If you’ve been online recently, chances are you’ve seen promotions for Camila Cabello’s new album, C, XOXO. Whether it's graffiti on city walls or writing in the sand, it’s sure to read “C, XOXO.”

C, XOXO is a departure from Cabello’s previous albums, both sonically and visually. Taking cues from hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music, the album features a wide variety of genres. Not only that, but the album also features many different artists. This lineup includes rappers such as Drake, Lil Nas X, and Playboi Carti.

You’d think that with all this amazing promotion, a fresh new sound from Cabello, and a stacked list of features, C, XOXO would be a life-changing album. Right? Let’s get into it.

Image: Condé Nast (through Vogue Taiwan) from Wikimedia Commons

C, XOXO is Boring

To answer the previous question, though it's not necessarily a bad album, C, XOXO is boring and forgettable. I went into the album feeling excited for the rest of the tracks after hearing the lead single, but I was left feeling unfulfilled.

The most memorable song on the record is “I Luv It,” simply because of how much the hyper-pop song sticks out amongst the rest of the tracks. However, the way it sticks out leaves the album feeling inconsistent.

That's not to say that the songs are bad, though. The fourteen songs on the album themselves don't sound bad and are actually pretty good on their own. However, all these songs compiled into one album just don't sound cohesive.

Plus, while they may be good, that doesn't necessarily mean they're interesting. Most tracks on C, XOXO just sound like generic pop songs.

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Diving into Two of the Singles

“I LUV IT” ft. Playboi Carti

“I Luv It” is the lead single off of C, XOXO, and is by far the most interesting track on the album. The song falls under the hyper-pop genre, which led many to believe that Cabello's entire album would be as well. The song interpolates the chorus of the 2009 track “Lemonade” by American rapper Gucci Mane. If you've already heard “Lemonade” in the past, then you would have noticed it in an instant.

The song opens with Cabello singing in falsetto, almost like she's whispering. The beat drops, and the song shifts to Cabello repeatedly singing “I love it.” Then it switches to the chorus of “Lemonade.” This formula of ‘soft vocals followed by beat drops' repeats until Carti starts his verse. The song then abruptly ends, and almost feels as if it had more to it that got cut last minute.

Though this song is by far the most memorable, the chorus can feel messy and disorganized at times. On top of that, Carti's verse feels out of place in comparison to the rest of the song.

“HE KNOWS” ft. Lil Nas X

“He Knows” is the second single off of C, XOXO, and is a great track off of the album. Unlike “I Luv It,” this track is more of a traditional pop song reminiscent of Cabello's previous work. The song samples Ojerime's 2020 song “Give It Up 2 Me,” and features rapper Lil Nas X. When asked about the collaboration in an interview with Rolling Stone, Cabello stated the following:

“[When] I [was] in a studio session in Miami, I was like, “I’ve never made something that felt housey and electronic before.” So they pulled up this Ojerime sample and I wrote, “He Knows.” When we were talking about who could be a fire feature on it, we immediately thought of Nas.”

Lil Nas X's verse follows a beat drop, happening after he briefly joins Cabello in the chorus. As Lil Nas X continues with his verse, the song becomes upbeat once again.

Like “I Luv It,” the track is upbeat and danceable but feels much more put together. “He Knows” also fits much better with the rest of the album. Despite that, the song can be forgettable. Nothing about it stands out too much from the rest of her discography, which defeats the purpose of C, XOXO going in a different direction from her previous work. However, with the right promotion, this could be a great summer hit.

Should You Listen to C, XOXO?

Though I didn't enjoy C, XOXO as an album, that isn't to say that the songs were bad. While there were some songs I didn't like, many other songs were nice to listen to on their own. If Cabello had chosen one sound and stuck to it, the album as a whole would've been much more enjoyable. Still, I highly recommend that you give the album a listen yourself; you might even find yourself some new personal favourites!

Despite its flaws, I am still excited to see what Cabello brings next to the table with CC5. Will she continue experimenting with her sound? We'll just have to wait and see.