Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (born March 3, 1997), known by her stage name… Read Full Bio ↴Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (born March 3, 1997), known by her stage name Camila Cabello, is a Cuban-American singer and songwriter. She is a pop, and Latin-influenced performer who first came to prominence as a founding member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. Born Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao in Cojimar, Cuba, Cabello moved to Miami, Florida at the age of six. Growing up in a Spanish-speaking environment (her mother is Cuban and her father is Mexican), she fostered her love of music by listening to Celia Cruz and Alejandro Fernández. At the age of 15, she auditioned for The X Factor in Greensboro, North Carolina. Even though she was eliminated (along with her four future groupmates), the judges brought her back. Simon Cowell combined the girls into a quintet and formed Fifth Harmony.

Despite finishing in third place, they went on to be the most successful contestants from that season. The group's debut EP, Better Together, was released in October 2013, with acoustic reworkings, Spanish versions (Juntos and Juntos Acoustic), and a remix album following a month later. Their debut single, "Miss Movin' On," was the highest-charting U.S. X Factor single at the time, a feat beaten only by each successive Fifth Harmony single.

The group's debut LP, Reflection, was released in early 2015, featuring the hits "Sledgehammer" (written by Meghan Trainor) and "Worth It," featuring rapper Kid Ink. While backstage on Taylor Swift's 1989 world tour, Cabello wrote a duet with Canadian singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes. "I Know What You Did Last Summer" was released in November 2015 and immediately hit the Billboard Top 20. Fifth Harmony's sophomore set, 7/27, was issued in 2016, supported by a world tour and the hit single "Work from Home."

Outside of Fifth Harmony, Cabello paired with rapper Machine Gun Kelly for the October 2016 single "Bad Things." Well received, the track made a slow climb toward the top of the Billboard singles chart, and ultimately garnered the singer her first Top Ten song as a solo artist. That December, Cabello announced her departure from Fifth Harmony. Following her exit, Cabello collaborated with Cashmere Cat on "Love Incredible" and Pitbull and J Balvin on "Hey Ma" from the Fate of the Furious soundtrack.

In May 2017, Cabello released her debut (non-album) solo single, the Sia Furler co-written "Crying in the Club," which peaked in the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The promotional (non-album) single,"I Have Questions," was released a few days later. She also joined Bruno Mars as the opening act on his 24K Magic World Tour. New writing and recording sessions for her album were influenced by the success of her single "Havana" featuring Young Thug, which postponed its original release date and influenced the change of the record name from “The Hurting, The Healing, The Loving.” to “Camila.”

In early 2018 she returned with her debut full-length solo album, Camila, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200. It featured production by Frank Dukes, Jarami, and others. Buoyed by the number one single "Havana," featuring Young Thug, and "Never Be the Same," the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

In April 2018, Cabello embarked on the Never Be the Same Tour, her first as a solo artist. She was featured in "Sangria Wine", a song she recorded with Pharrell Williams. Cabello released the song live during her headlining tour. In May 2018, Cabello made a cameo appearance in Maroon 5's music video for "Girls Like You" featuring Cardi B. In the same month, she began performing as the opening act for American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift in her Reputation Stadium Tour in between the European leg of the Never Be the Same Tour. Cabello was featured in the remix version of "Beautiful", a song from American singer Bazzi. The song was released on August 2. On October 9, 2018, Cabello released the video single, "Consequences", having first surprised 12 of her biggest fans in advance, with a "Most Amazing Mystery Gift & Personal Letter".

On June 21, 2019, Cabello released "Señorita" with Canadian singer Shawn Mendes, along with the music video. The song debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and marks Mendes' and Cabello's second collaboration, following "I Know What You Did Last Summer" released in 2015. In August, "Señorita" climbed to the number one position, making it Cabello's second single to top the Hot 100 chart as lead artist. According to the IFPI, "Señorita" was the third best-selling song of 2019 globally. She is also a part of the song "South of the Border" by Ed Sheeran along with American rapper Cardi B, released in July 2019.

