C, XOXO＜タワーレコード限定/Alt. Cover Silver Vinyl＞

現代を代表するポップ・アイコン、Camila Cabelloの新章がここから始まる!

世界的ガールズ・グループ、Fifth Harmonyの一員として大ブレイクを果たし、その後ソロとしてもこれまでに4度グラミー賞にてノミネートされるなど、シンガー・ソングライターとして大きな成功を収めているCamila Cabello。

近年は俳優業にも活躍の場を広げるなど、現代におけるポップ・アイコンの1人となった彼女が贈る、通算4作目となるスタジオ・アルバム『C,XOXO』。

インスピレーションとなったのは、彼女が幼少期を過ごした米フロリダ州のマイアミ。自身の原点へと立ち返りながら、ブロンドヘアに心機一転。生まれ変わった彼女の新章がここからスタートする。

Early on C,XOXO, Camila Cabello calls herself out, singing "Cute girl with a sick mind," a lyric that could easily stand as the one-line pitch for the album. Her follow-up to 2022s Familia, 2024s C,XOXO finds the Havana-born, Florida-raised Cabello entering her bleach-blonde era, both literally and figuratively, as she embraces her inner Miami party girl and celebrates the sweaty, dayglow club atmosphere of her hometown. The aforementioned lyric pops up in "Chanel No. 5," a woozy, minimalist R&B number built around a fractured piano riff that sounds like it was lifted off a warped vinyl childrens LP, all of which nicely encapsulates the consciously brand-centric, 00s Zeitgeist atmosphere Cabello is exploring here. Produced by Pablo Diaz-Reixa (aka El Guincho), Jasper Harris, and Daniel Aged, C,XOXO is a bold sonic departure for the singer, eschewing much of the Latin-tinged pop of her past work in favor of a sleazy, maximalist sound, marked by dump-truck synths, clipped trap beats, and a tidal wave of Auto-Tuned vocals. This is an album of Cabello feeling herself, leaning into the club-going experiences and romantic heartbreak of her past, and transforming them into moments of aspirational bliss. This is especially true on the opening "I Luv It," where she turns her sexual empowerment into a never-ending bass drop, an experiential "meteor shower" that could go on forever but for sure wont. That the song also manages to take a sample of Gucci Manes "Lemonade" and a guest appearance by mumble rapper Playboi Carti and push all of it together in a cohesive fashion, speaking to Cabellos clear aesthetic vision and her strong grasp on her influences. Equally potent guest spots pop up elsewhere, including Lil Nas X on the flirty, disco-house-infused "I Think He Knows" and JT and Yung Miami of City Girls, who take a ride on the euphoric, evocatively titled hip-hop anthem "Dade County Dreaming." Prime among the guests, however, is Drake, who duets with Cabello on the sultry electro-dancehall number "Hot Uptown." Much of the album leaves you with the sense that Cabello is letting loose and blowing off some creative musical steam. She also gives herself some room to dig into some deeper emotions, as on the synthy, neon-lit R&B anthem "DREAM-GIRLS" and the acoustic guitar-driven ballad "Twentysomethings, both of which ruminate on ways even the wildest club kids can mature into themselves. At its best, C,XOXO is a vibes album, musical perfume -- a spritz of Cabellos "meteor shower" pop moment. ~ Matt Collar

Early on C,XOXO, Camila Cabello calls herself out, singing "Cute girl with a sick mind," a lyric that could easily stand as the one-line pitch for the album. Her follow-up to 2022s Familia, 2024s C,XOXO finds the Havana-born, Florida-raised Cabello entering her bleach-blonde era, both literally and figuratively, as she embraces her inner Miami party girl and celebrates the sweaty, dayglow club atmosphere of her hometown. The aforementioned lyric pops up in "Chanel No. 5," a woozy, minimalist R&B number built around a fractured piano riff that sounds like it was lifted off a warped vinyl childrens LP, all of which nicely encapsulates the consciously brand-centric, 2000s Zeitgeist atmosphere Cabello is exploring here. Produced by Pablo Diaz-Reixa (aka El Guincho), Jasper Harris, and Daniel Aged, C,XOXO is a bold sonic departure for the singer, eschewing much of the Latin-tinged pop of her past work in favor of a sleazy, hyperpop sound marked by dump-truck synths, clipped trap beats, and a tidal wave of Auto-Tuned vocals. This is an album of Cabello feeling herself, leaning into the club-going experiences and romantic heartbreak of her past, and transforming them into moments of aspirational bliss. This is especially true on the opening "I Luv It," where she turns her sexual empowerment into a never-ending bass drop, an experiential "meteor shower" that could go on forever but for sure wont. That the song also manages to take a sample of Gucci Manes "Lemonade" and a guest appearance by mumble rapper Playboi Carti and push all of it together in a cohesive fashion, speaking to Cabellos clear aesthetic vision and her strong grasp on her influences. Equally potent guest spots pop up elsewhere, including Lil Nas X on the flirty, disco-house-infused "I Think He Knows" and JT and Yung Miami of City Girls, who take a ride on the euphoric, evocatively titled hip-hop anthem "Dade County Dreaming." Prime among the guests, however, is Drake, who duets with Cabello on the sultry electro-dancehall number "Hot Uptown." That said, one might be left wondering why Drake is essentially allowed to sing solo on "Uuugly," a baffling choice on an album that otherwise does a good job focusing on its star. Another interesting if vexing decision is the addition of several mood-setting interludes, including what amounts to a spoken confessional by rapper BPL Kosher praising Cabellos music. At just over 30 minutes in length, C,XOXO is breezy, and these short interludes come off as somewhat superfluous. Regardless, the album is never boring, leaving you with the sense that Cabello is letting loose and blowing off some creative musical steam. She also gives herself some room to dig into some deeper emotions, as on the synthy, neon-lit R&B anthem "DREAM-GIRLS" and the acoustic guitar-driven ballad "Twentysomethings, both of which ruminate on ways even the wildest club kids can mature into themselves. At its best, C,XOXO is a vibes album, musical perfume -- a spritz of Cabellos "meteor shower" pop moment. ~ Matt Collar

プレイボーイ・カーティとの先行カット"I Luv It"でハイパーポップ寄りの作法にアプローチしたカミラ。同じエル・グインチョが手掛けるチャーリーXCXとも比較されたそこでのチャレンジは、本人いわく〈過去の路線からの逸脱〉という形でこのレーベル移籍作にも反映されている。リル・ナズ・Xとの"He Knows"のほか、解散したばかりのシティ・ガールズやドレイクも客演!
bounce (C)音無香玖