Singer-songwriter Cam’s forthcoming album, All Things Light, released on July 18 via RCA Records, draws from deeply personal experiences shaped during the early, isolating days of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as insights inspired by her young daughter, Lucy. The album’s themes explore questions about life, death, and resilience, framed through the lens of motherhood and the universal search for meaning.
During this intense period, Cam began crafting songs that would become a collection of metaphorical stories and emotional guideposts. These reflected not only her own feelings but also a desire to reassure her daughter that she is not alone when facing difficult emotions.
“We have backyard chickens, and one of them died, and she would ask, ‘What happens when they die?’ And I was like, ‘We don’t know, but I guess your body gets still and our light goes back to the stars,’ because to me, on a science level [and] a spiritual level, I don’t think anything is lost,”
Cam tells Billboard.
“This album is trying to find little stories, metaphors, guideposts in a way, so that at least if my daughter knows she’s not alone in feeling what she’s feeling, she can test herself as she’s trying to figure things out.”
Creative Solitude and Spiritual Exploration as Musical Inspiration
In 2021, with the world still grappling with grief and uncertainty, Cam found herself alone in a studio, welcoming new life while reflecting on the pervasive anxiety around death. This juxtaposition fueled her motivation to channel the emotional complexity of the moment into songwriting. The album did not begin as a deliberate spiritual project; rather, its essence poured forth naturally during her solitary creative process.
“I didn’t set out like, ‘Hey, I want to write a spiritual album or a transformational album,’”
Cam recalls.
“This stuff just started pouring out. When you’re alone — and this sounds cheesy — then I get to be a vessel for whatever is coming through, and it’s not getting augmented by anyone else.”
Tracks such as Hallelujah and Turns Out That I Am God materialized from these intimate sessions. Hallelujah reflects on society’s rapid return to normalcy after the pandemic, often bypassing grief, while Turns Out That I Am God touches on awakening to inner peace and unity with the world.
“I’m a very face-the-abyss type of person,”
she states.
“I don’t think there is any other way for me to exist. If I sense an existential dread coming on, I have to sit down and look at it.”
Forming a Spiritual Framework Rooted in Personal History
Cam’s upbringing in California included performing in a children’s choir, where she was exposed to spiritual and folk music traditions in multiple languages. Unlike many, she wasn’t raised in a formal religious setting; instead, her parents allowed her to explore spirituality on her own terms. Becoming a mother during the pandemic intensified her awareness of life and death, inspiring her to consciously build a personal spiritual foundation.
“I was not raised with religion. I got to learn from practices and a lot of experiences. I wasn’t given the words, which I think was a really thoughtful choice on my parents’ part. But having a child during [the pandemic] even though it’s creating life, it was also really an awareness of death. I think being a mom and facing all that heaviness and beauty, I realized I’m responsible for building that for her and for myself. I can’t leave any stone unturned at this point. I need to commit myself to building a spiritual framework for myself.”
Collaborative Synergy Shapes a Diverse Musical Palette
To bring her vision to life, Cam reunited with longtime collaborators such as Tyler Johnson and Jeff Bhasker, co-writers behind her previous success Burning House. She also enlisted new creative partners including Michael Uzowuru, known for his work with Frank Ocean and SZA, and Ethan Gruska, who has contributed to projects by boygenius and Phoebe Bridgers. This blend of voices helped Cam weave a rich musical tapestry combining folk, country, and ethereal pop elements.
They recorded parts of the album at the iconic EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, a location famed for hosting historic sessions by The Beach Boys and The Mamas and The Papas. Cam praises Johnson’s intuitive collaboration, crediting their partnership with shaping her evolving sound.
“I feel so lucky to have found him,”
she says of Johnson.
“He was actually an old boyfriend’s roommate, and we started working together. We sort of shaped each other. I love his musical instinct, the tone, the way he writes. What he comes up with just feels perfect with my ideas.”
Life Lessons Influence Songs of Love, Caution, and Self-Trust
Through her 20s, Cam’s global travels and experiences informed her songwriting. Her journey included time in Nepal and Egypt and a relationship with an Eastern European guru that inspired the song Kill the Guru, a cautionary tale about misplaced trust and narcissism.
“The reason I broke up with the ‘Burning House’ guy was that I fell in love with a guru and it was… I don’t recommend it,”
she admits.
“He was a very narcissistic person. But I was just so enamored at the time with someone who seemed to know everything. Isn’t that so attractive? I want to be near that…But sometimes, it’s just overconfidence. If you feel like the trust you have in yourself starts shifting out of your body towards somebody else, that’s the biggest red flag. Move away from that person; you need space. You have to be able to trust yourself more than anyone else.”
After studying psychology at UC Davis, Cam faced a turning point when she was rejected from Georgetown’s graduate program. Encouraged by her sister, she pursued music full-time, relocating to Nashville and quickly gaining recognition with her 2015 EP Welcome to Cam Country and the acclaimed full-length album Untamed. Her breakthrough single Burning House rose to number two on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and earned triple platinum certification from the RIAA.
