Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao was born on March 3, 1997. She was born inBenito Juárez, Mexico City, according to records issued inCoyoacán, Distrito Federal (now Coyoacán, Mexico City) a few days after her birth,[9] however, she has mentioned that her parents[b] tell her she was born inCojímar, in theHabana del Este district ofHavana,Cuba.[11][12] Her father was born in Mexico City and her mother is Cuban and Mexican.[13][14] After meeting in Mexico City, her parents moved to Cuba.[15][16] She has a younger sister named Sofia.[17] Cabello was raised and educated in Mexico City during her childhood,[18] although she spent much of her early life moving back and forth between Mexico and Cuba.[19][20] Cabello is aMexican national and hasMexican citizenship.[21] She identifies as "Cuban-Mexican",[22][23][24][1] and she has expressed her desire to be recognized as a Mexican as well, denying the notion that her identity is solely Cuban-American.
Mexico, this is where my mom and dad met, so without this city, I wouldn’t exist... Tonight I’m at home... Many talk a lot about my Cuban side, but don't forget that I’m also very, very Mexican.
– Cabello at the HSBC Hera Festival 2024, in Mexico City.[25][26]
When Cabello was between 6 and 7,[27] she relocated toMiami,Florida with her mother, crossing the border from Mexico to theUnited States and taking a 36-hourGreyhound bus-ride to Miami, after waiting only one day at the border before being granted permission to enter the US. Cabello was told by her mother that she was going toWalt Disney World as an incentive to go to the US; they moved into the home of Cabello's grandfather's colleague, who would later become her godmother. Cabello's mother took night courses to study English. Cabello's father was unable to obtain a visa at the time, and joined the family approximately 18 months later;[27] upon his arrival in the country, he would work washing cars in front ofDolphin Mall.
Cabello's mother—a trained architect with a degree earned in Cuba—initially worked atMarshalls, stacking shoes, until one day, two other Cuban women approached her at work and told her that they had a brother who worked in architecture; she was told that the brother needed someone who worked inAutoCAD, and Cabello's mother learned the program in a week. In time, she had earned enough money to move out of her father's colleague's house and into an apartment with her children. Cabello's mother and father eventually formed a construction company named after Camila and Sofia.[11][28][19][29] Cabello acquired American citizenship in 2008.[30]
On December 18, 2016, Fifth Harmony announced Cabello's departure, with both sides giving contradictory explanations of the circumstances for her exit.[45][46][47] She appeared in a previously taped performance with the group onDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve at the end of 2016.[48] Writing about Cabello's time in the group, aBillboard journalist noted it is "rather uncommon for someone to stand out in a collective as much as Cabello has over the past years."[49]
2017–2018: Breakthrough withCamila
On January 25, 2017, "Love Incredible", a collaboration with Norwegian DJCashmere Cat, leaked online.[50] The official version of the song was released on February 16 and later featured on Cashmere's debut studio album,9 (2017).[51] Cabello also recorded "Hey Ma" with rappersPitbull andJ Balvin forThe Fate of the Furious soundtrack (2017). The Spanish version of the single and its music video were released on March 10, 2017, and the English version was released on April 6.[52][53] The singer was also featured on a collaboration withMajor Lazer,Travis Scott andQuavo for the song "Know No Better".[54]
In May 2017, Cabello announced the future release of her first studio album, at the time titledThe Hurting. The Healing. The Loving., which she described 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".[55] Her debut solo single "Crying in the Club" was released on May 19, 2017,[56] followed by a performance at the2017Billboard Music Awards.[57] The single peaked at number 47 in the United States.[58] She joinedBruno Mars'24K Magic World Tour as an opening act for several shows in 2017[59] and partnered with clothing brandGuess as the face of their 2017 Fall campaign.[60]
