After two years of waiting, Camila Cabello reappears on the music scene with a new album; C, XOXO. In it, the artist explores new musical genres accompanied by a sensual aesthetic proposal. Cabello, who was previously part of the female group Fifth Harmony, moves away from tenderness, familiarity and Latin rhythms and explores her American side. EL TIEMPO tells you the details of this new release.
According to the criteria of
C, XOXO is Camila Cabello’s fourth album. It is also Cabello’s first release with Interscope Records after leaving Epic Records, the label that accompanied her for ten years: from her debut in Fifth Harmony to her first three albums; Camila, Romance and Family.
The last album that we knew about the artist before this new release (Family, 2022), was an album conceived during the coronavirus pandemic that reflected her Cuban and Mexican heritage, with songs like Celia. To take a new step in her career and make a difference, the singer opted for a musical and physical makeover.
Camila Cabello’s new look
Camila Cabello’s new album
Photo:Courtesy
The first step the artist took was to abandon her dark hair. In an interview with Billboard, the artist assured: “part of the spirit is taking risks, not caring about anything and doing what you want. I think blonde was my way of staying true to that feeling. With the hair, it was like, ‘How do I tell people, visually, that this is my new era?’ Sometimes you need physicality to let them know, ‘Oh, this is something new, a new character.'”
And, in the music videos that accompany the album’s premiere, we see Camila Cabello flirtatious, daring and risky. Winks, dancing, friends, vain glances take center stage in the conceptual clips that accompany the melodies.
“The voice I’ve found on my new album has that air of bad girl energy,” Cabello told Billboard. .
The musical proposal
Cabello is known for her pop-driven hits, sometimes mixed with Latin rhythms like Cuban son. But on C, XOXO she takes a detour towards more experimental rhythms like hyperpop. The album has been well received by critics and fans, also highlighting its foray into Afrobeat and R&B. In addition, it features collaborations with Drake, Lil Nas X and BLP Kosher.
The singer also explained that she was musically inspired by styles such as Charli XCX, Kim Petras and Bebe Rexha. While for her lyrics she decided to take a more personal path, with themes such as maturity, relationships and introspection.
LOREN SOFÍA BUITRAGO
EL TIEMPO MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM SCHOOL
NETWORKS: @soofisaurio
