On her fourth album, the singer runs along with her personal concepts extra absolutely than ever
Camila Cabello referred to as herself “a weirdo” when she introduced her fourth solo album, and “I Luv It,” its Playboy Carti-assisted, Gucci Mane-sampling fever-dream lead single, actually suits the invoice. Zip-tie synths accompany Cabello’s breathless supply of semi-surrealistic traces like “I’m going soprano/ Child go down low/ And when he leads/ I gotta observe,” whereas the spat-out refrain appeared designed for max cortex-adherence.
The aggro, manic “I Luv It” had folks questioning if the previous X Issue contestant was getting into her hyperpop period. Whereas C, XOXO, which Cabello labored on with El Guincho (Rosalía) and Jasper Harris (Doja Cat), has its explode-the-world moments, the album general looks like a gradual comedown off the opening monitor’s Florida-borne excessive as Cabello is compelled by circumstance to determine issues out—to the purpose the place the shimmery “Twentysomethings,” which veers between balladry and braggadocio, pivots on her admitting, “don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”
Alongside the best way, she indulges in pure pleasure (the crazy, giggly “Chanel No 5,” the Lil Nas X backseat romp “He Is aware of”); she celebrates her successes (the braggy Metropolis Ladies collab “Dade County Dreaming”) and her pals (the joyously groovy “Dream-Ladies”); she will get in her emotions about exes (“June Gloom,” which manages to stability syrupy funk and sulky brooding). Drake can also be current on two stormy tracks a couple of doomed couple; he even threatens to “pull out the bank card statements” in his protection, which is an exceedingly Drake-like method of dealing with battle that additionally proves Cabello’s protestations, on the giddily argumentative “Sizzling Uptown,” that he isn’t worthy of her time.
C, XOXO doesn’t fairly set up Cabello as a “weirdo,” however its neon-hued chaos does point out that she’s been allowed to run along with her concepts extra absolutely (she wrote all its lyrics and toplines, a profession first that lets her stretch and warp her voice). It’s a feisty, hungry album that feels fearless even because it grapples with the unknown—the late-20s paradox become candy-coated pop.
