Camila Cabello leaves a budding superstar's mark in Oakland
Ladies and gentlemen, Camila Cabello has arrived.
It may take the rest of the world a little longer to truly catch on given that when Cabello showed up in Oakland for her “Never Be The Same” tour last Friday she was only four concerts deep into what will be a long run through the U.S. and into Europe. But trust us, catch on the rest of the world will.
For 90-minutes on Friday over at the Fox Theater, Cabello did on stage what her album “Camila” has done throughout the U.S. — captivate. Her concert in Oakland was a darn-near flawless pop music performance that had more than a handful of truly organic and memorable moments. It’s these moments that differentiate a ho-hum concert experience put together by someone with a couple of hits from someone like Cabello who is oozing with superstar potential.
The Bay Area is no stranger to Cabello, who late last year stole the show as part of an assemble cast of musicians during a winter concert in San Jose. But Friday night at the Fox was the artist’s ever-so-important first impression as a soloist trying to carry an entire tour. And given the sold out crowd’s reaction throughout her 90-minute set, the night could not have gone any better for Cabello.
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It’s obvious that while the breakup from Fifth Harmony may have been on the dramatic side, the years of touring with the group groomed Cabello for the spotlight. There aren’t too many solo female artists with the stage savvy that Cabello already has or an understanding of how to interpret a successful album in a concert setting.
However it doesn’t take a long look at Cabello on stage to see we’re dealing with something special. It usually takes artists years and multiple albums to get the kind of pop Cabello received throughout the night. From “Never Be The Same” and the initial roar of the crowd, to a stripped down rendition of “Consequences” made special by the audience’s accompaniment, to an adorable moment on stage as a handful of young fans helped her with “Real Friends,” to closing out the show with a bang and “Havana” — the concert did not lack for awe.
And yet, while there is very little to knock about Cabello’s show, the concern should be how her message — one that looks to capitalizes on youthful emotional triggers easily accessible with the right form of musical production and stage side rhetoric — will evolve as her fans grow with her. Her career is taking off at a very critical and sensitive time not just in music, but in culture.
It’s obvious Cabello is aware of her influence and ethos on her young fans — her performance of “Something’s Gotta Give,” for example, took a song about a past love and with the use of a video montage, morphed it into a relevant political criticism and plea for help. But there is a responsibility that comes with that form of power at such a nascent point in her career. What she does with that power will dictate how long and how bright her star shines.
But if Friday night is any indication, then the “Never Be The Same” tour marks the arrival of a star who intends to stay in our musical orbit for a very long time.