In October 2018, Cabello announced she would start working on new music in the new year after the holidays. In December 2018 she was nominated for two Grammys: Best Pop Solo Performance for a live version of "Havana" and Best Pop Vocal Album for Camila. Her performance at the ceremony made her the first female Latin artist to open the show. Cabello announced her sophomore album, Romance, which released December 6th, 2019. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 Chart and features two collaborations with Canadian singer-songwriter, Shawn Mendes and American Rapper, DaBaby. The fourth single, My Oh My, which featured DaBaby, has reached the top 20 in many countries and peaked at 22 on the Billboard 100 (As of March 2020).

In April 2019, it was announced that Cabello would star in an upcoming film adaptation of Cinderella, directed by Kay Cannon for Sony Pictures. Cinderella is set to be released February 5th, 2021 and will feature a soundtrack alongside the film.

What About Us
Camila Cabello Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

What do I know about love? Nothing
Where does the love go when it runs
Out? When does it leave? Why does it die?
Do you kill it in one violent blow?
Or is it a million unattended
Unhealed little cuts and scratches?
What do I know about love? Everything
It creeps into my chest

Uninvited and untameable
I know love has no mercy on
Anyone, rich, poor, independent
Codependent, confident, insecure
It'll bring you to your knees -
If you did it right
What I know for sure about love is that
You never come out of it the same
The other person is a chemical and
I am a chemical and we
Both will come out as different
People than when we met
I know when you're in love
Kissing is everything
Because words aren't the only way to
Tell someone how you feel
I know when you fall in
Love you feel like you're
The first and only two people in the world
Every kiss, every touch
Every caress is like something you feel
Nobody has ever felt before
And you think - has everybody
That's fallen in love
Before just walked around this
Nonchalantly the whole time?
You're at a restaurant with your friends
And you can feel it, this
Secret under your tongue burning like fire
But sweet and it creeps up to your
Cheeks and makes you smile
And suddenly you look down and you
See your heart's veins reaching, reaching
Clinging to someone else's heart
I've learned a lot about love in my 20s
But not enough to maintain any control
In the face of it's power
And for every new thing I learned
There was something else
I couldn't understand
All I know is love changes you
If you're lucky, to something better
What I know for sure is falling in love with
Life it'self makes an artist out of everyone
I thought I was making art before
Writing songs was me making art but
Now I want my life to be the work of art
And my songwriting to be the camera that
I take a picture of it with
It's what I'm living that's the art

What do I know about love? Maybe nothing
And that's why it's everything

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Camila Cabello's song "What About Us" delve into the complexities of love and its transformative power. In the first verse, the singer questions their understanding of love, wondering where it goes when it fades away and why it can sometimes end abruptly or gradually. They contemplate whether love is destroyed with one intense blow or through a series of small wounds that are left unattended and unhealed. Despite their initial uncertainty, the singer acknowledges that they actually know quite a lot about love. They describe how it invades their being without invitation, taking hold of their emotions and defying control. Love, they assert, shows no mercy or distinction based on wealth, independence, or confidence. It humbles and affects everyone, bringing them to their knees if experienced genuinely.

The singer further reflects on the profound impact of love, highlighting that it forever changes individuals. Love is compared to a chemical reaction between two people, altering their chemistry and transforming them into different versions of themselves compared to when they first encountered one another. The lyrics highlight the intensity of falling in love, with the emotions experienced surpassing any words that can be used to express them. The song suggests that when one falls in love, they feel a unique connection and a sense of being the only two people in the world. Each kiss, touch, and caress feels unprecedented, raising the question of whether previous generations of lovers experienced love with the same exhilaration.

The lyrics also touch on the physical sensations of being in love, describing the warmth and sweetness that permeates the body. The singer emphasizes the interconnectedness of hearts, vividly illustrating veins reaching out and clinging to another person's heart. Love, it is implied, can be all-consuming and may lead to a loss of control, as the singer admits to struggling to maintain any control in the face of its power. The song concludes with the acknowledgment that love changes individuals, potentially for the better, and falling in love with life itself can inspire creativity and transform one's perception of art. The singer expresses a desire for their life to become a work of art and for their songwriting to serve as a snapshot of that artistic existence.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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