New writing and recording sessions for her album, influenced by the success of her single "Havana" featuringYoung Thug, postponed the album's original release date.[61] The single reached number one in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Hungary and the United States.[62] It also spent seven weeks atop the USMainstream Top 40 airplay chart.[63] The song becameSpotify's most-streamed song ever by a solo female artist in June 2018, with over 888 million streams at the time.[64] TitledCamila, her debut album is a pop record containingLatin-influenced songs andballads.[65]Camila was released on January 12, 2018, and debuted at number one in the United States with 119,000album-equivalent units, including 65,000 from pure album sales.[66][67] The album was eventually certified platinum in the country.[68] "Real Friends" and "Never Be the Same" were released in the same day on December 7, 2017,[69][70] the latter becoming her third top 10 entry on the Hot 100, peaking at Number 6.[71] "Havana" and "Never Be the Same" made Cabello the first artist to top the Mainstream Top 40 andAdult Top 40 airplay charts with the first two singles from a debut studio album.[72] She later won anMTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year for "Havana".[73]
In April 2018, Cabello embarked on theNever Be the Same Tour, her first headlining concert tour as a solo artist. She was featured in "Sangria Wine", a song she recorded withPharrell Williams. Cabello released the song live during the tour.[74] In May 2018, Cabello made a cameo appearance inMaroon 5's music video for "Girls Like You".[75] In the same month, she began performing as the opening act for American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift in herReputation Stadium Tour in between the European leg of the Never Be the Same Tour.[76][77] She headlined an arena for the first time on July 31, 2018, at theMohegan Sun Arena inUncasville, Connecticut.[78] Cabello was featured in the remix version of "Beautiful", a song from American singerBazzi. The remix was released on August 2.[79] 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".[80][81]
In December 2018, she was nominated for twoGrammys:Best Pop Solo Performance for a live version of "Havana" andBest Pop Vocal Album forCamila.[82][83] Her performance of "Havana" with guestsRicky Martin, J Balvin and Young Thug at the start of the ceremony made her the first female Latin artist to open the show.[84]
2019–2020:Romance
In October 2018, Cabello announced she would start working on new music in the new year after the holidays.[85][86] In April 2019, it was announced that Cabello would star in an upcoming film adaptation ofCinderella, directed byKay Cannon forSony Pictures.[87]
On June 21, 2019, Cabello released "Señorita" with Canadian singerShawn Mendes, along with the music video.[88] The song debuted at number two on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart and marked Mendes' and Cabello's second collaboration, following "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (2015).[89][90] In August, "Señorita" climbed to the number one position on the Hot 100, making it Cabello's second single to top the chart.[91] "Señorita" reached Number 1 in over 30 countries. It earned a nomination for theGrammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.[92] According to theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), "Señorita" was the third best-selling song of 2019 globally.[93] She also recorded the song "South of the Border" with British singer-songwriterEd Sheeran and American rapperCardi B, which was released in July 2019[94] and reached Number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.[95]
On September 1, 2019, Cabello posted a clip onInstagram, teasing the release of her second studio albumRomance.[96] Two days later, she announced the first two singles from the album, "Liar" and "Shameless", which were released on September 5,[97] followed by two promotional singles "Cry for Me" and "Easy" in October 2019.[98][99]Romance was released on December 6, 2019, and was supposed to be supported by the Romance Tour in 2020, until its cancelation due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[100] "Living Proof" was released with the pre-orders of the album on November 15, 2019.[101]Romance debuted and peaked at Number 3 on theUSBillboard 200[102] and reached Number 1 in Canada.[103] It also reached the top 10 in 12 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Spain. The fourth single from the album, "My Oh My" featuringDaBaby entered the top 20 on theBillboard Hot 100, peaking at Number 12; it also peaked at Number 1 on US Mainstream Top 40.[104]
On July 23, 2021, Cabello released "Don't Go Yet" as the lead single from her third studio albumFamilia, announced alongside the release of the single.[106] On October 15, 2021, Cabello premiered "La Buena Vida", fromFamilia, during herNPR Tiny Desk Concert.[107] On October 29, 2021, Cabello released "Oh Na Na" withMyke Towers andTainy,[108] though it is not included on the album.Familia was named byForbes one of the most anticipated pop albums of 2022.[109] In early September, Cabello performed "Don't Go Yet" at theBBC Live Lounge.[110] She also performed a cover ofOlivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U", which later won the iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Cover Performance.[111]
