Camila

Cabello’s voice isn’t especially distinctive, but it’s instinctually pretty: effortless and warm, with an edge of morning-after rasp.

While Cabello stands out on the more fiery tracks, she also shines in subtlety.

A strong and surprisingly confident first impression.

Camila is one of those moments where the committee approach strikes gold: smart enough to avoid smoothing out the quirks and slavishly chasing trends, it’s a product of the pop factory that doesn’t sound run-of-the-mill.

“Never Be the Same” proves that Cabello doesn’t need a mammoth voice. The love-is-a-drug lyric she’s singing is dumb, but she sells it so joyfully that you don’t even notice, and its wonderfully breathy, high-register hook ensures “Havana” won’t be her last solo hit.

Along with the aforementioned "Havana," these [Latin-inflected songs] are easily the most potent songs on the album, and showcase Cabello's effusively resonant voice and playful charisma. Admittedly, the album leans a little too heavily on ballads and midtempo acoustic guitar numbers that work against the vibrancy and momentum of the Latin tracks.

Camila is sleek pop that gets straight to the point, just 10 songs around the three-minute mark, eschewing celebrity guests or big-name producers.