This weekend, Camila Cabello is set to perform on one of the biggest stages in the world — opening up the 2019 Grammys. It’s worth noting that last year, only 12 short months ago, she was dropping her debut album, and this year she’s not only up for two awards, but has been chosen to open up the show, a huge feat for any performer, and even more so for one so young.
But before she scales new heights as an entertainer, the pop star took things back down a notch, performing at an intimate 2,000 person show at Los Angeles’ historic Orpheum Theatre earlier this week. Considering she spent last year opening up for Taylor Swift’s enormous Reputation stadium tour, and when she came back to LA for a solo run she was billed a the 4,000-capacity Palladium, this was quite an underplay for Cabello.
Partnering with Mastercard for the event, the singer expressed at a fireside chat before the show that connecting with her fans in person, and performing for them, remains her favorite way to stay involved, and the show certainly offered that opportunity. Cardholders and fans were tapped to attend the event, creating the kind of crowd who sing along breathlessly even to the deep cuts, and illustrating just how quickly Cabello’s star has risen since the release of Camila last year. Further proof is that along with partnering with Mastercard for the show, she will also be working with them for an entire campaign, which includes the introduction of a “sonic brand” and a full commercial spot.
And maybe the rise of new partnerships like this one gave her newfound confidence because her show at that small venue was the best of the three times I’ve seen her. Opening up the set with her second massive Billboard solo hit, “Never Be The Same,” she quickly transitioned into “She Loves Control” and “Inside Out,” before calling back to the days just before her breakout from 5th Harmony, performing “Bad Things,” her early solo collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly.
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From there, the show took a bit of a left turn, as the young pop star paid homage to Elvis Presley himself by covering “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” before moving back into familiar cuts from Camila like “Consequences,” “All These Years,” “In The Dark” and “Real Friends.” Throughout the show, Cabello took breaks to talk to the audience about her journey over the last year, and share encouraging anecdotes — and her poise has only increased exponentially after touring stadiums with Taylor. When I saw her back in May of 2018 she already commanded a stage, but her ability to talk freely and conversationally from the stage has reached a new level of polish in 2019.
Closing out the show with the undeniable momentum of “Into It,” and returning to encore one of her latest loose singles “Sangria Wine,” there was only one song in the world she could’ve ended a show like this with. Obviously, “Havana” is the kind of hit that can make a career, and while it definitely had that defining power for Camila, the fact that she built so much more on top of the song speaks to her own depth as an artist.
And while the audience hoped perhaps Young Thug would come join for his verse, it wasn’t in the cards that night, but most likely will be happening for the Grammys stage this Sunday. Still, finishing out the night on such a high note was further indicative of all that Cabello accomplished in 2018, and from the hints she was dropping about being in the studio, it seems like we’ll have more new music before this year is out. Definitely tune into the Grammys on Sunday to see what surprises she might have in store for one of the biggest stages in the world, and keep your eyes out for so much more from her in 2019.
