Camila Cabello in a heart-to-heart conversation with Glamour
by Ana Walia | Fri, 08 Oct 2021 13:10:28 GMT
Camila Cabello graced the cover of 'Glamour' Image Source: California News

The 24-year-old, born in Cuba, raised in Miami, singer-songwriter and now actress Camila Cabello recently shot for her first ever-global cover for ‘Glamour’ where she in a straightforward conversation with the interviewer, shared about her struggles with anxiety, food, body image, therapy, music, and of course her relationship with singer Shawn Mendes.

Camila Cabello is no stranger to being under the spotlight as she auditioned for ‘The X-Factor’ in 2012 and was matched with four other girls to form a pop group, ‘Fifth Harmony’. The singer decided to leave the group in 2016 and embark on her solo journey as an artist and, since then, has achieved an immense amount of appreciation, support, and love from her fans. She in a previous interview shared that she wanted to stay in the group but also wanted to work on her solo album. Reports suggested that other members of the group shut her out so she decided to leave.

Camila’s singles ‘Havana’ and ‘Señorita’ (in collaboration with Shawn Mendes) broke all the records at the Billboard and earned her three nominations at The Grammy Awards. She recently essayed the role of Cinderella in Amazon Prime's‘Cinderella’, remake of the movie in a musical form.

A still from Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's song 'Señorita'. Image Source: Teen Vogue

The singer shared during the interview that she was constantly working before the pandemic and had never realized how worked up she was. But when the world shut down because of the virus, she realized how tired she was and started to take measures to fix the situation. She shared that the quarantine made her realize what was important and what was not, and made her understand that it is necessary to give your body and mind some rest.

Camila has always been vocal about therapy, and in the interview, she shared that therapy has helped her to see the changes she needed to make in her life. The singer shared that she had experimented with different therapies previously, but only for quick fixes with something here and there, but with everything under a complete shutdown, she was able to dig deep. She said, "Because I wasn’t stressed about all the things I needed to do the next day, I was able to slow down and have enough stability to look at my stuff."

The Cuban-American songwriter mentioned that she switched therapists because she could feel that she was not able to make progress in the areas she wanted to, but as soon as she switched, she found that she was able to apply "what they said in a way that benefited my mental health."

Camila Cabello at the premiere of 'Cinderella'. Image Source: Central Recorder

Camila is working on her third album, ‘Familia’, and talking about it, she shared that the new album was made with a handful of collaborators she could open up with. "It’s the most grounded and calm I’ve ever been, making an album. "I worked with people I wanted to have dinner with, and I was like, ‘I’m not going to write every single day for months, but write a few days a week and have time to gather experiences and be a human being.’"

Talking about her relationship with singer Shawn Mendes, Camila shared that he makes her happy. The two had been friends for a long time before confirming their relationship in September 2019. Shawn and Camila have managed to stay in the public’s eyes whether they want it or not. Whether it's their slow pandemic walk, kissing style, or getting ready for MET GALA, the two have always kept the ‘Shawmila fandom happy’. 

In Shawn Mendes' Netflix documentary, 'In Wonder', the singer has mentioned that all of his songs are about Camila. The singer also got a tattoo for her 'little sunflower' on his ribs. The two have also been goofy and honest about each other with their fans too. 

Camila shared that the couple tries to avoid the social media chatter about their relationship, but it somehow gets in. "When negative stuff is out there, it’s going to get to you. So yeah, that’s very, very challenging. I feel like it’s another thing therapy has been helpful for."

Camila and Shawn walked the red carpet at MET GALA 2021. Image Source: Entertainment Tonight 

During the interview, it was discovered that Shawn Mendes also goes to therapy, but the couple has not yet tried ‘couples therapy’, although, Camila is open to trying it out. The couple has been vocal about their mental health on social media and has encouraged their supporters and fans to take care of their mental health too. The singer shared that she and Shawn are very honest and transparent with each other and that is why they can trust each other. She calls it "a very 3D human relationship."

Explaining her 3D human relationship further, Camila added, "I’ll be venting or ranting about something, and he’ll be like, ‘Have you talked to X about it?’ And I’ll be like, ‘No. I’ve got to do a session.’ And he’ll do the same thing to me. I think, even just the language of being like, ‘Hey, I’m sorry that I’ve been distant with you or snappy with you. I’m just struggling, and I’m feeling kind of anxious.’ That level of transparency helps a lot."

Shawn Mendes contributed to the interview via email, where he shared that Camila and he give each other an ‘extreme amount of patience and understanding.’ He added, "I think the truth is that when you’re struggling with mental health, it turns you sometimes into the version of yourself that you don’t like to be—and kind of loving and accepting your person through that and being there for them through that, is life-changing. We give each other so much space and understanding and patience."

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Sharing about a recent incident related to the VMAs' after-party, Camila shared that she is an anxious eater. "I have this pattern of eating a lot when I’m anxious or uncomfortable". She added that eating a lot is comforting to her and when she is done, she feels sick. Shawn Mendes knows about this, "at the VMAs party, I was like, ‘I’m doing it.’ And he was like, ‘It’s okay. You’re doing it. That’s okay. Let’s just take a breath and not do that.’ It’s really good for me to be able to talk about my patterns with someone."

Talking about food and body image has been a priority of the singer. In July, the singer shut her trolls off with a TikTok video where she is seen saying, "Being at war with your body is so last season." The video has racked up to 4.8 million likes. Just like anybody else, Camila also has days when her self-doubts peak.

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Sharing further, the singer-actress said that she has thought about the fact that she needs to look good, work out and eat better because she does not want her pictures to go viral. Camila says that paparazzi are not only to blame, but the idea of the perfect body is deep-rooted.

Camila Cabello shared that one time she was working out with her trainer, Jenna Willis, (who is great by the way), and she felt insecure about herself. "She’s the same height as me, and I was kind of comparing myself to her because she is a lot skinnier than I am," she recalls. "I was just like, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been working out, and I look better, right? I look better, right?’"

Her trainer helped her find balance and shut those voices in her head down, reminding the singer that how she feels is important rather than how she looks. "When I’m having negative thoughts about my body, that’s actually when I’ll want to binge-eat cookies, and then I have a stomachache. It’s this weird psychology: The more I love my body, the more I want to take care of it…. As long as I’m healthy and working out and feel good, that’s the best I can do. There’s no point in trying to have another kind of body."

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Christopher Rosa took the interview, Christine Hahn photographed Camila and Ryan Young styled her for the cover shoot. The last thing Camila said before heading off to work on her third album, performances and so much more was; "It’s important to be on top of not just what’s making you sad or anxious, but also what’s giving you joy. I want to be happy and enjoy my life. That’s kind of it."

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