More than ten years later, her work continues to inspire others, with renditions by artists ranging from American Idol contestants to country singer Kameron Marlowe, whose recent cover Cam praised for its quality and vocal strength.
“I think it’s beautiful, it’s cool. He has a great voice,”
Cam remarks on Marlowe’s version.
Transcendent Themes in Recent Tracks Highlight Inner Peace and Resistance to Pressure
Following 2020’s album The Otherside, Cam crafted All Things Light, building on her meditative and spiritual experiences. The single Turns Out I Am God features lyrics inspired by writer Alan Watts and Cam’s own meditation practices initiated during college. The song blends intricate guitar tones with contemplative lyrics describing self-realization and unity.
“I turned my mind off and then realized there was this whole peace inside of me, and then it was like, ‘Oh, I’m not separate. I’m part of everything.’ We had been torn on whether ‘God’ should be [recorded] on piano. Ethan, who feels kind of country to be honest, came in, and he and [Tyler] crafted this guitar tone that was just perfect.”
Another track, Alchemy, draws on the life-to-death cycle found in Buddhist chant, while Slow Down challenges the relentless pace faced by today’s artists and audiences alike.
“Everybody is obviously on the content train — rush, rush, rush,”
Cam observes.
“I just want [the music] to be really good and I want to be able to take care of my kid. I read [Tricia Hersey’s 2022 book] Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto. I think anything that helps you deprogram is good. Your worth is not your productivity. I want to make sure the music I’m making, that I’m putting it out there for the right reasons and that it’s going to affect people the right way.”
Visual Representation Evokes the Album’s Spiritual Light
The visual component of All Things Light accompanies its soundscape through striking artwork created by Milan-based photographer Szilveszter Mako. The album cover features a luminous closeup of Cam in a suit, her blonde hair styled in waves, partially obscured by a glowing blaze of light. This imagery symbolizes the inner light Cam describes throughout her music and personal philosophy.
“[It is a] reference to that light I was talking about. Underneath is that light that I think is in everybody, so there’s light coming from my face.”
Cam’s Role in Beyoncé’s Collaborative Project Deepens Artistic Foundations
Parallel to her own album, Cam worked on Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning Cowboy Carter album, where she contributed as a co-writer, producer, engineer, and background vocalist. Called unexpectedly by her publisher in 2021 to join a writing session, she helped shape five songs on the critically acclaimed project, including tracks like Protector and Daughter.
“It all came from the same space,”
she recalls.
“It was really reassuring for [Beyoncé’s] music to come out first. It was wonderful to watch, and from an artistic standpoint, it’s incredibly inspiring and it was nice to see someone at that level committing to those ideas of what art can be. And what a story, too, for her to finally get [the Grammys’ album of the year honor] on that album. To get to be part of something that got to be celebrated but also mean something to me and be culture-changing, it’s a dream.”
Messages of Hope and Commitment Close the Album
The album’s finale, the string-enriched song We Always Do, serves as a powerful affirmation of human perseverance and the strength found in relationships. This closing track embodies the optimism and determination woven throughout the project, offering an assurance that, despite challenges, ways forward will be found.
“The last song on the record is radically positive, just saying ‘We’re going to find a way,’”
Cam shares.
“I believe that for humans and I believe that in my marriage and relationships. It’s a commitment and we’ll find a way.”
Balancing Family and Artistic Pursuits Shapes Cam’s Outlook Moving Forward
While Cam continues to write new music, she emphasizes a renewed focus on balancing her career with family life. The extended time during the pandemic with her daughter Lucy and husband has reshaped her priorities, calling for a slower pace and mindful scheduling.
“My husband always said we were so fortunate in a way that during the pandemic we got all this time with Lucy. Trying to find the silver lining when it felt like the bottom fell out of the whole [music] industry,”
Cam explains.
“Now, getting back to it, I had to slow down to realize how much I was participating in my own hamster wheel and how much I didn’t get out of it. I had to learn to manage my schedule in a way that makes sense for me and my family. If you ask me what’s the most important thing in my life is, it’s that time and space with my family and people that I love. So that’s gonna come first.”
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Beyoncé change her name?
A. Beyoncé hasn’t made any formal changes to her name. She has continued to use the name Beyoncé Knowles in her professional career, even after marrying Jay-Z.
Q. Why did people unfollow Beyoncé?
A. Beyoncé is often seen at P. Diddy’s parties, making people think she might know about everything happening there. This has led to online users sharing conspiracy theories, often using J. Cole’s song “She knows” alongside their posts. As a result, some of Beyoncé’s fans decided to stop following her on social media.
Q. Why is Beyoncé suddenly white?
A. Experts in style think the transformations were mostly due to makeup, lighting, and how things were styled, not because of skin-lightening products.
Q. Why did Beyoncé lose 4 million followers?
A. Rumors quickly spread on social media platform X, claiming her and Jay-Z’s ties to Diddy’s legal issues and Aaliyah’s death caused the decline. But these rumors are untrue.
