Camila Cabello

Camila Cabello Bio

Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao, known professionally as Camila Cabello, is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter who first rose to international fame as a member of the pop group Fifth Harmony. Born on March 3, 1997, in Cojímar, Havana, Cuba, she later moved to Miami as a child and began her music career on the television competition The X Factor. After leaving Fifth Harmony in late 2016, she launched a solo career highlighted by the worldwide hit single “Havana” and a string of successful studio albums.

Cabello has built a reputation for blending pop melodies with Latin and R&B influences, collaborating with artists such as Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran and Young Thug. Beyond music, she made her feature film debut in the 2021 movie Cinderella and joined NBC’s The Voice as a coach in 2022. Her work has earned her Latin Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and a Billboard Music Award.

Early Life and Background

Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao was born on March 3, 1997, in the Cojímar neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, to Alejandro Cabello, who was born in Mexico City, and Sinuhe Estrabao, a Cuban architect. After meeting in Mexico City, her parents moved between Mexico and Cuba during her early years, and she has a younger sister named Sofia. Cabello has described herself as Cuban-Mexican and has spoken about both sides of her heritage.

When she was around six or seven years old, Cabello relocated with her mother to Miami, Florida, crossing the United States border from Mexico. Her mother told her they were going to Walt Disney World as a special trip, and the family eventually settled in the Miami area while her father joined them approximately eighteen months later. Cabello obtained American citizenship in 2008.

She attended Miami Palmetto High School before leaving during the 2012 to 2013 school year to focus on her singing career, later earning her high school diploma. Growing up, she listened to Latin artists such as Alejandro Fernández and Celia Cruz, as well as contemporary pop stars, influences that would later shape her own sound.

Path to Music

Cabello’s professional start came in 2012 when she auditioned for the American version of The X Factor in Greensboro, North Carolina, performing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” Although her audition was not aired, she advanced through the bootcamp stages in Miami and was grouped with contestants Ally Brooke, Normani, Lauren Jauregui and Dinah Jane to form the girl group Fifth Harmony. The group finished in third place on the show and signed a joint deal with Syco Music and Epic Records.

From 2013 through 2016, Cabello toured and recorded with Fifth Harmony, releasing the EP Better Together and the studio albums Reflection and 7/27, the latter of which featured the international hit “Work from Home.” During this period, she began exploring solo work, collaborating with Canadian singer Shawn Mendes on “I Know What You Did Last Summer” in 2015 and later with Machine Gun Kelly on “Bad Things” in 2016.

By the end of 2016, Cabello announced her departure from Fifth Harmony to focus fully on her solo career. The decision was confirmed publicly in December 2016, paving the way for her debut solo single “Crying in the Club” and the eventual success of her chart-topping single “Havana.”

Camila Cabello Career

Early Career (2012-2016)

Cabello’s earliest professional years were spent performing with Fifth Harmony, where she helped the group become one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. The group released Reflection in 2015 and 7/27 in 2016, both of which produced international singles, including “Worth It” and “Work from Home.” Cabello also began earning recognition outside the group, appearing on Time magazine’s “The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2016” list.

She balanced group duties with growing solo opportunities, recording duets with Shawn Mendes and Machine Gun Kelly that charted in the United States and Canada. These collaborations gave her a platform to develop her voice as a solo artist before her official exit from Fifth Harmony in December 2016.

Breakthrough (2017-2018)

In May 2017, Cabello announced her first solo studio album, originally titled The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving., and released her debut solo single “Crying in the Club.” She later pivoted toward a Latin-influenced sound, releasing “Havana” featuring Young Thug, which climbed to number one in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and several other countries. The song became Spotify’s most-streamed track ever by a solo female artist at the time.

Her debut album, renamed Camila, was released on January 12, 2018, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 119,000 album-equivalent units. The record was certified platinum in the United States and received strong critical notices for blending pop, reggaeton and Latin ballads. Cabello also joined Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour as an opening act in 2018 and released follow-up singles including “Never Be the Same” and “Consequences.”

