Camila Cabello didn't have it easy with her latest album C, XOXO. Since releasing lead single 'I Luv It' in March, she has been criticized for 'trying too hard' to go against the radio pop identity she built with her hits 'Havana' and Señorita – two songs, incidentally, which Stan Twitter already hates. She was accused of copying her contemporaries, being edgy, and embracing an aesthetic that seemed at odds with the perfect pop stardom crafted for her when she was in Fifth Harmony. But throughout, this Cabello—a fried-blonde wild child who evokes rap in which she features C, XOXO — was always there. Many of us hadn't met her yet.
Cabello's fourth album follows The “rebrand” model defined by the pop stan circle. These expectations around reinvention are placed almost exclusively on women and require artists to change their aesthetic and style for each album. Get Taylor Swift to escape the snakes and get revenge Reputation to rainbows and Lisa Frank Lover. Or Katy Perry, who didn't go crazy among the flowers Prism to edgy Nicki Minaj collaborations and an infamous pixie cut on Witness. Women in pop are constantly asked to peel back a layer of themselves for the consumer and present a new “version” of their art, often to make fans stand out, as in Cabello's case. It creates an unsustainable, never-ending cycle for the queens of pop and sets artists up for an inevitable era of flops.
But the point is, we should let pop girls try what they want without so much scrutiny and pressure. And in this case, there's reason to believe that Cabello is actually tapping into a real side of herself, rather than just doing all this aesthetics for commercial gain. She was always the weird one showing us C, XOXO: During Fifth Harmony's Reflection and 27/7 era, she was known for exposing her fans to experimental pop music like Jon Bellion's Human condition and Stromaeby Racine Carré — two albums known for their eccentric, boundary-pushing production styles. Cabello was always making something that didn't match the sugary pop sweetness she's known for, even if it wasn't obvious to the casual listener.
This C, XOXO Cabello, who wears ski masks on stage and samples Gucci Mane, is not that away from what he showed us in the often forgotten and truly underrated, “Unbelievable love”, the Cashmere Cat collaboration co-produced… checks notes… the incomparable Sophie. On “Love Incredible,” Cabello's filtered high notes danced over hip-hop drum beats that had C, XOXOHis experimental heart is written all over it. Cabello may simply not have had the opportunity to show this side in the past due to corporate pressures and her girl group past. As he said The Line of Best Fit, this album finally sees her “carrying out my intentions from the beginning of my career: to make pop music that feels left-of-center. To be inside, while still a little outside.”
Artists are always digging deeper to find more about their art, and it's often met with backlash. Look, for example, at Becky G, who allowed herself to go from teenage rap star to reggeaeton queen to a música mexicana singer over the course of three albums. Although some fans accused her of pandering to Latin trends, she eventually found the space to embrace all sides of her Latinidad. Esquemas and Esquinas. Or take Rosalía, who went from avant-garde to flamenco-focused Mal Querer in the helmets, with reggaeton Motomami — and faced immediate pushback. Coupled with an amazing live show, the Motomami The era proved to be a fan favorite and earned her four Latin Grammys, including album of the Year. It takes courage to try something out of left field—after all, recognition follows suit. (C, XOXO and Motomami share the brain of the El Guincho production together.)
In addition to the rebrand, Cabello's launch has been plagued by a series of unfortunate events outside of it. Charli XCX has arrived with the album that defines the generation Bratwhich many have tried to compare C, XOXO to; Seemingly every other pop girl — Dua, Billie, Ariana, Normani, Tyla — released major albums around the same time. City Girls' JT and Yung Miami veal Online, as it was announced that she would be accompanying her on an ode to Dade County, Drake, who has appeared on an interlude and album standout on “Hot Uptown,” suddenly became rap's most hated villain. And to top things off, The-Dream, who Cabello featured (and originally introduced) on the separate “Dream-Girls,” faced a rape charge a week before Cabello announced the tracklist for her LP. All of this drew attention to and clouded the strange experimentation Cabello embraced on the album. Unfortunately for Cabello, her music simply doesn't exist in a vacuum.
Regardless of the perception of her fourth album at the moment, C, XOXO will be an exciting album to revisit once we move away from the pop oversaturation that was 2024. The album captured Cabello breaking away from the album era that defined her in the past and sees her embrace a new aesthetic and musical energy that pushed her out of her comfort zone. C, XOXO It was made to subvert expectations, flex her songwriting muscles and, perhaps, be more of a cult classic than a generally embraced record. And that's okay. As Rolling rockHis review described Cabello delivering a “full, hungry album that feels fearless even as it grapples with the unknown.” She's a better artist for stabbing it.
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