In the latter half of 2021, Cabello appeared in an adaptation ofCinderella, which was released in select theatres and digitally onAmazon Prime Video on September 3, 2021.[112]Cinderella was the most-watched streaming movie over theLabour Day weekend, as well as the most-watched movie musical yet in 2021.[113] The film received mixed reviews from critics, though Cabello's performance received favourable reviews.Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and praised Cabello for her performance, saying "she has a real knack for comedy",[114] andIndieWire remarked, "In her cinematic debut, the pop star stitches up a charming performance in an oft-told fairy tale."[115] In an interview withThe One Show in July, Cabello said she would like to continue acting.[116]
On December 6, 2021, it was announced that Cabello would open forColdplay during the Latin American leg of theirMusic of the Spheres World Tour in September 2022. She opened for them in Colombia, Peru and Chile, with additional dates added.[124] She also performed atRock in Rio that same month.[125]
On February 21, 2022, Cabello announced that her collaboration withEd Sheeran titled "Bam Bam" would arrive on March 4, 2022.[126] The song was released that day, with a music video accompanying.[127] Cabello debuted the song with a performance onThe Late Late Show with James Corden on the day of release.[128] Cabello and Sheeran performed "Bam Bam" together for the first time live at theConcert For Ukraine benefit atResorts World Arena inBirmingham.[129] "Bam Bam" peaked at number 5 on theBillboard Global 200 chart, marking Cabello's highest peak since the chart's creation in 2020. It also peaked at 21 on theBillboard Hot 100,[130] and inside the top 10 in Canada and the UK. "Bam Bam" earned a nomination for theGrammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.[131]
On April 8, 2022,Familia was released and accompanied by a virtualTikTok concert 'immersive performance' titled "Familia: Welcome to the Family".[132][133] Familia was met with positive reviews from critics, withNME,[134]The Guardian[135] andRolling Stone[136] all giving it 4/5 stars. Reviewing positively forNME, Nick Levine called the album "[Cabello's] richest and most compelling album yet," having delved into her heritage and psyche.[137] In a similar review,Rolling Stone critic Tomás Mier wrote that the album is "an imperfect yet revealing mosaic of Cabello's Cuban [and] Mexican heritage." While noting the multiple changes in style as quite disorienting, Mier complimented the album's raw and honest lyrics, comparing it to reading Cabello's diary. In a review forThe Guardian, Alim Kheraj praised the album's vibrant Latin motifs—"honest and humming with artistic intent"—and noted the recurring theme of "self-sabotage andparanoia."[138]
Familia debuted at number 10 on the USBillboard 200,[139] marking Cabello's 3rd Top ten album.[5] It also debuted at number six in Canada,[140] number nine in the UK,[141] and number four in Spain, the latter marking Cabello's 2nd highest debut there.[142]
On May 9, 2022, it was announced Cabello would headline theUEFA Champions League Final on May 28.[143] On May 28, 2022, Cabello performed "Señorita", "Havana", "Bam Bam" and "Don't Go Yet" during the UEFA Champions League Final opening ceremony.[144] The performance is the most viewed video on UEFA's channel.[145] After the performance, Cabello subsequently tweeted the spectators were "very rude" for "singing their own teams so loud during our performance" leading to controversy.[146] Cabello released 'Road to the UEFA Champion's League Final', a Behind the Scenes look at preparing for the performance, on her YouTube channel.[147]
On May 15, 2022, Cabello announced via her TikTok account that she would be a coach on theUS version ofThe Voice for itstwenty-second season replacingKelly Clarkson.[148] In October 2022, it was confirmed that Cabello would not return for the twenty-third season.[149]
On July 27, 2022Stromae released a remix of his song "Mon amour" starring Cabello,[150] with an accompanying music video that is a play on shows likeLove Island. Cabello provided a verse she recorded in LA and sang in French for the song.[151] In September 2022, Cabello departed Epic Records and signed toInterscope Records, a label ofUniversal Music Group.[152] She also released a collaboration withCamilo titled "Ambulancia", which is on Camilo's albumDe adentro pa afuera.[153] In December 2022, Cabello released her third non-album collaboration of 2022, a remix of "Ku Lo Sa" byOxlade.[154]
2024–present:C,XOXO
Camila Cabello performing in Sydney, Australia in August 2025.
