7 June 20-26, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | I t’s 7 a.m. in Los Angeles, where Ca- mila Cabello is promoting her soon- to-be-released fourth album, C,XOXO. She’s commiserating with me about not being a morning per- son, telling me she only gets up early to speak to the press like she’s doing now when her team requires it. Naturally, Cabello is pressed for time these days, thanks to the new record. She’s been hosting listening parties, appearing on talk shows, and even attending the Met Gala, where she stood out, thanks to a block of ice with a rose suspended in the middle of it that she held like a clutch, completely overshadow- ing her custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown. Stans on X (formerly known as Twitter) are also keeping Cabello in the headlines, thanks to the debate surrounding C,XOXO’s lead single, “I Luv It.” It’s a glitchy, hyper- pop-leaning track that, upon first listen, feels like a dramatic departure from the 27-year- old’s traditional pop sound. But in speaking with Cabello, I come to her defense and tell her it feels like she’s do- ing what every twentysomething eventually has to do: mature. “Honestly, I agree with you,” she tells me. “It definitely feels that way on the inside. It felt like a really natural evolution. It didn’t feel like, ‘I’m going to change everything!’” she adds, lowering her voice. “It felt more like following curiosities and microdecisions to kind of get to the moment.” It seems like everyone has forgotten that Cabello first stepped into the limelight in 2012 at the tender age of 15 as a contestant on The X Factor, where she wowed judges with her ren- dition of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” During the show’s “boot camp” phase, judge and show producer Simon Cowell had the idea of lumping Cabello with four other young women — Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Di- nah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui — to form a girl group that would compete on the show. The group placed third on the show, and Fifth Harmony was born. As part of the group, Cabello helped make songs like “Work From Home” and grace notes Photo by Julian Burgueño Miami native Camila Cabello’s forthcoming release, C,XOXO, is a love letter to her hometown. BY JOSE D. DURAN >> p8
