Camila Cabello is a Cuban American singer and songwriter who recently released her first studio album, Camila, on Jan. 12. Her album has received high acclaim this past week, skyrocketing to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 200 Album chart. Alongside this, Cabello’s hit single “Havana” featuring Young Thug, also recently earned the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 list, making Cabello the first artist to dominate both charts since Beyoncé back in 2003.
The 20-year-old, born Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao, was a shy and introverted girl long before her current success in the music industry. She had a YouTube channel where she sang covers of different songs. In an interview with Glamour magazine, Cabello said, “Music was the thing I was passionate enough about to get over being shy.”
Cabello has come a long way from her humble YouTube beginnings. In 2012, she auditioned for The X Factor (USA), finished third place as a member of girl group Fifth Harmony, and until leaving the group in December 2016, created hits like “Work from Home” and “Worth It.” She has also collaborated with various artists in the past several years, including Shawn Mendes and Machine Gun Kelly on songs “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Bad Things,” respectively. Now, she has finally risen as a solo artist.
If I were to to describe Cabello’s new album as a solo artist in one word, it’s beautiful. From her fun and playful Latin-influenced beats resonating in songs, “Havana,” “She Loves Control” and “Inside Out,” to her soft ballads of “Consequences” and “All These Years,” she expresses a new voice of our generation. She shows authenticity in her self-written songs, as felt from the meaningful lyrics and original beats.
Here are some of my personal favorite songs from the Camila album and favorite lyrics:
“She Loves Control”
Why I love this song: This is my favorite song on the album. The rhythm is upbeat and has an interesting Latin vibe to it. The lyrics, “She doesn’t cry anymore, no looking back” are sung confidently and present a message about resilience and being independent.
Favorite lyrics:
“She loves control
She wants it her way
And there’s no way she’ll ever stay
Unless she give it up”
“Real Friends”
Why I love this song: It’s relatable. We all want to have a genuine connection with people, and it’s sad when that doesn’t happen. The strumming of the guitar and tinge of sadness in Cabello’s vocals allow me to connect with her reason for writing this song. This song reflects on a part of her life in the “paper town” of Los Angeles, where Cabello felt alone.
Favorite lyrics:
“I just wanna talk about nothing
with somebody that means something
Spell the names of all our dreams and demons
For the times I don’t understand”
“Havana”
Why I love this song: “Havana” is a bop. Need I say more?
Favorite Lyrics:
“Havana, ooh na-na (Aye)
Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh-na-na (Aye, aye)
He took me back to East Atlanta, na-na-na
All of my heart is in Havana (Aye)”
Whether you’re crazy for Camila or have never heard of her, hopefully this gave you some reasons to become a fan.