetics that makes her brand as much a part of the music as the songs themselves.

Her father, a musician who has shaped her understanding of songwriting since childhood and still plays guitar alongside her at live shows, is part of the foundation that makes that ambition feel grounded. This isn't someone chasing a moment. This is someone who has been building toward one for most of her life.

Hide It is out now, and it marks the opening chapter of what Carina is calling a new direction -- one that sits under the Pink Pop umbrella but expands what that umbrella can hold. For fans looking to see her in person, Carina is set to perform at NXNE on June 11th at The Baby G in Toronto, and will close out Pride Toronto on June 28th on the TD Main Stage at Nathan Phillips Square.

Not every song about confusing relationships has to be slow! Even if we're feeling stuck, we can still dance!