Camila Cabello is opening up about her close friendship with Taylor Swift! The two stars have maintained a strong bond over the years, and the 27-year-old “I Luv It” singer even had the opportunity to open for the 34-year-old “Clara Bow” singer during her Reputation Stadium Tour.
Discussing her new album, C,XOXO, Camila shared insights about becoming friends with Taylor after being a massive fan and how this friendship has influenced her songwriting journey. “I was the f–king biggest Taylor fan. Then she became my friend a few years after,” Camila told Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, reflecting on her journey from fandom to friendship.
Despite their close relationship, Camila confessed that she sometimes struggles with imposter syndrome. “I mean, I feel like I did have imposter syndrome for a very long time, and I do sometimes,” she admitted. However, she noted that getting to know people on a human level helps alleviate these feelings. “The more that you get to know people and get to know them on a human level, you’re like, ‘Oh, they have the same sh-t.’”
Camila emphasized the positive impact of surrounding herself with high-caliber artists like Taylor and Drake. “I think also surrounding yourself with people that are at that level, like Taylor or Drake, it really just elevates you, even on a subconscious level,” she explained. “Just watching them do what they do or talk about things… There’s something about their energy and their confidence and their wisdom from just doing it so long that I think just kind of pulls your game up.”
Moreover, Camila shared that knowing such talented friends motivates her to perform her best. “When you make friends with people like that, you’re like, ‘Oh, they’re kind of watching my sh-t, so I better f–king come correct.’”
In addition to discussing her friendships, Camila also delved into her thoughts on songwriting and the influence of great writers like Taylor. She cited the TV show Girls as an example of excellent writing that has inspired her. “I’m a really emotional person, but I think I also learned technique-wise, what I love, what I think constitutes great writing,” Camila said. “Whether it’s in a novel or… I was just talking about this series with my mom that I re-watch as my comfort show, Girls, on HBO, which I feel like is just great writing where it’s like its show-don’t-tell writing, and it’s specific.”
Camila elaborated on the importance of painting emotions through imagery in songwriting, a technique she learned from Taylor. “I think it took me a little bit to learn as a writer that if you’re a really emotional person, instead of just saying, ‘This devastated me,’ which Taylor is a master at this, and all the great writers are masters of this, you don’t say, ‘I was jealous.’ You say, ‘I want to wear her hair on my head,’ or something. You know what I mean? You don’t say the emotion, you paint it.”
Camila’s new album, C,XOXO, showcases her growth as an artist and features collaborations with big names like Drake, Lil Nas X, Playboi Carti, and City Girls’ JT and Yung Miami. With her evolving songwriting skills and the influence of friends like Taylor, Camila continues to push the boundaries of her music, creating deeply personal and relatable songs that resonate with her fans.
