Camila Cabello is closing in on the release of her new album C,XOXO, complete with several new tracks written by her. But in a new interview, the star revealed that songwriting didn’t always come easily to her — that is, until Taylor Swift gave her a piece of advice that helped her hone her craft.
Speaking to 11-year-old influencer Taylen Biggs, the “Bam Bam” singer recalled meeting the 14-time Grammy winner for the first time a decade ago at the VMAs, which she attended while still in Fifth Harmony. “I was maybe about 16 or 17 where I met one of my songwriting heroes, Taylor Swift,” Cabello said, noting that she had just started getting interested in composing lyrics at the time.
“I see her and Lorde sitting together,” she continued. “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, that’s Taylor Swift. I have to go up to both of them, and I have to tell them I love them.’ They were both so sweet.”
“I was having a hard time getting out of this creative rut,” Cabello went on. “I was like, ‘Who is the person to ask about songwriting? It’s Taylor Swift.’ I was like, ‘What would you say if you’re having a lot of self doubt and you feel a little stuck?’”
That’s when Swift imparted words of wisdom that changed the X-Factor alum’s outlook forever. “I don’t even know if she remembers this, it was so long ago,” Cabello recalled. “She said, ‘When that happens to me, [I] just keep writing through it. You just gotta keep going, keep writing through it.’”
“When you feel those voices of self doubt, just keep going,” the vocalist added. “You will find yourself on the other side of it.”
Cabello has since released three solo albums, with her fourth slated to arrive Friday (June 28). The project will feature 14 tracks, including lead single “I Luv It” with Playboi Carti as well as not one, but two cameos from Drake.
The former Voice coach has also developed a friendship with Swift since meeting the superstar all those years ago. In 2018, the former served as an opener on the latter’s Reputation Stadium Tour, something Cabello called a “full-circle” moment in an interview with Billboard later that year.
“I’ve been a huge fan of Taylor Swift since I was like 13 years old,” she added at the time. “I know literally all of her songs. She was one of the people that really inspired me to start songwriting.”
Watch Cabello’s full interview with Biggs below.
