Rebranding herself as a hyper-pop princess, Camila Cabello has launched a VHS-inspired trailer to celebrate the impending release of her fourth record, C, XOXO, set for release on June 28th this year.
After gifting fans with the album’s cover artwork, the former Fifth Harmony starlet’s self-narrated trailer leans into the carefree, Miami-inspired vibe the album looks to take after; “She likes to drive with the windows down so she can hear what the city’s saying at night. She likes its broken English; it’s all-over-the-place music taste.”
The Grammy-nominated singer, whose previous records include 2018’s Camila, 2019’s Romance and 2022’s Familia, has returned to the music scene with a more zero-f**ks attitude, amplified in her neon-blonde hair and the avant-pop sound of divisive launch single “I Luv It“, a collaboration with American rapper Playboi Carti that samples Gucci Mane’s “Lemonade”.
Given her previous success in tapping into musical styles that honour her Cuban heritage and Miami upbringing – her signature single “Havana” currently has over 2 billion streams on Spotify alone – C, XOXO, despite the hyper-pop sounds of both “I Luv It” and the recently released “He Knows“, a collaboration with Lil Nas X, sounds as if it’ll be the most authentic representation of her background; “She likes seeing the neon colors of the Caribbean in the backdrop of Teslas and skyscrapers in the first world, Caribbean, Tokyo”, Cabello muses over the summery visuals.
Whilst the rebrand has had its share of detractors, and “I Luv It” itself hasn’t found a home on the radio circuit as much as her previous fare, Cabello’s clearly revelling in the chatter nonetheless. “They always said the city would be underwater by now. Then again, that’s what they said about her,” she notes in the trailer, seemingly referring to those who have doubted, and to continue to doubt her success. “I guess they both learned how to swim.”
C, XOXO is set for release on June 28th, 2024 through Geffen and Interscope Records.