Breakthrough (2019-2020)

Cabello released “Señorita” with Shawn Mendes in June 2019, and the duet reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in more than thirty countries. She followed the single with her second studio album, Romance, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and featured additional singles such as “Liar,” “Shameless” and “My Oh My.” Cabello also recorded “South of the Border” with Ed Sheeran and Cardi B, which charted internationally.

A planned Romance Tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Cabello participated in several virtual benefit events, including iHeart Media’s Living Room Concert for America and Global Citizen’s Together at Home concert. During this period, she continued building her catalog with high-profile collaborations and philanthropic efforts.

Breakthrough (2021-2023)

In 2021, Cabello released “Don’t Go Yet,” the lead single from her third studio album Familia, and made her feature film debut in the musical adaptation Cinderella, directed by Kay Cannon. The film became the most-watched streaming movie over the Labour Day weekend in the United States, and critics praised her comedic timing and screen presence. She later released Familia in April 2022, with the Ed Sheeran collaboration “Bam Bam” becoming one of her biggest global hits and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Cabello headlined the UEFA Champions League Final opening ceremony in May 2022 and joined NBC’s The Voice as a coach for its twenty-second season. She signed with Interscope Records in September 2022 and continued releasing collaborations, including a remix of Stromae’s “Mon amour” and a track with Camilo titled “Ambulancia.”

Breakthrough (2024-Present)

Cabello released her fourth studio album, C,XOXO, in June 2024, marking what Rolling Stone described as the beginning of her “hyperpop era.” The album featured collaborations with Playboi Carti, Lil Nas X and Drake, and a deluxe edition titled Magic City Edition followed in September 2024. She performed at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards and continued releasing new material throughout the year.

In 2025, Cabello appeared in the Netflix program One Shot with Ed Sheeran, in which the two artists share a duet of “Photograph” while driving through Manhattan. She continues to record and perform as a leading pop artist with Latin and R&B roots.

Notable Works and Milestones

Cabello’s signature songs include “Havana,” “Señorita” and “Bam Bam,” each of which reached the top of international charts and earned multi-platinum certifications. Her debut album Camila, the follow-up Romance and the Latin-leaning Familia established her as a major solo artist following her tenure with Fifth Harmony. Her film work in Cinderella and her role as a coach on The Voice further expanded her presence in entertainment beyond music.

Camila Cabello Award Nominations

Cabello has received recognition from major award bodies across her career, including nominations at the Grammy Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards. Notable nominations include Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards, where she performed “Havana” with Ricky Martin, J Balvin and Young Thug. She has also earned nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for both “Señorita” and “Bam Bam.”

Camila Cabello Awards Won

Cabello has won two Latin Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award, four MTV Video Music Awards (including Video of the Year for “Havana”), five MTV Europe Music Awards and two iHeartRadio Music Awards, among other honors. She was also recognized with a Billboard Women in Music award for Breakthrough Artist early in her solo career. Her win for Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs remains one of the most notable achievements of her solo run.

Camila Cabello Family

Cabello was born to Alejandro Cabello, a Mexican-born father, and Sinuhe Estrabao, a Cuban architect. Her parents met in Mexico City before moving between Mexico and Cuba during her early childhood. She has a younger sister, Sofia, who has occasionally appeared alongside her in public settings.

After relocating to Miami, Cabello’s mother worked at Marshalls and later transitioned into architecture, eventually co-founding a construction company named after Camila and Sofia with her husband. The family eventually established their life in the United States, with Cabello becoming a citizen in 2008.

Personal Life

Cabello purchased a home in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2019 before selling the property in December 2021. She has been in several high-profile relationships, including with dating coach and writer Matthew Hussey from 2018 to 2019, with Canadian singer Shawn Mendes from 2019 to 2021, and with Lox Club founder Austin Kevitch from 2022 to 2023.

Outside of music, Cabello is known for her philanthropy and advocacy, including partnerships with Save the Children, the Children’s Health Fund and the Movement Voter Fund. She has also been vocal about political and humanitarian issues in Cuba, using her platform to raise awareness about shortages, protests and the need for humanitarian relief on the island.