A Listener's Notes On Camila Cabello's C, XOXO: A Guide

A review of Camila Cabello's new album C, XOXO

A Listener's Notes On Camila Cabello's C, XOXO: A Guide

C, XOXO. Cabello, Camila. 2024. Geffen and Interscope Records.

Note: This is not an album review in the usual sense, more like a personal commentary on the creative elements found in Camila Cabello’s C, XOXO. It is based on things heard in the music itself and things Camila said about the album in interviews and articles. For example, Camila confirmed that Pink Floyd was a huge influence in the making of the album in her interviews on both Apple Music (see second interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, 6/27/24) and in Complex Magazine (June, 2024). It is also a fact that a former producer of Bjork, El Guincho, is featured on Camila’s album (Complex 6/24). Camila has also stated that she watched the Beatles documentary during the album’s creative process (Apple Music 6/27). Concerning the conceptual thematic nature of C, XOXO, Camila has spoken often about the album being about Miami (Broken Record 6/25/24). All of the rest of the ideas and projections discussed thereafter originate with me, what I hear personally in addition to these confirmations in Camila’s present work as a fan of her music and as a longtime listener of music in general.

INTRODUCTION

It seems that there are many opinions about Camila Cabello’s new album C, XOXO. The problem is, most of them are either misled, misinformed or just plain wrong. In truth, C, XOXO is a brilliant marriage of sonics, songwriting and vocals that has its roots in offbeat, experimental music forms such as Pink Floyd and Bjork. These experimental forms are reinterpreted skillfully by Camila through the modern day music mediums of rap and hip-hop to create a fresh new sound which never forsakes where it comes from. Musically, that place is the experimental artists of the past. Geographically, it is Miami, Florida, Camila Cabello’s hometown, by way of Cuba. In this way, C, XOXO is comparable to a sonic version of William Carlos Williams’ epic poem Paterson, where a geographical location is given a voice and a narrative.

It must be realized that C, XOXO is not an outlier to Camila Cabello’s other three albums Camila (2018), Romance (2019) and Familia (2022). More precisely, it is a logical progression to those albums. in truth, C, XOXO is not new Camila or different Camila (at least in the sense of familiar sonic elements and concepts). The elements of hip hop and rap and experimental quirkiness found here have been in Camilas discography ever since the beginning of her solo career with Camila (for examples, listen to Havana, My Oh My and OMG). One thing that can always be said about the music of Camila Cabello is that it is different, conceptual, totally original and does not sound like anyone else in music today. This is because musically, Camila is more closely related to Kate Bush than Taylor Swift.

ANALYSIS

So, what is actually heard on C, XOXO from a sonic perspective? The following are some notes concerning what this listener hears and thinks of when playing C, XOXO.

�" I LUV It �" in truth, this is the most experimental, “way out there” song on the album. This song, about the nuances of sexual love relationships (Entertainment Tonight 4/2/24), is definitely in the spirit of early Pink Floyd, especially the Syd Barrett era. I LUV It has a distinctive psychedelic, oddball feel to it, from the whimsical, quirky and impenetrable lyrics to the repetitive and at times atonal keyboard work.

It should also be noted that I LUV It is also a song of conceptual depth. As stated, the lyrics are basically about the nuances of sexual love. In most of Camila Cabello’s songwriting, a third verse is utilized as a conclusion to the matter, to provide a sense of clarity. In jazz music, basic themes are diverged from and then reconciled at the end of the song, returning to the familiar main theme. This song is unique in Camila’s discography (and in relation to music in general) because the end of the song does not provide a sense of clarity or a return to familiar ground. Instead, one encounters Playboi Carti’s dense lyrics presented in an almost incoherent manner.

Thus, Camila is opting to go against the norm here, and stick to the theme of the song’s thesis on the opaqueness of sexual love. Instead of clarity and closure at the end, Camila seems to be saying that there is no clarity and closure in sexual relationships, only more opaqueness and misunderstanding. This is perfectly illustrated in the video to the song, which utilizes strange juxtapositions (Camila up a tree and the police chopping it down, a boyfriend riding his motorcycle through the kitchen, drinking out of a gas tank) that in everyday context do not make sense, like love relationships. These strange juxtapositions are an echo of the videos of Pink Floyd, which would manufacture the same surreal qualities in their videos (playing invisible instruments, students trough meat grinders, etc.)

�" Chanel №5 �" This song sounds very Tori Amos. The out of tune piano on this track echoes the same found on Tori Amos’ Bells For Her from the Under The Pink album (1992). The lyrics seem to be a nod to Tori as well, as one could believe that Tori could have written lines such as “Cute girl with a sick mind,” or used the numerous allusions to Japanese culture (“Origami,” Murakami,” “Omakase” et all).

