Music columnist Phoebe Smith reviews Camila Cabello’s 1st solo album after her exit from Fifth Harmony
These days, everyone knows the name Camila Cabello. Whether it’s from her widely popular and well-known song, “Havana,” or from her previous involvement with the girl group Fifth Harmony, she’s one of the hottest contemporary artists.
When someone who was previously a member of a pop group decides to take their career solo, they have to try harder than most other artists to grab the public’s attention. These kinds of artists who aspire to be successful on their own have to really make sure they reinvent themselves as an individual. Cabello has done just that with “Camila.”
The thing about Cabello is, even though she was one of five in a girl group, it was never difficult for her to stand out among her bandmates. Whether it was her voice that simply shone above the others, or being featured on tracks with noteworthy artists, such as Shawn Mendes and Machine Gun Kelly, she was always on the public’s radar. This is why her album had no trouble becoming successful.
Beginning with the hit single “Havana,” Cabello really uses the album to showcase and celebrate her Cuban heritage, something that had never been emphasized in any of her music with Fifth Harmony. With the line “my heart is in Havana,” being repeated constantly throughout, it’s a catchy one that you’ll hear on the radio over and over.
Cabello’s talent shines through in the album’s first track, “Never Be the Same.” It’s an emotional song that compares the effect of love to using drugs. Both of these things make her feel a mix of emotions, including pain and anger, “just like nicotine, heroin, morphine, suddenly, I’m a fiend and you’re all I need.” It’s the kind of song that makes you feel the pain that she endured through her emotionally-driven lyrics and incredible voice.
“All These Years” and “Real Friends” slow it down a bit, with both acoustic tracks discussing themes of loneliness and regret. Whether it’s friends who let her down or an encounter with an ex, Cabello sings about raw and real feelings, but she does it gently.
Cabello speeds it up on “Inside Out,” radiating more positive vibes than some of the previous tracks on the album. This track shows that she can successfully create a bouncy, danceable pop track about loving someone, while she seamlessly sings in both Spanish and English.
Following this melodic track, Cabello slows it down with “Consequences,” a song that lacks a lot of instrumentals but uses her vocals to carry it through. Although this song is a classic heartbreak track, filled with cliche lines here and there, I really do think Cabello’s vocal talent makes it work for her album.
The last track “Into It” follows “Inside Out” as a classic pop song, with rhythmic beats and high-pitched vocals. Lines such as, “the gravity can’t hold us, your hands are outer space,” and “I see a king-sized bed in the corner, we should get into it,” are simple and again cliche but somehow genius at the same time. You can’t help but bop your head to it and play the track on repeat.
Cabello does a great job of combining raw emotion and intensity with light-hearted, bouncy, sing-along songs on this album. While I do think that this album might not ‘wow’ everybody, I think it’s a perfect starting point for her — it will be successful, but there’s also room for growth.
Phoebe Smith is a senior public relations major. Her column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email her at phsmith@syr.edu and follow her on Twitter @phoebesmithh5.