Right now, everything is going right for Camila Cabello. The 22-year-old has a thriving romance with Shawn Mendes, 21, three songs in the Billboard Hot 100, and a new album on the way. Yet, even with all this success and happiness, Camila’s not above feeling a little bitter — especially when a former lover quickly moves on from a past relationship. This animosity towards that hypothetical ex is at the forefront of “Cry For Me,” the latest song from her forthcoming album. The song, released on Oct. 4, showcases what Camila does best: deliver powerful ballads, in the form of a darn catchy pop song. This time, some electrical guitar was thrown in, to match the savageness of this track.
So, what’s “Cry For Me” all about? It’s about being happy for your ex, but not that happy. “Like I said, I plan on releasing a bunch of new music over the next couple of months leading up to my new album,” Camila told her followers on Oct. 2 when announcing the song’s release. This song is one of my favorites [devil emoji]. I think everyone has felt this at one point or another, when your ex moves on faster than you and, of course, you want them to be happy but just…not so fast. [crying emoji].”
That explanation probably shed some light on the (presumed) lyrics that she shared with the song’s announcement. “When I said I hope you’re happy, I didn’t mean it / never thought you’d be so good at moving on / when I’m lying wide awake / you’re probably sleeping and maybe what I’m thinking is wrong / I want you to cry for me, cry for me, say you’d die for me.” For context, the last man Camila dated was Matthew Hussey, 32, until reports of their split surfaced in June 2019 (and Shawn soon entered the picture). Ironically, Matthew is a famed dating coach, but it’s unclear if the song is a jab at YouTube’s Cupid.
“Cry For Me” follows the 1-2 punch of “Shameless” and “Liar,” the two other singles Camila released from her forthcoming sophomore album. She released the two songs together on Sept. 5, and in the three weeks since then, “Liar” has reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Shameless” has climbed up to the #60 spot. At the time she released “Cry For Me,” Camilla’s singles were at #55 (“Liar”) and #97 (“Shameless”). While neither has been able to match the massive success of “Señorita,” her duet with Shawn Mendes, having two (and now, possibly three) solo singles in the Hot 100 would bode well for her upcoming album.
Things also bode well for her relationship with Shawn, because he’s already met her parents. After quelling the rumors that he’s in a “showmance” with Camila (“It’s not a publicity stunt,” he told TMZ on Sept. 18), Shawn revealed that he’s met Mama and Papa Cabello. “I’ve known them for a long time. Yeah, man,” he said, before adding that he gets along with the family.
