With a brand new look, Camila Cabello is gearing up for the next chapter of her career. Her new album “C, XOXO” will be released on June 28.
At 27, Camila Cabello has already had an impressive career. At just 15, the Cuban-born singer gained fame in 2012 as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony on the US talent show “The X Factor,” where they released two successful albums. In 2015, she hinted at even greater things to come in her solo career when she collaborated with Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes, 25, on the single “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”
From “Havana” to Chart-Topping Success
In 2016, the dark-haired beauty promptly left her band to focus on her solo career. The following year, she achieved global success with the song “Havana,” featuring rapper Young Thug, 32, which became a worldwide number one hit. Her debut album “Camila” in 2018 also debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, and shortly after, she joined her superstar friend Taylor Swift, 34, as the opening act for her “Reputation” tour.
“Hi Blondie! New Era, New Hair”
Two successful solo albums later, Camila Cabello aims to reinvent herself once again with renewed confidence in 2024. She ushered in the next chapter of her career on February 1 with an Instagram video that caused a stir among her roughly 65 million followers.
In the short clip, the previously dark-haired singer shocked fans with a radical change in appearance, revealing platinum blonde hair for the first time. Star hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos, responsible for her new look, commented on his own account with the apt words: “Hi Blondie! New era, new hair.” Alongside Giannetos, star stylist Jared Ellner, makeup artist Ash K Holm, and nail artist Tom Bachick were also credited with the transformation.
Experimental Pop on “C, XOXO”
Cabello not only kicks off the new era of her meteoric career with a fresh look, which she documented and celebrated in countless Instagram posts over the past months, but also with a new album titled “C, XOXO,” set for release on June 28. The initial singles from this work indicate a radical departure musically. Compared to her previous albums, tracks like “I Luv It” (ft. Playboi Carti) or “He Knows” (ft. Lil Nas X) sound more experimental and electronic.
In an interview with “Paper Mag,” she discussed this musical evolution: “I always hated when I did things or released things that didn’t feel edgy enough. I would tell myself, ‘God, this is a great song, but I don’t know if it fits me.'” With the songs on her new album, she feels she has come closer to herself.
New Album as a “Love Letter to Miami”
The freshly blonde Camila Cabello has also become the new face of the rum brand Bacardí, with which she has entered into a multi-year partnership. For their summer campaign, she contributed her song “I LUV IT” to a spot where she also created a recipe for a Bacardí summer drink named “I LUV IT” Punch, featuring passion fruit, lime, coconut water, and St. Germain. As a Cuban-born American who spent her youth in Miami, she claims to have a deep knowledge of rum, as stated in her remarks.
Speaking to “PUSS PUSS Magazine,” she also sees her new album as a “sort of love letter to Miami.” The cosmopolitan city at the southern tip of Florida has not only shaped her worldview but also significantly influenced her musical tastes. “It’s such a melting pot,” says Cabello. “You drive down the street with the windows down, and you hear Afrobeat and rap and Bad Bunny and salsa. You hear everything. I think that has also shaped me.”
