Camila Cabello's Debut Album Broke A Major Record In Less Than 24 Hours

If you've suspected that the singer was slowly taking over the world, then the record-breaking success of Camila Cabello's debut album is definitive proof of that fact. On Friday, Pop Crush reported that Camila apparently shot straight to number one in over 100 countries, less than 24 hours after its release. That means that Cabello broke the record for earning most iTunes no. 1 positions as a female artist, making her an official big deal. You know, as if she wasn't already. As Shawn Mendes once said about Cabello to Billboard, “It would take a big force to stop her from taking over the world." And, thankfully, that force is yet to find her.

While it was always obvious that Cabello was talented as part of Fifth Harmony, her newfound success as a solo artist really highlights the magnitude of her skills and fan base. Camila hasn't just been your average successful album, gathering momentum over time. The success of Camila was immediate, and it happened on a global level. That's a huge deal for any artist. But it's particularly exciting to see happen for a 20-year-old female artist like Cabello.

As you might expect, her fans were obviously delighted by the news, celebrating the unprecedented success of her debut album on Twitter. What was clear from all of the responses to the record breaking success of Camila, however, was that fans were excited by the news, but they weren't exactly surprised by it: Like, of course Camila was breaking records. Success on this scale is exactly what Cabello deserves.

What's perhaps even more impressive is that, though the record-breaking sales of Camila are certainly news worthy, it hasn't distracted from the real meat of the story here. And that's that Camila has been received incredibly well by fans and critics alike, who are already highlighting the album as being one of the potential best of 2018. This isn't a hollow victory, by any means. It's a success story with substance about an album that has managed to exceed all expectations.

On Thursday, Billboard named Camila their album of the week and enthused, "the spectrum of emotions and sounds on Camila is commendable," before stating, "the 20-year-old can rest assured that she’s created a piece of work that’s a dynamic solo career launch pad." Meanwhile, The Guardian stated that Camila is "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." Clearly, there's something unique and special about the album that makes its record breaking sales feel all the more jubilant. Its success isn't just the result of hype, but the result of an authentic pop movement and fan base.

You need only look at the success of Cabello's hit single, "Havana," to see how much that's true. The song is so successful that it currently holds the accolade of being the longest running female number one single since Adele's "Someone Like You." Having spent seven weeks at the top of the charts, "Havana" is the second longest-running number one of this decade, a record that Cabello shares with Kesha, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry.

Cabello's achievements are an incredible feat for a young, solo artist. But they're especially inspiring when you consider the risk she took in splitting from Fifth Harmony in December 2016. Cabello was leaving the group at the height of their popularity and power in order to take the leap and go solo, but, as evidenced by the self-assured sound of Camila, she is an artist with enough confidence that she feels emboldening to listen to. And her success acts as a reminder to all of us that sometimes taking risks in order to follow your instincts can really pay off.