Camila Cabello off to spectacular start in solo career with debut
Camila Cabello has come along way ever since she left girl band Fifth Harmony in 2016. The Cuban-American pop star launched Sia penned debut single ‘Crying In The Club’ in the first half of 2017, which could not meet the high expectations in terms of chart success she and her team had. She took a step back, reconsidered what she wanted to sound like as a solo artist and then came back with ‘Havana’, which completely changed the course of her career. The track became on of the biggest hits of the year, spending weeks at number 1 in the UK and reaching number 2 in the US. This gave her the proper push to be able to release her self-titled debut album Camila.

Anyone that is expecting an album full of ‘Havana’-like latin pop anthems, is mistaken though. Yes, she serves some light bops, but there are just as much slow jams and even acoustic tracks on there! The album kicks off with latest single ‘Never Be The Same’, a proper mid-tempo pop belter with a huge chorus, that shows off the limitless reach of her vocals with insane high notes. That voice still stands when you take away the production around it, because she sounds just as convincing on guitar ballad ‘Real Friends’ or the mainly piano based ‘Something’s Gotta Give’.

On ‘Consequences’ it is not only her voice that shines, but the personal and honest lyrics immediately leave an impression too. “Lost a little weight because I wasn’t eating”, she describes a period in which a toxic relationship got the better of her. It is a brave choice to include a track like this on her debut! Fear not, seekers of boppable pop music, because Camila has got a lot to offer for those who want to dance too. ‘Into It’ is a sexy jam with a laidback electronic production that could easily become a hit. Lyrics like ‘I see a king-sized bed in the corner, we should get into it’ represent exactly the cheeky and playful attitude that fits her personality as a pop star.

‘She Loves Control’ is probably the most obvious choice for next single. It sounds tropical and has some flamenco like guitars in the production, the chorus is incredibly catchy, the beat swings and the vibe is sensual. Maybe keep this one until spring starts again! Camila mostly dropped the R&B influences that were prominent in her work with Fifth Harmony. The only track that leans towards that sound is ‘Inside Out’ in a more summery way, but at the same time quite cheap sounding in terms of production. It is about the only let down on an otherwise consistent, personal and quite cohesive debut record. This might not go down in history as one of the most defining records of the year, but Camila proved she is force to reckon with as a solo pop star.