# Growing Pains (Alessia Cara song)

"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. 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.

## Composition

"Growing Pains" is a pop song with influences of R&B. Lyrically, the song discusses a loss of innocence and the "inevitable struggle of growing up."

## Music video

An accompanying music video directed by Alan Masferrer premiered June 20, 2018. It is set in a dystopian environment meant to represent the oppression of others' influences. 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. Lilly Milman of Billboard wrote that the video finds Cara "navigating an obstacle course of adulthood."

## Live performances

Cara debuted the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 18, 2018.

## Track listing

* Digital download
* "Growing Pains" – 3:13
* Digital download – Acoustic
* "Growing Pains" (Acoustic) – 3:13
* Digital download – Remixes
* "Growing Pains" (Eden Prince Remix) – 3:33
* "Growing Pains" (Toby Green Remix) – 2:55
* "Growing Pains" (Alphalove Remix) – 3:32
* "Growing Pains" (Dombresky Remix) – 3:27
* "Growing Pains" (Justin Caruso Remix) – 3:01
* "Growing Pains" (Ford Miskin Remix) – 2:36
* Digital download – Remixes, Pt. 2
* "Growing Pains" (Bravvo Remix) – 3:42
* "Growing Pains" (The Kemist Remix) – 3:36
* "Growing Pains" (Locals Only Sound Remix) (featuring Curtis Smith) – 3:15

## Charts

| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
| Australia (ARIA) | 87 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 36 |
| Canada AC (Billboard) | 10 |
| Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard) | 9 |
| Canada Hot AC (Billboard) | 5 |
| Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard) | 50 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ) | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 65 |
| US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard) | 16 |
| US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard) | 24 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 7 |
| US Pop Airplay (Billboard) | 15 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) | Gold | 20,000$^‡$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 80,000$^‡$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000$^‡$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

List of release dates, showing region, format(s), label(s) and reference(s) :
| Country | Date | Format | Version | Label |
| Various | June 15, 2018 | Digital download | Original | Def Jam |
| Italy | June 22, 2018 | Radio airplay | Original | UMG |
| United States | June 25, 2018 | Hot adult contemporary | Original | Def JamUMG |
| United Kingdom | August 3, 2018 | Digital download | Remixes EP | Def JamUMG |
| United Kingdom | August 24, 2018 | Digital download | Remixes, Pt. 2 EP | Def JamUMG |
| United Kingdom | August 31, 2018 | Digital download | Acoustic | Def JamUMG |