Heading into Mainstream Pop territory this lunch hour with a set by Camila Cabello at last year’s Glastonbury Festival – recorded by the venerable BBC6 Music on June 29, 2024.
The motto of Past Daily; “Ignorance Of Your Culture Is Considered Uncool” has been falling a bit short lately. Not that we’re ignoring some genres of music, but that Pop Music, particularly mainstream Pop Music is so well covered by other sites, not to mention having the full support and backing of the mainstream music industry, that there’s almost no point in adding to that conversation on this website. Coupled with the fact that the Mainstream has really never been my go-to place for comfort, discovery and solace, I tend to avoid it.
That said, running into Cuban-Mexican-American Camila Cabello via her appearance at Glastonbury I was struck by her fresh contribution to the genre – not to mention the sheer energy she adds to the proceedings, especially during this performance which, according to her, was on one of the hottest days of the year and something of an anomaly for Britain. Still, she offered a stand-out performance and had the audience behind her 100%.
I’m no fan of Autotune. One of the reasons I always gravitate to live performances is the comparative lack of “performance enhancing” opportunities while flying without the proverbial net. Always seemed like a cheat to me – I’ll take warts and all if it means the energy and vibe are intact. You can be perfect in the studio, and you have an unlimited number of takes to prove it. On stage and with a live band and with one shot, things tend to be different and sometimes go haywire.
Fortunately Camila Cabello uses Autotune sparingly, as if she was adding spice to the mix; a little goes a long way.
The end result was a surprisingly engaging and exhilarating performance, she fits right in with the inherent eclectic nature of Glastonbury. From the audience reaction, it was met with a lot of enthusiasm.
Give it a listen – I will be honest, I’m not familiar with her studio albums, but I think a trip over to her website to pick up a few things might be a good idea.
In the meantime – hit Play and sit back.
