CTV's The Launch is officially back for season two, and the year's first chosen artist, Cassiøpeia, is ready to make waves.
The teenager from Burnaby, BC had a strong audition on this week's episode, earning praise from mentors, Ryan Tedder, Marie-Mai, and Scott Borchetta. But with four other women left to go before a decision was made, viewers couldn't be sure where things would go.
Note: The unintentional foreshadowing from Ryan Tedder when he declared her the winner based on her name was a nice little bit, now that we can look back at the episode.
Cassiøpeia did make it through to the final two of course, with Vi, and put in the work in the studio to record her version of Better.
If you haven't heard the full released version yet with Boi-1da and JUNO nominee, KILLY, hit play and do that now!
We caught up with Cassiøpeia in Toronto on Thursday to talk about the show, keeping her secret, and what comes next for her. And while we were with her, we also played a round of 5 Quick Questions.
One of the things we're always curious about with The Launch winners is who knew their secret. These episodes have been recorded in advance, which means that the crew knows, but the public has to wait for the season. Cassiøpeia told us that she had shared the news with her mom, dad, and brother - but that's it. Even the three contestants from the show that didn't advance to the recording session didn't know which of her and Vi had been chosen.
She also said that the moment the announcement was made on the show and the world knew that she was being launched, a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. To be able to share this with her fans, followers, friends, and family is exciting, and she doesn't have to wait anymore. She also told us that her mentions and messages still hadn't stopped coming in about 20 hours later when we were chatting with her.
When we asked about the song, there was a clear excitement in Cassiøpeia. And we're happy for that.
The premise of The Launch, finding the right artist not necessarily for their career potential, but for one specific song, is different. And it means that these artists need to be able to lock in and connect with what they've been given. Cassiøpeia said that she was able to do just that. She said that she learned the lyrics quickly, and was singing along with the second chorus on her first listen to the track. And that she was able to find ways to make it her own as she was going through the process.
We asked her if there was a moment that the song truly started to feel like it was hers, and she told us that it came after the recording and a rehearsal for her live performance. She said that performing the song and learning to connect with it for her live spot really put her in touch with it. And from then on, it's been hers.
Check out our round of 5 Quick Questions to learn more about her now!
Before we finished our time with Cassiøpeia, we asked what comes next. She told us that she's been working on more music. Writing new songs and getting herself ready for her next steps. She has an eye on an EP or album that she hopes to be able to share with music fans sooner than later. And from the smile on her face to the sound of her voice, it was very easy to see that she can't wait to move forward in her career.
The Launch and Better are step one. We have a feeling we're going to see a lot more steps from Cassiøpeia in the future!
