Just Give In to Camila Cabello’s Pitbull Sample

Mr. 305, conscionable Ms. 305. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/MTV1617/Getty Images

Pitbull’s “Hotel Room Service” belongs connected nine creation floors oregon blared retired of car speakers — truly anyplace you tin scream, “Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn!” astatine the apical of your lungs. In astir each way, it’s the polar other of a tender ballad astir mislaid love. But Camila Cabello thinks it belongs successful 1 of those, too. Her fourth album, C,XOXO, is afloat of near turns — a Charli-via-Gucci pivot connected pb azygous “I Luv It,” two full Drake appearances — but the biggest mightiness beryllium the Pitbull illustration connected “B.O.A.T.” After the chorus, astir each the things her ex ne'er told her (looking astatine you, Shawn), you perceive a faint synth enactment and think, Is that …? No, it can’t be. But, yes, it is, and spot me: It’s wonderful.

I went done immoderate mentation of the 5 stages of grief erstwhile I archetypal heard “hotel, motel, Holiday Inn” successful an different emotional, susceptible song. First, I thought my ears were deceiving me. I laughed retired loud. I tried to find meaning successful it: Maybe Cabello really wants this ex to hide astir whoever he’s with close present and conscionable her astatine the edifice room. I thought it was stupid. But by the clip the opus was over, I loved it. It’s besides C,XOXO successful a nutshell: an undeniably silly infinitesimal coexisting with earthy emotion, with the thread of Miami tying it together.

C,XOXO definite seemed scattered prerelease, with Cabello dyeing her hairsbreadth blond and spinning her hands astatine Coachella with Lana Del Rey. But it’s agreed by that elemental love-letter-to-your-hometown concept. Cabello worked with producers El Guincho and Jasper Harris connected a beat-driven, sample-rich medium that reflects her city’s melting cookware of hip-hop, club, and Latin trap music; much than a fewer songs dependable similar mislaid cuts from the Spring Breakers soundtrack. Of course this medium was going to notation Mr. 305 — and so what if it’s connected 1 of the astir intimate tracks? Really, beneath the neon haze, C,XOXO is beauteous intimate each astir — Cabello reflects connected however the municipality made her a musician, falls successful and retired of emotion a fewer times, and wonders what she messed up on the way. On “B.O.A.T.,” bittersweet miss and enactment miss unite. Just dainty it similar immoderate different clip you perceive “Hotel Room Service” connected a nighttime retired and springiness in.