Is there a name for the opposite of a break-up album? Because that's what Camila Cabello's sophomore effort Romance feels like: a record as bursting with ecstatic emotion and erotic desire as the exuberant delirium of having just fallen in love. It's a palpable vibe she put on display during her blush-inducing performance of the single "Señorita" with her duet partner (and rumored boyfriend) Shawn Mendes at the 2019 American Music Awards. The performance ended with Cabello and Mendes teasing a kiss, a bold move that left the audience excited for what the rest of Romance would hold. What Cabello does reveal on Romance is an artist continuing to refine her distinctive pop persona as she happens to be deep in the sway of love.
We all have friends who, when they fall in love, turn into Shakespeare-quoting, starry-eyed Pepé Le Pews. That’s all good, but not many can convey emotion with a flawless soprano like Camila Cabello. Romance, her second album, feels like a transitional moment for the Cuban American singer. Most notably, her adorable relationship with pop superstar Shawn Mendes provided much of this album’s inspiration. Next, she steps away from the Latin vibes that carried her earlier hits like “Havana” and “Señorita” to explore pop more broadly. She plunges down moody Ariana/Weeknd-type wormholes on “Should’ve Said It,” “Feel It Twice,” “Used to This,” and “Easy.” The latter shares feelings that are pure catnip for hopeless romantics: “Always thought I was hard to love till you made it seem so easy,” she confesses.