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Camila Cabello

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Camila Cabello

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  • Camila Cabello was told she was going to Walt Disney World. She was between six and seven years old, and the promise was her mother's way of coaxing a child toward a new country. The real destination was Miami, reached after a 36-hour ride on a Greyhound bus. Cabello grew up to become an American singer and songwriter whose songs have topped charts around the world. Her story raises several questions. How did a girl who arrived speaking little English end up headlining arenas? Why did she walk away from the group that first made her famous? And what has she tried to say, through her music and her public voice, about the two countries that shaped her?

  • Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao was born on the 3rd of March 1997 in Cojímar, in the Habana del Este district of Havana, Cuba. Her parents are Alejandro Cabello and Sinuhe Estrabao. Her father was born in Mexico City and her mother is Cuban. The two met in Mexico City and later moved to Cuba. Cabello has a younger sister named Sofia.

    Proculo Capistran, her great-great-grandfather, was a guerrilla fighter who served in the Mexican Revolution alongside Emiliano Zapata. Cabello spent much of her early life moving back and forth between Mexico and Cuba. She describes herself as "Cuban-Mexican".

    At the border between Mexico and the United States, Cabello and her mother waited only one day before they were granted permission to enter. In Miami they moved into the home of a colleague of Cabello's grandfather, who later became her godmother. Her mother took night courses to study English. Her father could not obtain a visa at the time and joined the family about 18 months later.

    Cabello's mother had trained as an architect and earned her degree in Cuba. In Miami she first worked at Marshalls, stacking shoes. One day two Cuban women approached her at work and said their brother worked in architecture and needed someone who knew AutoCAD. She learned the program in a week. In time she earned enough to move her children out of the borrowed house and into an apartment. Her parents eventually formed a construction company named after Camila and Sofia.

    Cabello became an American citizen in 2008. She attended Miami Palmetto High School but left during the 2012-2013 school year, while in 9th grade, to pursue singing. She later earned her diploma. Her next stop was a television audition in Greensboro, North Carolina.

  • Aretha Franklin's "Respect" was the song Cabello chose for her audition on the talent show The X Factor in Greensboro, North Carolina. Viewers never heard it. The series had not obtained the rights to the song, so the audition was not aired.

    Cabello was eliminated at the bootcamp stage in Miami, Florida. She was then called back to the stage with fellow contestants Ally Brooke, Normani, Lauren Jauregui and Dinah Jane. Together they formed the girl group that became Fifth Harmony. The group finished third on the show. They then signed a joint deal with Syco Music, owned by Simon Cowell, and Epic Records, the label run by L.A. Reid.

    Fifth Harmony released the EP Better Together in 2013. The studio albums Reflection and 7/27 followed in 2015 and 2016. They produced the singles "Worth It" and "Work from Home", which reached the top 10 in several international charts. Cabello toured with the group from 2013 through the end of 2016, and Fifth Harmony ranks among the best-selling girl groups of all time.

    In November 2015, Cabello and the Canadian singer Shawn Mendes released a duet they had written together, "I Know What You Did Last Summer". It charted at number 20 in the United States and number 18 in Canada. The Recording Industry Association of America certified it platinum. On the 14th of October 2016, the rapper Machine Gun Kelly released "Bad Things", a joint single with Cabello. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Time magazine also named her to its list of the 25 most influential teens of 2016.

    On the 18th of December 2016, Fifth Harmony announced Cabello's departure. Both sides gave contradictory explanations of what had happened. A Billboard journalist wrote that it is "rather uncommon for someone to stand out in a collective as much as Cabello has over the past years." Her last appearance with the group aired as a previously taped performance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve at the end of 2016.

  • On the 25th of January 2017, a collaboration between Cabello and the Norwegian DJ Cashmere Cat leaked online. The song, "Love Incredible", received its official release on the 16th of February. It later appeared on Cashmere Cat's debut studio album, 9. Cabello also recorded "Hey Ma" with the rappers Pitbull and J Balvin for the soundtrack of The Fate of the Furious. The Spanish version and its music video came out on the 10th of March 2017, and the English version followed on the 6th of April. She also appeared on "Know No Better" with Major Lazer, Travis Scott and Quavo.

    In May 2017, Cabello announced her first studio album. It was then titled The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving. She described it as "the story of my journey from darkness into light, from a time when I was lost to a time when I found myself again". Her debut solo single, "Crying in the Club", was released on the 19th of May 2017, and she performed it at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. It peaked at number 47 in the United States. She also opened several shows on Bruno Mars' 24K Magic World Tour and became the face of the clothing brand Guess for its 2017 Fall campaign.

    Then came "Havana", featuring the rapper Young Thug. Its success sent Cabello back into new writing and recording sessions, and the album's original release date slipped. The single reached number one in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Hungary and the United States. It spent seven weeks atop the US Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart. In June 2018 it became the most-streamed song ever on Spotify by a solo female artist, with over 888 million streams at the time. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry named it the best-selling digital single of 2018.

    The finished album, retitled Camila, was released on the 12th of January 2018. It is a pop record with Latin-influenced songs and ballads. It debuted at number one in the United States with 119,000 album-equivalent units, including 65,000 from pure album sales, and was later certified platinum. Cabello grew up listening to Alejandro Fernández and Celia Cruz. The album brings in reggaeton, hip hop and dancehall. It drew on the Latin artists Calle 13 and J Balvin, along with the songwriting of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.

    Two more songs, "Real Friends" and "Never Be the Same", were released on the 7th of December 2017. The latter peaked at number 6 on the Hot 100, her third top 10 entry. Together with "Havana", it made Cabello the first artist to top both the Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 airplay charts with the first two singles from a debut studio album. She later won an MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year for "Havana".

  • April 2018 brought the Never Be the Same Tour, Cabello's first headlining concert tour as a solo artist. In May she also began opening for Taylor Swift on the Reputation Stadium Tour, in between the European leg of her own tour. That same month she made a cameo in Maroon 5's music video for "Girls Like You". On the 31st of July 2018, she headlined an arena for the first time, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. During the tour she also released "Sangria Wine", recorded with Pharrell Williams, live. On the 9th of October 2018 she released the video single "Consequences", after first surprising 12 of her biggest fans with a "Most Amazing Mystery Gift & Personal Letter".

    In December 2018, Cabello earned two Grammy nominations. They were for Best Pop Solo Performance, for a live version of "Havana", and Best Pop Vocal Album, for Camila. At the ceremony she performed "Havana" with Ricky Martin, J Balvin and Young Thug. The performance opened the show and made her the first female Latin artist to do so.

    On the 21st of June 2019, Cabello released "Señorita" with Shawn Mendes. It was their second collaboration after "I Know What You Did Last Summer". The song debuted at number two on the Hot 100 and climbed to number one in August, her second single to top that chart. It reached number one in over 30 countries and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was the third best-selling song of 2019 globally. That July she also released "South of the Border" with Ed Sheeran and Cardi B, which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.

    Cabello began dating Mendes in July 2019. Both were accused of forming the relationship for publicity. Mendes insisted it was "definitely not a publicity stunt".

    On the 1st of September 2019, Cabello posted an Instagram clip teasing her second studio album, Romance. Two days later she announced its first two singles, "Liar" and "Shameless", which were released on the 5th of September. The promotional singles "Cry for Me" and "Easy" followed in October. "Living Proof" arrived with pre-orders on the 15th of November. The album came out on the 6th of December 2019, inspired by the "big sounds" of the 80s and Queen.

    Romance debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and reached number 1 in Canada. It reached the top 10 in 12 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Its fourth single, "My Oh My", featuring DaBaby, peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 and topped the US Mainstream Top 40. The Romance Tour planned for 2020 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • In April 2019, it was announced that Cabello would star in a film adaptation of Cinderella, directed by Kay Cannon for Sony Pictures. The film reached select theatres and Amazon Prime Video on the 3rd of September 2021. It was the most-watched streaming movie over the Labour Day weekend and the most-watched movie musical yet in 2021. Critics gave the film mixed reviews, but Cabello's performance drew favourable notices. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3 out of 4 stars and said "she has a real knack for comedy". IndieWire wrote, "In her cinematic debut, the pop star stitches up a charming performance in an oft-told fairy tale." Cabello told The One Show in July that she would like to continue acting.

    On the 23rd of July 2021, Cabello released "Don't Go Yet" as the lead single from her third studio album, Familia. She announced the album alongside the song. On the 15th of October 2021, she premiered "La Buena Vida" during her NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Forbes named Familia one of the most anticipated pop albums of 2022. In November 2021, Cabello and Shawn Mendes announced their breakup.

    Familia was released on the 8th of April 2022, accompanied by a virtual TikTok concert titled "Familia: Welcome to the Family". NME, The Guardian and Rolling Stone each gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Nick Levine of NME called it "Cabello's richest and most compelling album yet." Tomás Mier of Rolling Stone described it as "an imperfect yet revealing mosaic of Cabello's Cuban and Mexican heritage." Mier found the shifts in style disorienting but compared the raw, honest lyrics to reading her diary. Alim Kheraj of The Guardian praised the album as "honest and humming with artistic intent". The album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200, her third top ten album. It also debuted at number six in Canada, number nine in the UK and number four in Spain.

    The Familia hit "Bam Bam", with Ed Sheeran, was released on the 4th of March 2022. Cabello debuted it on The Late Late Show with James Corden. The pair first performed it live together at the Concert for Ukraine benefit in Birmingham. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Global 200, her highest placing since that chart's creation in 2020. It also reached number 21 on the Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

    On the 28th of May 2022, Cabello performed "Señorita", "Havana", "Bam Bam" and "Don't Go Yet" at the opening ceremony of the UEFA Champions League Final. The performance became the most viewed video on UEFA's channel. Afterward she tweeted that spectators were "very rude" for "singing their own teams so loud during our performance", which led to controversy.

    On the 15th of May 2022, Cabello announced on TikTok that she would coach on the twenty-second season of the US version of The Voice, replacing Kelly Clarkson. In October 2022 it was confirmed that she would not return for the twenty-third season. In September 2022 she left Epic Records and signed to Interscope Records, a label of Universal Music Group.

  • Cabello started teasing a new song, "I Luv It", on the 5th of March 2024. A collaboration with Playboi Carti, it was released on the 27th of March. Rolling Stone branded it the start of her "hyperpop" era. It served as the lead single for her fourth studio album, C,XOXO, which she announced on the 6th of May. A second single, "He Knows", featuring Lil Nas X, arrived on the 10th of May. The album was released on the 28th of June 2024 alongside the third single, "Hot Uptown", featuring Drake. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200.

    On the 6th of September 2024, a deluxe edition called the Magic City Edition appeared with the single "Godspeed". Cabello performed that song and the track "June Gloom" at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2025 she appeared in the Netflix program One Shot with Ed Sheeran, which follows him on an hour-long trip around Manhattan. He has a chance encounter with Cabello, who drives him around the city while they sing a duet of "Photograph".

    Cabello has a soprano vocal range. Her musical style is mainly rooted in pop and R&B, with elements of Latin music. She has cited Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Rihanna, Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, David Bisbal, Maná, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, John Mayer, Demi Lovato and Eminem among her influences.

    On the 22nd of August 2022, she announced that she had written and sung a song with the composer Hans Zimmer for the documentary series Frozen Planet 2. It debuted on the 28th of August in the show's first trailer. It won Best Song/Score in a Trailer at the 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Her other honours include two Latin Grammy Awards, a Billboard Music Award, five MTV Europe Music Awards, two iHeartRadio Music Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards. She has also won three iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards and a Billboard Women in Music award for Breakthrough Artist. In 2025 she headlined the Yours, C Tour.

  • In February 2016, Cabello partnered with Save the Children to design a limited-edition "Love Only" T-shirt. The shirt aimed to raise awareness of girls' equal access to education, health care and opportunities to succeed. In June 2016, she worked with the producer Benny Blanco and members of the nonprofit arts organization OMG Everywhere to create the charity single "Power in Me". She has also partnered with the Children's Health Fund, which provides health care to low-income families with children. In November 2018, she became an ambassador for Save the Children, and in September 2019 she pledged to raise $250,000 for the organization.

    On the 3rd of April 2017, Cabello performed at Zedd's WELCOME! Fundraising Concert, which raised money for the ACLU. On the 8th of May 2017, she sang to patients at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. In late 2017 she joined Lin-Manuel Miranda and other Latin artists on "Almost Like Praying" for Puerto Rico hurricane relief. She also announced that all proceeds of "Havana" would go to the ACLU for DREAMers. On the 13th of July 2018, she performed a concert in San Juan and donated a portion of its proceeds to the Hurricane Maria Relief Fund. On her 2018 tour, portions of the proceeds from VIP packages went to the Children's Health Fund.

    In March 2019, Cabello announced that she had donated $10,000 to a GoFundMe campaign for a homeless immigrant. In October 2019 she performed at the We Can Survive concert, which raises money for breast cancer causes. On the 22nd of October 2019, she appeared with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace in support of the finalists for the BBC Radio 1 Teen Heroes Awards. In March 2020 she took part in iHeart Media's Living Room Concert for America. In March and April 2020 she joined Global Citizen's Together at Home virtual concert. Both events raised awareness and funds for the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, she and Shawn Mendes joined protests in Miami for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd.

    In January 2021, Cabello partnered with the nonprofit Movement Voter Fund to launch The Healing Justice project. The project identifies ten organizations to receive grants for mental health resources for their frontline workers. Cabello pledged $250,000 in seed money and has promised to keep supporting it. Recipients include Freedom Inc and QLatinx. In September 2021, she recruited over 60 artists to sign an open letter to entertainment companies including Amazon, Facebook and Apple Inc. The letter asked them to urge Congress to pass the climate action that President Joe Biden had called for in his Build Back Better agenda.

    In March 2022, Cabello performed a cover of Coldplay's "Fix You" at the Concert for Ukraine. The two-hour show raised money for the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. In May 2022 she launched and hosted a benefit concert for the emergency "Protect Our Kids" fund. She also teamed with Lambda Legal and Equality Florida to help protect LGBTQ+ students and their families from Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay or Trans" bill. Through a collaboration with Pepsi for the UEFA Champions League, she also supports #Football4Refugees, an appeal launched by the UN Refugee Agency.

    In July 2021, amid widespread protests in Cuba over economic hardship, COVID-19 shortages and government restrictions, Cabello used social media to raise awareness. She posted about rising COVID deaths caused by a lack of resources and encouraged the hashtag #SOSCuba. She later shared a performance of the protest anthem "Patria y Vida" with artists including Yotuel. She has criticized the Cuban government as a dictatorship.

    In February 2026, Cabello published a lengthy personal statement on Instagram, X and other platforms. She described Cuba as enduring "67 years of a failing dictatorship and an oppressive regime", with people "starving, looking for food in trash heaps". She said she stays in contact with family on the island and sends aid, including medicine, food and clothing. She urged donations to Caritas Cuba through Friends of Caritas Cuba, calling the crisis one of human suffering beyond politics. The statement received extensive media coverage and drew polarized responses. Some praised her for amplifying the crisis. Others accused her of downplaying the role of long-standing US sanctions and the embargo. Cabello has consistently placed primary responsibility on decades of authoritarian rule and internal mismanagement.

Updated

Common questions

Who is Camila Cabello?

Camila Cabello is an American singer and songwriter born on the 3rd of March 1997 in Cojímar, Havana, Cuba. She first rose to prominence in the girl group Fifth Harmony before launching a solo career.

How did Camila Cabello get to the United States?

Camila Cabello moved to Miami with her mother when she was between 6 and 7 years old, crossing the border from Mexico and taking a 36-hour Greyhound bus ride. Her father joined the family about 18 months later, and she became an American citizen in 2008.

When did Camila Cabello leave Fifth Harmony?

Fifth Harmony announced Camila Cabello's departure on the 18th of December 2016. Both sides gave contradictory explanations of the circumstances, and she appeared in a previously taped performance with the group on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Which Camila Cabello songs reached number one?

"Havana", featuring Young Thug, reached number one in countries including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Hungary and the United States. "Señorita", with Shawn Mendes, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2019 and reached number one in over 30 countries.

What albums has Camila Cabello released?

Camila Cabello has released four studio albums: Camila (2018), Romance (2019), Familia (2022) and C,XOXO (2024). Camila peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, Romance at number three, Familia at number ten and C,XOXO at number 13.

Did Camila Cabello star in the movie Cinderella?

Camila Cabello starred as the title character in the film Cinderella, released in select theatres and on Amazon Prime Video on the 3rd of September 2021. It was the most-watched streaming movie over the Labour Day weekend, and critics gave her performance favourable reviews.

What charities does Camila Cabello support?

Camila Cabello became an ambassador for Save the Children in November 2018 and has partnered with the Children's Health Fund. In January 2021 she launched The Healing Justice project with Movement Voter Fund, pledging $250,000 in seed money.

All sources

223 references cited across the entry

  1. 1Magazine21 geeky facts about Camila CabelloElla Braidwood — March 6, 2018
  2. 2Biography & HistoryNeil Z. Yeung — AllMusic
  3. 5NewsCamila Cabello's Empowering Message About Her Sister Is So ImportantDiana Marti — Capital — September 6, 2018
  4. 15Camila Cabello: 'Our Dreams Were Bigger Than Our Fears'Camila Cabello — PopSugar.com — October 5, 2016
  5. 16MagazineCamila Cabello shares immigration storySeptember 16, 2016
  6. 17MagazineCabello Going Solo2017
  7. 20NewsCamila Cabello: de candidate à "The X Factor" à superstarDe La Forterie Sonia — March 15, 2018
  8. 21NewsFifth Harmony member Camila Cabello quits groupFrank Lovece — December 19, 2016
  9. 22Bio: Fifth HarmonyFifth Harmony Official
  10. 24Simon Cowell Signs Fifth HarmonyPatrick Gomez — January 17, 2013
  11. 25NewsFifth Harmony BiographyDecember 19, 2016
  12. 29Gold & PlatinumRecording Industry Association of America — January 29, 2015
  13. 33After 4 and a half years...Fifth Harmony — December 19, 2016
  14. 45YES! Her debut performance will be at the #BBMAs this Sunday at 8e/5p on ABC! 💥💥💥 #CAMILAxBBMAs https://t.co/GfGs43jJuoBillboard Music Awards — May 16, 2017
  15. 50Camila Cabello's Havana hits #1Australian Recording Industry Association — November 18, 2017
  16. 51Gold & Platinum - RIAARecording Industry Association of America
  17. 55MagazineCamila Cabello Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums ChartKeith Caulfield — January 21, 2018
  18. 57Gold & Platinum: Camila CabelloRecording Industry Association of America
  19. 62MagazineSee the full list of winners from the MTV VMAsJustine Browning — August 20, 2018
  20. 65NewsCamila Cabello Announces Never Be the Same TourNina Braca — February 14, 2018
  21. 71GUYS I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS !!!!!!!! GUYS GUYS GUYS !!!! NOMINATED FOR TWO GRAMMYS!!!!!!!! WE DID IT !!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭Camila Cabello — December 7, 2018
  22. 84Official Singles ChartOfficial Charts Company — October 24, 2019
  23. 87Camila Cabello drops new single "Easy"Shaad D'Souza — October 11, 2019
  24. 90MagazineCamila Cabello Unveils New Song 'Living Proof': Stream It NowRania Aniftos — November 15, 2019
  25. 93MagazineCamila Cabello
  26. 97MagazineCamila Cabello Links Up With Myke Towers and Tainy for 'Oh Na Na'Althea Legaspi — October 29, 2021
  27. 100MagazineJustin Bieber Leads 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards NominationsPaul Grein — January 27, 2022
  28. 106MagazineThe Hot 100January 2, 2013
  29. 107MagazineHoliday 100January 2, 2013
  30. 108Official Singles ChartOfficial Charts Company
  31. 112Latin American leg 2, Music Of The Spheres World Tour // Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina // Many more dates around the world still to be added. Info / tickets https://t.co/zvmn4wjE3J 🇨🇴🇵🇪🇨🇱🇦🇷 https://t.co/MlphrgZgBaColdplay — December 6, 2021
  32. 113Camila Cabello to perform at Rock in Rio 2022Natalia Puertas Cavero — October 15, 2021
  33. 114MagazineCamila Cabello Announces New Song 'Bam Bam' Featuring Ed SheeranMitchell Peters — February 21, 2022
  34. 116Camila Cabello: Bam BamJames Corden — March 4, 2022
  35. 130I'm excited to announce that I'll be performing at the UEFA @ChampionsLeague Final Opening CeremonyMay 9, 2022
  36. 139MagazineCamila Cabello Signs With Interscope Records (EXCLUSIVE)Thania Garcia — September 21, 2022
  37. 144MagazineCamila Cabello Details New Album C, XOXOLarisha Paul — Penske Media Corporation — May 6, 2024
  38. 145MagazineCamila Cabello Indulges in Life's Chaos With Playboi Carti for Eccentric 'I Luv It' Video: WatchMichael Saponara — Eldridge Industries — March 27, 2024
  39. 147MagazineHot New ReleasesJune 28, 2024
  40. 149Every song on the 'One Shot With Ed Sheeran' soundtrackAdam Starkey — November 21, 2025
  41. 151MagazineCamila Cabello's 11 Standout Vocal Moments in Fifth HarmonyTaylor Weatherby — December 19, 2016
  42. 154MagazineCamila Cabello, Pop's Understated New StarSpencer Kornhaber
  43. 157NewsHow Camila Cabello Lost Some Friends and Found Her VoiceReggie Ugwu — January 11, 2018
  44. 160Camila Cabello's tears over Ed SheeranMadison.com — October 7, 2017
  45. 163@mahkarlas omg thanks!!!!! i love songwriting so much- Ed, Taylor, John Mayer, eminem- i am very lyrically driven and storyline drivenCamila Cabello — September 4, 2015
  46. 164PodcastCamila Cabello InterviewJanuary 18, 2018
  47. 171.@Camila_Cabello spent the day at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital singing for patients! ❤️ @UCLAMCH @MusiciansOnCall https://t.co/QXQqrm7FhQRADIO DISNEY — May 8, 2017
  48. 174Camila Cabello Announces Never Be The Same Tour DatesRobyn Collins — NEW 102.7 FM — February 14, 2018
  49. 197MagazineVMAs: Winners ListKimberly Nordyke — August 20, 2018
  50. 201MagazineCamila Cabello Spends Millions on Sunset Strip HouseJames McClain — May 13, 2019
  51. 206NewsBad fauxmance: when celebrity couples become PR stuntsLeonie Cooper — September 13, 2019
  52. 207MagazineCamila Cabello & Shawn Mendes Announce Their BreakupKatie Atkinson — November 17, 2021
  53. 210How Camila Cabello Became Friends With Her AnxietyCamila Cabello — May 28, 2020
  54. 224MagazineCamila Cabello Lights Up 'Dancing on Ice' With 'Never Be the Same'Ashley Iasimone — February 18, 2018

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