Cabello started teasing her new song "I Luv It" on March 5, 2024.[155] It was released on March 27, and it is a collaboration withPlayboi Carti.Rolling Stone branded the song as the beginning of her "hyperpop" era.[156] It is the lead single for her fourth studio albumC,XOXO, which was announced on May 6 and released on June 28, 2024.[157][158] She released another single, "He Knows" (featuringLil Nas X), on May 10.[159] The third single, "Hot Uptown", featuringDrake, was released on June 28, 2024.[160]
A deluxe edition of the album (calledMagic City Edition) was released on September 6, 2024, alongside the single "Godspeed". Cabello performed the song, as well as the track "June Gloom", at the2024 MTV Video Music Awards.[161] In 2025, Cabello appeared in theNetflix programOne Shot with Ed Sheeran, which featuresSheeran performing songs as he takes an hour-long trip around Manhattan. He is shown having a chance encounter with Cabello, who then drives him around the city while they sing a duet of"Photograph."[162]
In February 2016, Cabello announced she had partnered withSave the Children to design a limited-edition "Love Only" T-shirt to help raise awareness of issues involving girls' equal access to education, health care and opportunities to succeed.[179] In June 2016, Cabello, producerBenny Blanco, and members of the nonprofit arts organization OMG Everywhere helped to create the charity single "Power in Me".[180] Cabello has also partnered with theChildren's Health Fund, a non-profit dedicated to providing health care to low-income families with children.[181]
On April 3, 2017, Cabello performed atZedd's WELCOME! Fundraising Concert, which raised money for ACLU.[182] Cabello sang to patients at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital on May 8, 2017.[183] In late 2017, she joinedLin-Manuel Miranda and multiple other Latin artists on the song "Almost Like Praying" for Puerto Rico hurricane relief.[184] Cabello also announced she was donating all proceeds of "Havana" to theACLU forDREAMers.[185]
Cabello donated portions of proceeds from VIP sale packages to the Children's Health Fund while on the 2018 Never Be the Same tour.[186] On July 13, 2018, she performed a concert inSan Juan and donated a portion of the concert's proceeds toHurricane Maria Relief Fund.[187] In November 2018, Cabello became an ambassador for Save the Children.[188]
In March 2019, Cabello announced she donated $10,000 to aGoFundMe campaign for a homeless immigrant.[189] In September 2019, Cabello pledged to raise $250,000 for Save the Children organization.[190] In October 2019, Cabello performed at the We Can Survive concert which donates to breast cancer.[191] On October 22, 2019, Cabello appeared with theDuke andDuchess of Cambridge atKensington Palace in support of the finalists for theBBC Radio 1 Teen Heroes Awards.[192]
In January 2021, Cabello partnered with the nonprofit Movement Voter Fund to launch The Healing Justice project, a project to identify ten organizations to receive grants to pay for mental health resources for their frontline workers.[197] Cabello pledged the seed money for the venture, $250,000, and has pledged to continue to support the project going forward.[198] So far the project has given grants to several organisations, including Muslim Woman For, Freedom Inc and QLatinx.[199]
Cabello is an outspoken advocate for climate change and regularly speaks about this on her social media and in interviews. In September 2021, Cabello recruited over 60 artists to sign an open letter to several entertainment companies includingAmazon,Facebook andApple Inc., calling on them to ask Congress to pass the climate action that PresidentJoe Biden called for in hisBuild Back Better agenda.[200]
In March 2022, Cabello performed at theConcert for Ukraine benefit concert. The two-hour benefit show was put on to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee's (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal following theRussian invasion of Ukraine. Cabello performed a cover of "Fix You" byColdplay and her single "Bam Bam", withEd Sheeran joining her on stage for their first live performance of the song together.[129]
In May 2022, Cabello launched and hosted a benefit concert to support the emergency "Protect Our Kids" fund. The singer has teamed withLambda Legal andEquality Florida to help protect LGBTQ+ students and their families from Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay or Trans" bill.[201]
