Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran dance away the heartbreak on Bam Bam: First Listen

‘You said you hated the ocean, but you’re surfing now. I said I’d love you for life, but I just sold our house.’

It’s obvious, from the outset, that Camila Cabello’s tale is one of love lost.

‘We were kids at the start, I guess we’re grown ups now. Couldn’t ever imagine even having doubts, but not everything works out.’

But Bam Bam – Camila’s latest offering featuring hit-making machine Ed Sheeran – isn’t your typical break-up song. While the opening lyrics document a relationship expired, their juxtaposition against a buoyant acoustic guitar beat suggests Camila’s feeling optimistic.

Sonically, it’s already easy to compare the song to Camila’s 2019 collaboration with Shawn Mendes; Señorita. The point of difference here being that, while Señorita’s story was of insatiable summer lust, Bam Bam’s is one of bittersweet estrangement.

Its closest relatives initially, perhaps, are All These Years and Real Friends; tracks from Camila’s self-titled 2018 debut.

MORE: See Camila Cabello's full Official Charts history

‘Así es la vida sí’ [translation: such is life], Camila reasons as she enters the chorus. ‘Yeah, that’s just life baby. Yeah, love came around and it knocked me down, but I’m back on my feet.’

By now the scratchy, flamenco guitar instrumental’s picked up in pace. There’s a delicate, effortless quality to Camila’s vocal here; perfectly complementing the song’s melancholic subject matter. Bam Bam quickly shows itself as a song of acceptance, hope and happiness.

Then comes the second hook, and possibly the real earworm. ‘Ba-da-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam,’ Camila sings as she floats atop the breezy instrumental. Be prepared to catch yourself singing this at least ten times a day.

‘It’s been a hell of a year, thank God we made it out. Yeah we were riding a wave, and trying not to drown,’ Ed sings as he jumps onto the track, before the pair join forces for the bridge.

One thing to note here is Bam Bam’s authenticity and success in bringing the rich, textured elements of Latin music to mainstream pop.

‘Sigue bailando!’ Camila commands, as Ed bounces back the English equivalent ‘keep dancing!’ in a vocal joust building to the track’s crescendo. The energy here’s unmatched. It’s as if you’ve stumbled upon a local flamenco bar in the Sevillian side streets on a summer's night; and the vibe’s contagious. The final chorus steps things up even further, with additional musical flourishes and ad libs galore. This is a party, and everyone's invited.

MORE: Check out Ed Sheeran's complete Official Charts history

Bam Bam certainly fulfils the brief set out for Camila’s upcoming third studio album, Familia. Describing the inspiration behind the record last year, Camila explained: “This whole album to me was inspired by two things: family and food. Your family by blood, but also your chosen family. Who you want to break bread with. Who you want to sit at the dinner table with, cook a meal for, get wine-drunk with, and dance in the living room with.

“To me, those are the moments that make me glad to be alive, those moments of collective joy and true vulnerability and connection with other people.”

Bam Bam is released on March 5 via Epic.