Canada is Counting on Seven, as Kyara Tetreault Continues to Turn Heads on Singing-Competition Series ALTER EGO

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede It has been a case of “Seven Heaven” so far for Canada’s Kyara Tetreault on the innovative singing-competition series ALTER EGO. Tetreault, performing as her avatar Seven in front of judges Alanis Morissette, Grimes, will.i.am, and Nick Lachey, has advanced all the way to the semi-finals. In this week’s episode, airing on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app, it will be determined if Seven makes it to the four-competitor finale on Dec. 8. “I’ve always been judged because of the way I look, and my voice, because they don’t match,” said Tetreault, who is from Toronto, and whose vocal range is very low. “So having an avatar with an anonymous vibe allows people to be who they are, without any preconceived notions. It’s an opportunity for us to really pursue our dreams in a different format. And sometimes those dreams have been forgotten, you know, with our everyday lives. It’s hard to rise to the surface and be seen for our talent. But ALTER EGO is a place where I can just express myself without having to worry about anything else. It gives me the freedom to just really be me.” Each competitor on ALTER EGO names and designs their own avatar, which then mimics the real singer’s movements during performances through state-of-the-art motion-capture technology. The way the show is edited, the viewers at home are aware of the real identities of the singers, but the judges, and members of the studio audience, are in the dark. Following a recent performance by Seven that brought down the house, Morissette commented that she is “really curious” about the person behind that voice, and that avatar, perhaps more than any other participant on the show. It was strong confirmation for Tetreault that she’s doing something right. “I was shocked, and to hear that from Alanis Morissette, a Canadian, was also super exciting,” Tetreault said. “It made me just feel like, okay, I’m on the right path. When she made that comment, I had just performed ‘bad guy’ by Billie Eilish, and I was really stepping outside of my comfort zone. I wanted to show the judges – will, Nick Lachey, Grimes, and of course Alanis – what I can do, and to allow myself to be vulnerable in that moment. To have such positive feedback really made me more confident in how I interpret music.” So how does it work with the movement of the avatars in relation to the competitive balance on the show? For instance, even though ALTER EGO is a singing competition at its core, would someone who just happened to be a great dancer have a decided advantage? “All our movements are done by ourselves, but there are many choreographers we work with, to help direct us,” Tetreault said. “So we have lots of rehearsals for dance, voice, different things like that. Everything we’re doing are things that are within our own means of what we could do already, but then everything’s enhanced just because of the cool technology, which automatically gives it a step up.” Speaking of a step up, Tetreault – who just released a self-titled EP in late October – was asked if it’s a special feeling to have the entire ALTER EGO studio audience showing their support by signalling “Seven” – holding up seven fingers – as they cheer. “Yeah, especially considering that I chose the name Seven – there’s some symbolism attached to inner strength and wisdom – so for people to really relate to it, and for my performance to resonate with them, is kind of surreal,” Tetreault said. “Over the past few months, and even the past year, I feel like I have gone through different scenarios and situations in my life that have brought me to more wisdom, and more inner strength, than I had before. And that has really made me step outside of my shell. So yeah, that’s why I picked that name. And seeing the audience react that way, it just made me feel like I kind of found my tribe of people.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv