When Cuban-American Camila Cabello moved to Miami at age six, she didn’t speak English. She learned the language and made friends by listening to American pop music, which paved the way for a future music career as a pop star—and as an accomplished singer and songwriter.
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Cabello became widely known as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. The group began after Cabello auditioned for The X Factor TV show as a solo artist. Her audition didn’t get picked up, but she was grouped with four other contestants to create Fifth Harmony. They won third place for the season and signed a record deal immediately afterward. Major success followed upon their releasing hits such as “Worth It” and “Work from Home.”
During her time with Fifth Harmony, Cabello collaborated with the other members as a songwriter and began exploring solo ventures. Her solo career broke out when she wrote and recorded the song “I Know What You Did Last Summer” with singer Shawn Mendes; their track was a huge success and provided a launchpad for Cabello to leave Fifth Harmony.
Her subsequent major success included “Señorita,” another collaboration with Mendes, and “Havana,” which was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Throughout her career, Cabello has collaborated with many artists as both a performer and a songwriter, often singing in both English and her native Spanish. You may have heard Cabello sing on some of these tracks, but you probably didn’t know the talented performer helped write them, too!
1. Know No Better—DJ Major Lazer ft. Camila Cabello, Travis Scott, & Quavo (2017)
Cabello teamed up with DJ Major Lazer and several other top-tier rappers to write the 2017 song “Know No Better.” The electro-pop fusion track won accolades at both the Teen Choice Awards and the WDM Radio Awards. While Cabello sang on the track and received featured artist credit, not many people know that she was also part of the writing team.
“We love Camila, and she’s been writing with us for a while—even before she left Fifth Harmony—and we just thought, ‘She’s so dope!'” collaborator Diplo said in an interview with Z100 New York. “So we kept in touch, and we’ve been writing a lot of stuff between our project and hers, and we cut this record and thought she’s perfect for it.”
Wild ones, like we fresh out the cage
Showtime, baby, fresh off the stage
Bad lil’ mama, fresh off the page
Front like you love it, but you know that you hate it
2. Ain’t Easy—Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine (2017)
The Canadian duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine released “Ain’t Easy,” a ballad about the challenges of a romantic relationship, in 2017. Cabello worked with several other songwriters to compose the song for The Launch, a TV music competition. The duo won the show’s second episode, and “Ain’t Easy” subsequently went to No. 1 on the Canadian iTunes charts—ironically, beating out Cabello’s own song “Havana.”
Loving you ain’t easy
It’s fire and then it’s rain, it’s fire and then it’s rain
I said loving you ain’t easy
Baby, you’re what I crave and I wouldn’t wanna waste it
3. Hey Ma—Pitbull & J Balvin ft. Camila Cabello (2017)
Cabello’s 2017 collaboration with Pitbull and rapper J Balvin gave her a chance to show off her Cuban heritage. The trio wrote the song together, with Cabello performing her parts in her native Spanish. “Hey Ma” was written for the soundtrack of The Fate of the Furious and received a nomination for Best Urban Song at the Latin Grammys.
[RELATED: 5 Camila Cabello Songs That Show Off Her Versatility]
The song was originally recorded with Britney Spears before Cabello took her place. Cabello subsequently reworked her parts, including writing the Spanish lyrics.
I’m the good, I’m that raw, I’m that slick, I’m that dawg
With nothing to something, to have it all
Now, mami, just watch, learn and listen
I’ve got a feeling so good she stay switchin’
But before I banish, she spoke Spanish
She said, “Papito rico, te necesito”
4. South of the Border—Ed Sheeran ft. Camila Cabello & Cardi B (2019)
For his 2019 song “South of the Border,” British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran teamed up with two artists of Hispanic heritage, Cabello and rapper Cardi B. The track was a Latin pop/hip-hop fusion with alternating vocals from Sheeran and Cabello and a rap verse. It won praise for its lyrical themes, which seem purely sexual on the surface but provide deeper commentary on love, commitment, racial relations, and politics.
Sheeran wanted to work with Cabello on the Latin-infused track, having been a fan for several years. “South of the Border” hit the top of the charts around the world and peaked at No. 3 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart.
He got that, mmm, green eyes, givin’ me signs
That he really wants to know my name, hey
I saw you lookin’ from across the way
And suddenly, I’m glad I came, ay!
5. Mon Amour—Stromae ft. Camila Cabello (2022)
Cabello is known for performing in both English and Spanish, but she went in a new direction when she teamed up with Belgian singer Stromae in 2022. Cabello sang her verses in English, but switched to French for the chorus, a reggaeton-infused track about the ups and downs of love. Though the song went largely unnoticed in the U.S., it was a hit in both France and Stromae’s native Belgium as it was praised for its Love Island-parodying music video, which featured both musicians.
Cabello had been a fan of Stromae for many years and spoke about her desire to collaborate with him as early as 2015. When they met in person at the Met Gala, the musicians made plans to write a song together—with amazing results.
Mon amour, mon amour
Tu sais qu’il n’y a que toi
Et que je t’aimerai pour toujours
Mon amour, mon amour
Tu sais qu’il n’y a que toi
Et que je t’aimerai pour toujours
Photo by Manny Hernandez/WireImage
