Earlier this year, former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello ditched her girl group image by entering her C, XOXO era. Although this was supposed to be a major rebrand, the artist copped brutal comparisons to hyper-pop princess Charli xcx.
It was June 2024 when Camila stunned the internet with a new sound, debuting her experimental artistry through her debut C, XOXO single “I LUV IT”.
Although you’d think a rebrand, a new look and all that jazz would be so much fun for the artist, the internet clapped back at Cabello, with many netizens claiming that the “Havana” singer was copying Charli xcx’s magic we all know and love.
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— ducki 🏳️⚧️ (@dxckiii) March 27, 2024
It even reached the point where fans speculated that Charli herself shaded Camila over “LUV IT” by posting a similar TikTok video with her 2020 song “I Got It,” which fans drew comparisons to.
Camila Cabello claps back at the Charli xcx comparisons
Months after C, XOXO, Camila finally opened up about the internet’s harsh criticisms and comparisons that were made between her and Charli.
Speaking to NYLON, Camila stated that she loves Charli and she’s “one of my favourite artists”. However, the internet’s shady critiques, she wasn’t keen on.
“I don’t want to sound like I’m a bitter sailor. I think I was on the internet too much, and I think that really hurt me. And then I got off the internet,” she shared.
Camila also admitted that she hated sharing that C, XOXO had elements of hyperpop, which initially sparked the Charli conspiracy theory.
“I said something like ‘elements of hyperpop’ [somewhere],” she continued.
“I hate that I said that, because people ran with this thing before the album was even out.
“‘Twentysomethings’ is literally a guitar song about being broken up with in New York. I can tell that people saying this weren’t even listening to the music. They didn’t do the reading. They didn’t do the listening.”
Camila Cabello shuts down rumours of feud between her and Charli xcx
In July, Camila previously addressed Charli’s “shady” TikTok head-on, revealing to The Independent UK, that the “Sympathy Is A Knife” singer called her after she made the video.
“But [Charli] called me and was like, ‘Hey, I hope you don’t think that I’m actually mad. This is me playing into the Brat era,’” Camila spilled.
“And I totally respect that, you know?”
On the plus side of C, XOXO, Camila did reveal that it got praise from some pretty big icons, including Taylor Swift and Queen B Beyoncé.
“Beyoncé told me she loved my album, OK? That’s the gold star,” she revealed to NYLON.
“I walked away fully, like, tears brimming in my eyes. She’s somebody I’ve watched from my childhood.
“Her and Taylor saying nice things about the album really meant a lot to me.
“Anytime an artist that I respect has said something to me like, ‘Hey, I really love what you’re doing,’ it recharges my battery. A lot of the time I felt so misunderstood.”
Charli xcx herself has yet to respond to the Camila Cabello comparisons herself. And honestly, I think it’ll be a while before the BRAT icon would have anything to say about her muso peer.
But, if I somehow make it behind the stage at Laneway Fest (manifesting) I’ll be sure to sling her a cheeky question about it all.
Image source: Getty Images