As part of her collaboration withPepsi for UEFA Champions League, Cabello is among music and football talent that will be supporting #Football4Refugees, an appeal launched byUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, to unite the global football community to raise funds for displaced people around the world.[202]
On August 22, 2022, Cabello announced that she had provided vocals and written a song withHans Zimmer for the documentary seriesFrozen Planet 2.[203] Cabello called this an 'honour' and the song debuted on August 28, 2022, incorporated in the first trailer for the show.[204] It won the award for Best Song/Score in a Trailer at the 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[205]
Cabello purchased a 3,500-square-foot (330 m2) home in theHollywood Hills neighborhood ofLos Angeles, in 2019.[213] In December 2021, it was reported that she had sold the home for $4.3 million.[214]
Cabello was in a relationship with dating coach and writer,Matthew Hussey, whom she met on the set ofThe Today Show. They dated from February 2018 to June 2019.[215][216]
She began dating Canadian singerShawn Mendes, in July 2019. The relationship caused controversy, as both were accused of attempting toform a relationship for publicity,[217][218] but Mendes insisted it was "definitely not a publicity stunt". The relationship was confirmed after the release of their song "Señorita".[217] In November 2021, Cabello and Mendes announced their breakup.[219]
In August 2022, Cabello began dating founder ofLox Club Austin Kevitch,[220] whom she met through their mutual friendNicholas Galitzine, Cabello's co-lead inCinderella. In February 2023, it was announced the two had broken up.[221]
In December 2019, Twitter users republished racist memes that Cabello hadreblogged onTumblr when she was 15 years old. Cabello deleted the account and apologized, stating that she was "uneducated and ignorant" when younger and that she was deeply embarrassed to have ever used "horrible and hurtful" language.[222] In March 2021, Cabello said she had taken part in weekly racial healing sessions administered by theracial equity group National Compadres Network.[223]
^The theory about Camila Cabello’s birthplace holds that, although official records show she was born in Mexico City, her family presented her as Cuban-born when migrating to the U.S. This was because, under theCuban Adjustment Act and the “wet foot, dry foot” policy, Cubans had special immigration benefits that Mexicans did not. If Camila were seen as Mexican-born, only her Cuban mother would qualify for protection, leaving Camila without rights and her father excluded. By emphasizing a Cuban birthplace, the family ensured both mother and daughter were protected.[10] For these reasons, the family consistently emphasized a Cuban birthplace to immigration officials and, according to the theory, to Camila herself. This created a lasting narrative that was passed down and is now part of her public identity, even if it contradicts the official Mexican record.
^abCabello, Camila (October 5, 2016)."Camila Cabello: 'Our Dreams Were Bigger Than Our Fears'". PopSugar.com.Archived from the original on November 30, 2016....my mom and I immigrated to America. I was almost 7 at the time, born in Havana, Cuba. My papá is puro Mexicano...
^"Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. January 29, 2015.Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2016.
Australia:"Camila Cabello's Havana hits #1". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 18, 2017.Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. RetrievedNovember 18, 2017.
^abYeung, Neil Z."Camila Cabello".AllMusic.Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. RetrievedOctober 8, 2019.Cuban-American R&B/pop singer and founding member of U.S. X Factor girl group Fifth Harmony [...] resonant voice, buoyant charisma, and Latin roots
^"'Detrás de la Fama': Juanes, Paquita la del Barrio y Camila Cabello abrieron su corazón" ['Behind Fame': Juanes, Paquita la del Barrio and Camila Cabello opened their hearts] (in Spanish).Telemundo. September 19, 2021.Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2021.[Regarding her musical influence, she commented that from a young age she listened to Shakira, David Bisbal, Alejandro Sanz, Alejandro Fernández and Maná, artists whom fortunately now can be called friends, which makes her very happy.]
^Nordyke, Kimberly (August 20, 2018)."VMAs: Winners List".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. RetrievedAugust 20, 2018.
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