Familia

by Camila Cabello

Overview

On 2022's Familia, Camila Cabello deftly balances the heartfelt style of her debut with the savvy pop production of 2019's Romance. It's a vibrantly cross-pollinated sound that again finds her drawing upon her Latin American musical roots. Part of the charm of 2018's Camila was just how pared down and personal it felt, while also revealing Cabello's flair for saucy, salsa-styled pop as on the mega-hit "Havana.'' With her warm, throaty vocals and sad-eyed penchant for Pedro Almodovar-esque theatrics, Cabello is more than capable of playing up both the silly and serious aspects of personality -- something she has done regularly since her departure from the pop group Fifth Harmony in 2016. While no less sincere, Romance was a more robust, over-the-top production, marked by a duet with Cabello's then boyfriend Shawn Mendes and with a sound aimed at competing with contemporaries like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. Working with a small group of producers, including Mike Sabath, Ricky Reed, Cheche Alara, and Edgar Barrera, Cabello smartly splits the difference on Familia, crafting tracks in both Spanish and English that feel organic and genuine to her life experience, but also revel in all of the frothy Latin pop vibes that made past songs like "Havana" and "Liar" so refreshingly fun. To these ends, the lead single "Don't Go Yet" is a giddy pop anthem, propelled by a crisp flamenco guitar and handclap accents that make the song sound like it leaped off the screen of a Robert Rodriguez movie. We also get "Hasta Los Dientes," a reggaeton-disco banger featuring Argentine singer Maria Becerra. There's a handful of equally well-curated guest appearances here with singers whose styles both complement and contrast nicely with Cabello's. Willow Smith teams up with her on the '90s trip-hop-sounding "Psychofreak." Also prominently featured is Ed Sheeran, who duets with Cabello on the infectious "Bam Bam," a surprisingly effective collaboration that takes the British superstar's hooky acoustic pop and injects it with a buoyant salsa groove. Equally engaging is "Celia," where Cabello coos over a dusky, minor-key groove, conjuring the spirit of legendary singer Celia Cruz. Especially potent is "Lola," a hypnotic Latin jazz and R&B ballad in the Sade-fashion featuring Cuban singer/rapper Yotuel. Inspired by the 2018 San Isidro Movement protesting the censorship of artists by the Cuban government, the song finds Cabello imagining her life had her family not emigrated from Cuba to Miami when she was six years old. She sings, "Nobody is dancing so she won't speak, won't speak/All of her dreams are fading slowly." On Familia, Cabello celebrates her family's journey and how it helped bring her musical dreams to life. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	07/15/2022
Label:	Epic
UPC:	0194399442012
Rank:	50012

Tracks

1. Familia
2. Celia
3. Psychofreak
4. Bam Bam
5. La Buena Vida
6. Quiet
7. Boys Don't Cry
8. Hasta Los Dientes
9. No Doubt
10. Don't Go Yet
11. Lola
12. Everyone at This Party

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Camila Cabello   Primary Artist
Maria Becerra   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Yotuel   Featured Artist
Yotuel Romero Manzanares   Featured Artist
Willow   Featured Artist
Willow Smith   Featured Artist
Ed Sheeran   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Yotuel   Composer
Michelle Mancini   Mastering
Cheche Alara   Composer,Producer
Mike Sabath   Composer,Producer
Scott Harris   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Joey Arbagey   A&R
Jose Castillo   Composer,Producer
Mary Ellen Devaux   A&R
Tom Peyton   Composer,Producer
Eric Frederic   Composer
Mike Cordone   Composer
Willow Smith   Composer
Ed Sheeran   Composer
Edgar Barrera   Composer,Producer
Charlotte Rutherford   Creative Director
Dalia Glickman   A&R
Ricky Reed   Producer,Executive Producer
Dany Real   Composer
Camila Cabello   Composer
Sasha Samsonova   Photography
Alfie Allen   Design,Art Direction
Maria Becerra   Composer
Jonah Shy   Composer
Carolina Bern   Composer
Sebastian Faena   Cover Photo