Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

With several collaborations from artists such as Shawn Mendes, J Balvin and Quavo, Camila Cabello is no stranger to the pop circuit. Formerly a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, Cabello burst into her solo career with her self-titled album Camila on Jan. 12.

The debut album is a combination of ballads and dance music about the trials and joys of connection, be it with friends or lovers, with songs varying from romantic with striking soprano and tales of betrayal heavy with a gritty, sultry maturity that is lost favor in pop music lately.

“Never Be the Same” in particular displays the most drastic switch between styles. The song starts off gravelly, but by the time listeners hit the chorus, the vocals go up almost painfully to an octave that is not made for mortals.

“All These Years” is about mourning the loss of a romantic relationship that ended years ago. The vocals are backed by a guitar with several chords strummed in succession.

“She Loves Control” introduces a bouncing reggaeton beat that gets the listeners ready for the sultry feel of “Havana.” Unlike “Havana,” this song has a stronger attachment to Latin music, including the beat drop after a pause in the music, the claps and Spanish guitar.

“Havana,” the single from the album, is a standout in the fact that it not only sounds more adult, but Cabello really shows off a distinct voice that sticks out from the crowd. It definitely helps that it was co-produced by Pharrell.

“Inside Out” is an interesting mix of pop piano over a dancehall beat. It is dancehall in the way that “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran and “One Dance” by Drake are; it gives listeners a Caribbean feel without scaring anyone off. The rhythm combined with the airy vocals makes the song perfect for the summer.

“Consequences” is about a failed romance that left the former lover changed for the worse. It has a simple piano line with a mix of legato and staccato chords underneath Cabello’s mournful vocals.

“Real Friends” is the only song on the album not about romantic relationships, describing a small town girl that has trouble forming meaningful friendships. It has simple guitar line that repeats through the whole song, although there’s a little more action in the chorus.

“Something’s Gotta Give” is a crawling ballad about a relationship with too much compromise on one side and not enough on the other. It features yet another piano, but this one is a combination of chords and notes.

“In the Dark” is asking a potential friend/lover to open up and reveal their true self. It addresses the fakeness associated with fame. The song has a muffled bass that makes the whole song wavery and adds to the sense of uncertainty that the lyrics suggest.

“Into It” is the last track on the album and a dance track on top of that. It describes a potential fling on top of a pounding synth bass line.

Cabello’s monotone performances only make the songs feel slower. “Real Friends,” “All These Years,” “Consequences” and “Something’s Gotta Give” in particular are strikingly standard and sound like they could have come from any artist. Despite the imitations, Camila offers a pretty good snapshot into the sounds of pop music.

Image from CamilaCabelloVEVO via YouTube.com