�" Structurally, C, XOXO is straight out of Pink Floyd’s The Wall (1979). This should come as no surprise, for Camila has stated that it was The Wall that was her primary Pink Floyd album focus when listening to Floyd during the making of C, XOXO, as well as one of her primary influences in its production overall:

“I listened to rap that I grew up with in Miami and what was popular at the time…. But I didn’t listen to Pink Floyd. I didn’t listen to the Beatles.” She says. She became familiar with them all while making this project, particularly spending time with Nas’ classic album and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. ‘I think it’s important to always be studying what genres kind of influenced the genres that are informing the genres now,’ she says (Complex).

Like The Wall, C, XOXO utilizes short connecting songs interspersed with longer, featured ones. This strategy places emphasis on the more important songs on the album, but it also acts as a catalyst, moving the album along at a brisk pace. It should be noted that Camila was also experimenting with this method on the Familia album, another minimalist Camila work that wastes no time in its presentation and is in and out in just over a half hour. All of the songs on C, XOXO are right around the three-minute mark or considerably less. This seems to also be a nod to Camila’s study of the Beatles during the making of the album, who were masters of the short pop song.

Another element of The Wall used on C, XOXO is the prominence of layers of textual background sounds. As with The Wall, this constant murmuring and chatter in the background gives the album a sense of immediacy and realism. Examples of this usage can be heard on Chanel №5 and 305tilidie.

�" The second half of the album has a definite autumnal, 90's/2000 young adult TV show (think Dawson’s Creek or One Tree Hill)/movie soundtrack feel to it (listen from Dream Girls to June Gloom). And even though the dominant musical styles on the album are dance, hip hop and rap, this is presented here in an indie pop packaging. In truth, C, XOXO sounds 90's/2000 Indie pop in places. There are elements that remind one of Death Cab For Cutie, somewhere around Plans (2005) or Narrow Stairs (2008). There is also a Flaming Lips feel here, somewhere around Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002). This is not to say that Camila was actually listening and influenced by these bands and styles, but that in some sense (at least to this listener), these sounds come through. And the album is all the better for it. Since one of the persons affiliated with the production of the album was formerly associated with Bjork (El Guincho), this could be the reason for the strong 90's/-00 vibe. This album is definitely “Indie” conceptual pop through a dance/rap/hip-hop vibe. It is not mainstream.

�" As said before, C, XOXO is a conceptual album about a specific place, Miami, Florida. It is Miami where Camila moved with her family after leaving her birthplace of Cuba at age six or seven. In truth, C, XOXO is meant to be a love letter to the city that provided Camila not only with a home, but with a musical and artistic background. In this way, the album is very similar to the Modern epic long poem Paterson by William Carlos Williams, where a town is elevated to prominence and given a narrative voice. In truth, Williams would have loved C, XOXO, for it is presented in the language and the local vernacular of the people, warts and all, so to speak. In addition, it must be understood that C, XOXO is a narrative of Miami in a geographic sense, a personal sense and a musical sense. Not only this, but the songs on the album portray the Miami of Camila’s upbringing (Dream-Girls seems to be about childhood friends) and the Miami of the present day (Dade County Dreaming), interspersed with romantic encounters (I LUV It, He Knows, Twentysomethings, etc.) In this way, the entire gamut of Camila’s interaction with the town of Miami, from childhood to the present day, in every sense, is portrayed here.

�" Not only is C, XOXO the logical progression artistically from Familia, the album preceding it, but in many ways, it also is the sequel to her second album, Romance. Whereas Romance primarily dealt with the love of relationships, C, XOXO deals with short term encounters, i.e., erotic love.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, Camila Cabello’s C, XOXO is not an aberration from her previous work, but an excellent forward moving extension of it. In many, way stylistically, it is the pinnacle that Camila has been striving towards ever since Camila, her first solo album. The objective has been stated by Camila herself in interviews (Apple Music 6/27). This album provides a wealth of subtextual layering that creates a lush mosaic not only of the city of Miami, but also of the personality and musical influences of Camila Cabello herself.

C, XOXO. Totally Miami, totally Camila.

5 out of 5 stars.

REFERENCES

�" Apple Music interview (#2) with Zane Lowe, June 27, 2024.

�" Broken Record interview, June 25, 2024.

�" Complex Magazine, June 2024 issue.

�" Entertainment Tonight, April 2, 2024.