Just one more sleep separates Camila Cabello fans from the songbird’s debut solo album – ‘Camila.’
The self-titled set hatches tomorrow and has the world watching to see whether it’ll meet the lofty expectations set by the success of its hit single ‘Havana.’
Many will also be following to see how the set fares – given the drama that preceded it. Namely her departure from Fifth Harmony.
In the time since the split from her Epic label mates, Cabello has avoided questions about the group and instead steered the narrative in the direction of her own journey.
Yet, in an arguable checkmate media move, she does away with the political correctness and opens up about the situation in a new interview.
Speaking with the NY Times, the 21 year old claims her desires to explore solo terrain (while still in 5H) caused friction. She also branded their VMA performance (during which a fifth “member” is bounced off their platform) as “petty.”
Folk have waited long enough
Excerpt from NY Times:
She said that her collaboration in late 2015 with Mr. Mendes — the first time a Fifth Harmony member released music under her own name — had created tension; t hat she had asked to help write lyrics for Fifth Harmony songs and was rebuffed; that she initially wanted to stay in the group while working on a solo album but the other members shut her out instead.
“I was just curious and I wanted to learn and I saw all these people around me making music, writing songs and being so free,” she said. “I just wanted to do that and it did not work.”
Ms. Cabello said that after the awkwardness of her collaboration with Mr. Mendes, things further soured when she began attending writing sessions with producers including Diplo, Cashmere Cat and Benny Blanco. Eventually, she said, she was given an ultimatum.
“It became clear that it was not possible to do solo stuff and be in the group at the same time,” she said. So she made her choice, basing it on what she said was her conviction that “if anyone wants to explore their individuality, it’s not right for people to tell you no.”
Since the breakup, Ms. Cabello has tried to move on from hard feelings, throwing herself into “Camila.” (She changed its name from “The Hurting, the Healing, the Loving” partly to wash her hands of drama.)
But it hasn’t always been easy. In August last year, the remaining members took a less-than-subtle jab at their former groupmate with a stunt that opened a high-profile performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. As the camera zoomed in on a dark, elevated platform showing five women in silhouette, one was dramatically yanked off the stage as if hit by a truck.
Ms. Cabello’s eyes welled up as she recalled watching it live. She had been at home in the living room with her mother. “It definitely hurt my feelings,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it, I wasn’t prepared for it — especially because at that point I’d moved on from it. I was just like, ‘What? Why?’”
“I have to make space for the good stuff to happen in my life,” she said. “I don’t like holding onto the past, especially when it’s stuff that, in my opinion, is just petty.”
The way we see it, there’s three sides to every story. And in this case, that’s Camila’s, the group’s, and the truth. Who knows, maybe the narrative has even more versions via each member of 5H.
What is certain is that Camila is clearly being guided by a stellar team.
Some may scoff, but she’s wisely chosen to share her “side” at a time that proves most beneficial for the project she’s pushing – her album. It’s essentially a case of “giving them what they want to know…when most advantageous for self.’
Again, some may raise eyebrows. But, in an arena where talent and music are just select pieces of much more complex puzzle, strategy is oh so important. And it’s more than apparent that Camila’s is on-point.